Benayoun strike sends Liverpool top

Rafael Benitez's team missed several good chances and looked set to pay until Benayoun smashed the winner home with his right foot.

It means Liverpool move top the table, two points clear of second-placed Manchester United - who now have two matches in hand.

Rarely can a side have dominated a football match quite so dramatically and gone in at half-time goalless.

First, Andrea Dossena strode into space in the penalty area and his left-foot shot was tipped over the bar by Mark Schwarzer. From Gerrard's resulting corner Martin Skrtel thundered in another left-foot shot which flicked the head of Dossena before clipping the Fulham crossbar and bouncing to safety.

It was the first of four times Schwarzer's woodwork was to rattle in those first 45 minutes.

Alonso, outside the area, unleashed a thunderous right-foot volley which crashed against the Fulham crossbar.

Then it was Torres' turn after wonderful interplay with Steven Gerrard had sliced open the Fulham defence, only demonstrating the threat of arguably the best striking partnership in world football right now. Unfortunately, the Spain striker's angled shot come back off the post.

Incredibly, two minutes later the woodwork was trembling again. Gerrard again was the provider, swinging in a right-wing cross which Dossena threw himself at only to see his header come back off Schwarzer's bar.

Liverpool could have been excused for wondering if this was not to be their day in the week Benitez picked up the manager-of-the-month award - but as it turned out it proved to be a frutiful trip to the captial.