Torres back with a bang
Fernando Torres increased his tally to eight goals this season
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Manchester United have gone five points clear at the top of the Premier League after a 1-0 win over Everton at Old Trafford. |  |
Sunday, 01, Feb 2009 09:07
Fernando Torres struck twice in the last two minutes to give Liverpool a 2-0 win over ten-man Chelsea at Anfield.
The Spaniard scored his first on 88 minutes before doubling his tally in stoppage time to see the Reds slice the gap on leaders Manchester United to two points.
Frank Lampard was controversially sent off for the Blues, who are five points behind United and continue their woeful record against their title rivals this season.
And the Reds will feel they deserved victory after dominating the game in their bid to stay in the title race.
Xabi Alonso tested Petr Cech early on with a long-range pile-driver that was tipped over while Gearrard and Torres were both denied by last-ditch blocks.
Liverpool's best chance fell to Albert Riera whose low shot was parried by Cech with the rebound hitting Ashley Cole and bobbling inches wide of the goal.
The talking point came on the hour mark when Lampard was shown a straight red by referee Mike Riley for a crunching tackle on Alonso, with replays showing the England midfielder won the ball and clipped the Spaniard on the follow-through.
Benitez's troops tried desperately to capitalise on their man advantage with Jon Obi Mikel blocking Torres' shot while Alonso's deflected effort ended up on the roof of the net.
Substitute Yossi Benayoun came close to making an instant impact with a curling shot that was tipped over by Cech, before the Israeli whacked a volley from the edge of the box agonizingly over.
Despite the introduction of Didier Drogba and Deco the Blues offered little as an attacking force, with Salomon Kalou's shot comfortably saved by Pepe Reina.
Just as the Reds looked to be heading for another draw, Torres got ahead of Alex to head in Fabio Aurelio's left-wing cross on 88 minutes.
And the Spaniard clinched victory in the 93rd minute, when Benayoun pounced on Cole's mistake to set-up the striker to stroke the ball into the net to keep the Reds' title hopes alive.