Torres provides Reds inspiration

For long spells it looked as if Lawrie Sanchez's resolute side would escape from Anfield with a point.

But Rafael Benitez sent on Torres with 20 minutes to go, and he broke the deadlock with a stunning individual goal before Steven Gerrard blasted home a late penalty after Peter Crouch had been tripped.

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy tested Jose Reina after just 14 seconds from 20 yards, and the same player forced Reina into a diving save on 15 minutes. Crouch came closest for the Reds in the first period when he hit the crossbar with a looping header from a Fabio Aurelio free-kick seconds from the break.

Two minutes into the second-half and Andriy Voronin forced Antii Niemi into a low save to his right. But Fulham's tackles and interceptions were still biting, and friendship meant nothing when Murphy tripped Gerrard from behind in full flow and was booked.

From the free-kick, Aurelio saw his fierce effort clawed away by Niemi, with Voronin firing the rebound over the top. Voronin then combined superbly with Crouch to burst into the box and see Niemi make another fine save.

Liverpool sent Ryan Babel on for John Arne Riise on 62 minutes and his first involvement was to find Yossi Benayoun in space, but Niemi made another fine save from the Isreal international's lob. Benayoun's next touch was a fine pass into Voronin's stride, the Ukrainian's shot going just wide of the far post.

Voronin left the field soon after, a frustrated man after so many opportunities, to be replaced by Torres. And 10 minutes later the Spain international broke the deadlock.

There was nothing pretty about the build-up, a 60-yard clearance from Reina's hands, but Torres took it down brilliantly, side-stepped his way into the box and cleverly clipped his shot inside Niemi's near post, leaving the 'keeper flat-footed.

Then on 85 minutes, Liverpool got their second. Carlos Bocanegra tripped Crouch in the box and Gerrard crashed home the spot-kick.