Fernando Torres Saves the Day for Liverpool

We all know how Liverpool can produce the spectacular when facing ignominious setbacks. AC Milan will attest to that after losing the Champions League finals in 2005 while leading 3-0.

If Besiktas do not understand how Milan could throw away a match like that, they were left in no doubt after getting a taste of the backlash from a Liverpool who is again backed into a corner. With defeat meaning an early departure from their favorite competition, Liverpool surprised everyone, including themselves, by turning Besiktas into a whipping boy. The 8-0 victory was resounding and set a record in the process.

Nevertheless, if the fans were anticipating the momentum to carry over and Fulham will be on the receiving end of an equally humiliating scoreline on Saturday, they are setting themselves up for disappointment.

For 80 minutes of play, Liverpool’s attack was ineffective and they cannot find a way through the impregnable Fulham’s defense. As the seconds ticked away, Fulham’s chances of a crucial point loomed larger. Their Finland keeper Antti Niemi was in imperial form, producing a solid performance to frustrate the hosts.

In normal circumstances, a draw is not a bad result but for unbeaten Liverpool, they have one draw too many. We have to go all the way back to September 1st to find their first home win in the league and that was from a controversial Steven Gerrard’s penalty which came after some play-acting by Peter Crouch.

Rafael Benitez paid kudos to Fernando Torres after he came off the bench to fire his side within three points behind joint leaders Arsenal and Manchester United. Until Torres’s goal in the 82nd minute, his eighth goal for the club, Liverpool has forgotten how to score.

Torres, who was not fielded in the 8-0 walloping of Besiktas in midweek gave Liverpool an element of class. Benitez said: “To see Fernando come back and score such an important goal for us was really good. I had confidence we would score because we were creating chances, but we had to be patient.”

It is ironical that Benitez who is well-known for being a tinkerman, decided against changes in this match by naming the same side that faced Besiktas, yet Liverpool cannot perform with the same gusto. This is the first time in 13 months that Benitez went for the tried and tested but in this instance, his rotation policy gained some traction.

He said: “We were unchanged from the other night because we scored eight goals and played so well. But you could see two or three players were really tired. It was good in the end because we won. It was a little bit of a risk because some players were not really fresh.”

I am in no doubt that Benitez will go back to his rotation policy from now on. Meanwhile, Fulham manager Sanchez felt his side was robbed and he reserved some choice words for the referee after a penalty was awarded to Liverpool, from which Gerrard converted to score his fifth goal in six appearances.

The Reds are now unbeaten in 13 games in the Premier League, a run stretching back to May 5 when they lost by a single goal at Fulham. They definitely got their revenge on Saturday.

With the international matches up next, Liverpool deserve a nice break. They have restored their confidence. In a matter of one week, they have closed the gap at the top of the Premier League while they still retain a fighting chance in the Champions League. It is amazing how fast things can change in soccer!