Wednesday 5 March 2008 20:00 FA Barclays Premier League
"Liverpool"	4 - 0	"West Ham United"
	(1-0)
GOAL
Torres 8, 60, 81, Gerrard 83
25  Jose Reina  17  Alvaro Arbeloa  37  Martin Skrtel   6  John Arne Riise  23  Jamie Carragher  20  Javier Mascherano  19  Ryan Babel   8  Steven Gerrard (c)  14  Xabi Alonso  18  Dirk Kuyt  10  Fernando Torres  Subs:  30  Charles Itandje   4  Sami Hyypia  16  Jermaine Pennant  11  Yossi Benayoun  15  Peter Crouch		1  Robert Green   2  Lucas Neill (c)   6  Matthew Upson   3  George McCartney   5  Anton Ferdinand  17 Hayden Mullins   7  Freddie Ljungberg  15  Nolberto Solano  16  Mark Noble  34  Luis Boa Morte  12  Carlton Cole  Subs:  21  Richard Wright  18  Jonathan Spector  14  John Pantsil   9  Dean Ashton  25  Bobby Zamora
SUBSTITUTIONS
Kuyt (Benayoun 63)  Babel (Pennant 76)  Torres (Crouch 82)		Upson (Spector 63)  Solano (Ashton 69)  Cole (Zamora 69)
OFFICIALS & BOOKINGS
Referee: Steve Bennett
Booked:		Booked: Cole 40, Neill 55, Noble 87
VENUE		MANAGERS
Anfield (capacity 45,362) Attendance: 42,954		Rafael Benitez (Liverpool) Alan Curbishley (West Ham U)

  Price: J3,00

  EL NINO HAT-TRICK PUTS REDS FOURTH

  Liverpool have ousted Everton from fourth spot after a Fernando Torres hat-trick helped secure a 4-0 win over West Ham.

  El Nino became the first Anfield striker in more than 60 years to net successive hat-tricks on home soil following his treble against 'Boro 10 days ago.

  It's now 24 goals for the Spaniard this season, while Steven Gerrard took his tally to 18 with a late beauty from distance.

  The result means Rafa Benitez's side are now level on points with their Mersey rivals, though the Reds hold the upper hand on goal difference - a stat in which Everton trail by eight.

  Four goals were no more than Liverpool deserved from their long-awaited game in hand.

  The hosts' start oozed the kind of confidence you get from three successive wins.

  Torres already had one decent chance even before his eighth-minute strike after Dirk Kuyt nodded back a delightful John Arne Riise cross.

  This time it was just the wrong side of the woodwork but the Spanish ace made no mistake at the second time of asking, side-footing Kuyt's low ball beyond Robert Green with consummate ease.

  Having got the goal, the Reds seemed to momentarily take their foot off the gas.

  Benitez's only changes from the Bolton win came in defence - Arbeloa and Riise recalled at the expense of Hyypia and Aurelio - and perhaps it took the new back four a little time to reacquaint themselves with one another.

  Kop hearts were in mouths on 11 minutes when the visitors broke through Luis Boa Morte, the Portuguese rounding Pepe Reina before an outstanding last-ditch interception from Arbeloa.

  A short while after, Martin Skrtel did well to thwart Carlton Cole in the box, another sign that, if they weren't killed off, West Ham were capable of pinching something.

  Down at the other end a glancing header from the superb Skrtel rolled over the top of the net - three inches lower and it would have been in.

  Gerrard then forced a full-length save from Green with a sweet effort off the outside of this right boot - this following nice work from Ryan Babel.

  West Ham, without a win at Anfield in 45 years, could perhaps have been down to 10-men after 38 minutes when Cole led with his elbow during a challenge with Xabi Alonso. Benitez flew off his seat in protest but Steve Bennett opted for leniency.

  Never mind, for Liverpool started the second half on the front foot once more.

  The lead was almost doubled on 54 minutes following some sublime interplay between Gerrard and Babel, the latter twisting and turning onto his right foot before a trademark drive which Green did well to stop. Still, it had the on-looking Kop purring.

  Finally, two minutes later, it was 2-0. The Hammers defence failed to deal with an Alonso corner and when the ball fell to Kuyt, the Dutch forward had time to look up and plant it on the head of Torres. The number nine was never going to miss from there, guiding the ball beyond the grasp of Green with ease.

  Game over, it seemed. All that was left to be decided was whether El Nino could become the first Liverpool striker since Jack Balmer in 1946 to score hat-tricks in successive home games.

  The crowd thought he'd done just that on 67 minutes when he got his head on Gerrard's swerving right-wing cross. The ball hit the post before taking an age to ricochet across goal and eventually the wrong side of the post.

  Meanwhile, the away fans were beginning to turn on Alan Curbishley despite the rotten luck he's suffered with injuries this season.

  Little did they know their lot was about to get a whole lot worse.

  Torres wrapped up his hat-trick on 81 minutes, sliding into the bottom corner after leaving former Reds target Lucas Neill for dead in a single stride. Anfield erupted.

  The skipper varnished the scoreline two minutes later with perhaps the goal of the night - a 25-yard curler into the top corner - but tomorrow's headlines will rightly belong to Liverpool's Spanish superstar.

  The only sour note came with a late thigh injury to Mascherano, who, with no more substitutions available, had to limp through the final few minutes.

  Stay logged on to Liverpoolfc.tv for highlights on Thursday.

  Teams

  Liverpool Reina, Riise, Carragher, Skrtel, Arbeloa, Babel, Alonso, Mascherano, Gerrard (c), Kuyt, Torres. Subs - Benayoun, Crouch, Hyypia, Itandje, Pennant.

  West Ham United: Green, Neill (c), Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney, Ljungberg, Mullins, Noble, Boa Morte, Cole, Solano. Subs - Ashton, Pantsil, Spector, Wright, Zamora.

  Referee: Steve Bennett

  Conditions: Unavailable

  Attendance: Unavailable

  Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Fernando Torres

  Breakdown

20:00 GMT : Match Starts
20:00 GMT : Match Starts
20:00 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Liverpool kick off attacking the Anfield Road End
2 mins : The Reds have an early corner
3 mins : Gerrard crosses and it's head tennis in the West Ham box before the referee gives a foul against Carragher
5 mins : Liverpool have started well
6 mins : A long ball forward by Green is headed on by Cole and Noble scuffs a shot into the arms of Reina
7 mins : Riise hits a brilliant cross from the left, Kuyt heads it back for Torres and his header is just wide. A great chance for the Reds
8 mins : GOAL! Fernando Torres: Torres gets in front of his man and converts Kuyt's cross for his 22nd of the season
10 mins : Liverpool look like their in the mood tonight as this time an Alonso shot is deflected for a corner
12 mins : Skrtel does well to beat Boa Morte to the ball and clear
13 mins : Boa Morte goes around Reina and Liverpool need a goalline clearance from Arbeloa to maintain their lead
15 mins : West Ham are putting the Reds under a bit of pressure
17 mins : The crowd shout shoot as Mascherano lines one up 25 yards out, but his shot is high and wide
18 mins : Torres finds space down the left and his cross is deflected for a Reds corner
20 mins : At the other end Skrtel does well to deny Cole a shooting chance
21 mins : The noise level increases in anticipation as Babel steps inside Neill, but his shot is well wide
25 mins : The game's hit a bit of flat spot
26 mins : Solano trips Arbeloa to give the Reds a free kick in a good area
27 mins : Gerrard's cross finds its way to Carragher at the far post, but he can't make a telling connection
29 mins : Another Gerrard cross and another good moment for Liverpool as Skrtel meets the ball at the near post and flicks it onto the roof of the net
34 mins : Alonso's hits a superb cross into the box and it just evades Torres before bouncing away off Carragher, who was caught by surprise
36 mins : Gerrard is having a fine game, this time he saunters into the Hammers box before over-hitting his cross
37 mins : Great play by Babel makes a chance for Gerrard and he brings a fine save from Green
38 mins : Neill looks to have handled the ball in the area, but the referee waves away Liverpool appeals
39 mins : First Booking: Carlton Cole: Cole goes into the box after he elbowed Alonso
40 mins : Riise escapes down the left and crosses for Babel, but his cross is blocked. Liverpool could have been clear
43 mins : Mascherano fizzes a long range effort wide. Cole's gone into the book, not the box
45 mins : There will be a minimum of 1 minute added time at the end of the first half
20:46 GMT : Half Time Reached

21:02 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : West Ham get the restarted defending the Kop End
47 mins : A chance straight away for the Reds, but Kuyt gets the ball caught between his legs
49 mins : The Reds spring forward with Gerrard and Torres, but Upson makes a crucial interception and Green mops up the danger
52 mins : The Hammers struggle to clear Gerrard's corner, but Skrtel can't make a firm contact and it's easy for Green
54 mins : Great play from Liverpool as Gerrard finds Babel and he brings an excellent save out of Green
56 mins : West Ham showed enough in the first half to suggest Liverpool will need a second to make this game safe
58 mins : Tonight's attendance is 42,954
59 mins : Rafa has called Benayoun back to the bench, it looks like he's going to change things
61 mins : GOAL! Fernando Torres: El Nino makes it 2-0 and puts Liverpool well on their way back to fourth
63 mins : Substitution: Yossi Benayoun for Dirk Kuyt:
63 mins : Substitution: Jonathan Spector for Matthew Upson:
64 mins : Skrtel has the crowd on their feet as he makes storms through the middle before losing out
67 mins : Torres comes within a whisker of another hat-trick, but his header comes back off the post
69 mins : Substitution: Dean Ashton for Nolberto Solano:
69 mins : Substitution: Bobby Zamora for Carlton Cole:
72 mins : Curbishley has tried to change it with a double substitution, but it looks like West Ham's long wait for a win at Anfield will go on
74 mins : Benayoun bends a great cross into the area, but Neill is able to chest it down for Green to collect
76 mins : Substitution: Jermaine Pennant for Ryan Babel:
76 mins : Torres tries one from way out, but it was ambitous even by his standards
77 mins : Benayoun's cross is deflected out for a Liverpool corner
78 mins : Liverpool have Reina and Skrtel down after they bravely combined to stop Zamora
79 mins : They're both back on the feet and ok to continue
81 mins : GOAL! Fernando Torres: It's hat-trick time again for El Nino
82 mins : Substitution: Peter Crouch for Fernando Torres: The hat-trick hero goes off to a standing ovation
83 mins : GOAL! Steven Gerrard: Gerrard makes it an emphatic 4-0
88 mins : A worrying moment for the Reds as Mascherano is down and in need of treatment
88 mins : Mascherano is back on
90 mins : Mascherano can't continue and Rafa takes him off even though he's used all of his subs to save his injury getting any worse
21:49 GMT : Match Over

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