Reds enjoy happy Monday

Liverpool turned a potential blue Monday into a happy Monday as they swept Portsmouth aside 4-1.

Liverpool stay in hunt for top four with Pompey triumph

Liverpool turned a potential blue Monday into a happy Monday as they swept Portsmouth aside 4-1 to ease the woes at Anfield. The Reds suffered Monday misery at Wigan seven days ago but began a big week well with a comprehensive win over Pompey. Monday night football has rarely suited Liverpool - they had not opened the week with a win in their last nine attempts - but they were seldom threatened by the Premier League's basement boys. Three goals in six first-half minutes - one each for Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel to go with Alberto Aquilani's first strike in English football - killed the game as a contest and turned the second period into a virtual training exercise for the home side. Torres netted his second after 77 minutes as Liverpool peppered Jamie Ashdown's goal before Nadir Belhadj bagged a late consolation the visitors scarcely deserved. Torres and Steven Gerrard were both substituted late on with matches against Lille and Manchester United to come in the next week, the Liverpool skipper going off just moments after appearing to throw an arm at opposite number Michael Brown. But Liverpool fans may prefer to dwell on the performance of Aquilani who finally found a performance to justify his £17million price tag. The summer signing, brought in after Xabi Alonso's sale to Real Madrid, has struggled to adapt to life in England but was at the heart of everything in only his fifth Barclays Premier League start. After the defeat at Wigan, the Reds needed a positive start and the intent was apparent from the off as Torres' run towards the penalty area inside the first minute was halted only by Marc Wilson's tug. Having cranked up the pressure against the massed ranks of Portsmouth's defence - with Torres and Gerrard both having penalty shouts turned down - Liverpool eventually made the breakthrough they were so desperate for in the 26th minute. It was with more than a slice of good fortune, however, and came courtesy of goalkeeper Ashdown, making only his fourth appearance this season because of David James' calf injury. Ashdown drilled Ricardo Rocha's back-pass straight at Gerrard and the ball dropped to Maxi Rodriguez, who squared for Torres to roll a shot into the empty net. Two minutes later Glen Johnson's cross to the far post dropped to Torres, who turned former Liverpool defender Steve Finnan before slipping a pass inside for Babel to poke home. In the 32nd minute the goal that all Anfield - and Aquilani - had hoped for came when Gerrard played in Torres, who crossed back for his captain to dummy and allow his team-mate to fire home in front of the Kop.

Barrage

Torres could have made it 4-0 in the 35th minute when he cut in from the left to curl a right-foot shot beyond Ashdown only to see it rebound back off the post. Gerrard fired wide from Johnson's return ball. Portsmouth were slow to return for the second half and it was perhaps understandable as the barrage continued almost immediately. In probably the best move of the match, the ball was worked in from the right starting with Rodriguez and going through Torres, Aquilani, Babel, and Aquilani again before Gerrard's shot at the far post was charged down by Ashdown. From the same move the Portsmouth goalkeeper's fingertip save then tipped Babel's shot onto the crossbar and over. Portsmouth threatened in the 55th minute when Brown's shot was instinctively touched over by Jose Reina. But it was only a brief respite as Rodriguez fired wide and Johnson should have had a penalty when Belhadj brought down the England international. Gerrard departed in the 74th minute, having just been involved in a clash with Brown in which the Reds captain appeared to thrust an arm across his opponent's face, as Yossi Benayoun came on. Aquilani's dream night continued in the 77th minute when he threaded a pass to Torres in the penalty area and he cut back onto his right foot to blast a shot inside the near post. The Spaniard, who has now scored 15 Premier League goals to beat his tally of last season, was immediately replaced by David Ngog. Torres, who looks to be returning to his lethal best having been sidelined for five weeks after a knee operation, left to a standing ovation. Even a late goal from Belhadj, sidefooting in Frederic Piquionne's volley across goal, could not spoil a straightforward night for the hosts.

Liverpool	Team Statistics	Portsmouth
4	Goals	1
3	1st Half Goals	0
9	Shots on Target	3
10	Shots off Target	6
6	Blocked Shots	0
8	Corners	4
10	Fouls	16
0	Offsides	1
0	Yellow Cards	2
0	Red Cards	0
86.6	Passing Success	74.4
21	Tackles	17
61.9	Tackles Success	88.2
64.5	Possession	35.5
55.9	Territorial Advantage	44.1