Reds hit Derby for six

Spaniards Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso grabbed two goals each, Ryan Babel netted his first for the club and substitute Andriy Voronin also got onto the scoresheet.

It is the first time Liverpool have led the top flight for five years and their best start to a league season since 1998.

Derby had to battle hard in the opening stages as they tried to restrict the space in front of their defence, but it was becoming increasingly difficult and Tyrone Mears was warned by referee Alan Wiley for a succession of fouls.

After one on Jermaine Pennant, Alonso took the free-kick 35 yards out on the left. As his low drive swerved into the box Kuyt ran across Stephen Bywater's line of vision and the ball nestled in the back of the net.

Kuyt should have made it two when Pennant raced away on the left to lift in a cross for the unmarked Dutchman to head over from eight yards. Two minutes later Pennant's pace and skill severely embarrassed Bob Malcolm and, from yet another cross, Kuyt was there again to lift his effort over the bar.

Derby were praying now to get to the break without further damage but they were to be disappointed. The second goal came in first-half injury-time when Pennant set up Babel, who side-stepped two diving defenders before belting in his first goal for the club.

The second period started just as ominously for Derby. The third was not long coming. Javier Mascherano dispossessed a dithering Malcolm 30 yards out and pushed the ball to Torres. The Spaniard then took on a beat three defenders in a run across the box before burying his shot into the bottom corner on 56 minutes.

Andy Griffin was booked for pulling back Torres on 65 minutes, with the Liverpool attacks incessant. The fourth came on 69 minutes when Babel crossed from the right, substitute Yossi Benayoun's effort was blocked and Alonso placed an 18-yard shot into the bottom corner.

Next on was Andriy Voronin in place of Babel and virtually his first touch produced the fifth. Kuyt surged into the box on the right and fired in an angled shot that Bywater could only push out for the Ukrainian to force home from a couple of yards. It got worse for Derby a minute later when a poor back-pass by Andy Todd was snapped up by Torres, who rounded Bywater to run the ball into an empty net.