LIVERPOOL 4 - WEST HAM UNITED 0
Wednesday 05 March 2008 20:00 , Barclays Premier League
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.
Steven 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 Steven 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.
