The Times

Liverpool eliminate Chelsea challenge
Liverpool 2 Chelsea 0

Oliver Kay

As the dust settled and the snow began to stick on the streets around
Anfield, only one story truly mattered last night. There had been
anguish for Frank Lampard, more humiliation for Robbie Keane, the
rebirth of Fernando Torres and the slightest encouragement for Rafael
BenÍtez in his contract negotiations, but, fairly or otherwise, this
was the afternoon when Liverpool shrugged off the self-doubt and
established themselves once and for all as the only threat to
Manchester United's hopes of a third successive Premier League title.

Chelsea? Do not bet on it. They left Merseyside cursing Mike Riley's
decision to send off Lampard for a challenge on Xabi Alonso on the
hour, when they were on course for a goalless draw, but Luiz Felipe
Scolari cannot allow that incident to cloud his perception of a team
who again came up short when it mattered against one of their main
rivals in the Premier League. Beaten by Arsenal at Stamford Bridge,
they have taken one point from two matches against Manchester United
this season and have now allowed Liverpool to beat them at home and
away. It is a damning statistic that, irrespective of the minutiae of
this latest setback, will raise questions about the direction that the
Scolari regime is taking.

In some senses, Chelsea were unfortunate. Lampard's red card looked
harsh in the extreme - the more so given that Steven Gerrard, the
opposing captain, escaped without so much as a yellow card for a
similar challenge on John Obi Mikel two minutes earlier - while, even
without him, his teammates were able to keep Liverpool at bay until
the final moments. Then Torres struck, casting aside the frustrations
of the previous few months to give Liverpool the lead with a soaring
header in the 89th minute and twisting the knife with a second goal in
the fourth minute of stoppage time.

When Liverpool won at Stamford Bridge in September, Sir Alex Ferguson
said quite pointedly that it was the result he had been hoping for.
Recent draws notwithstanding, it is a mark of how far Liverpool have
come in the meantime - and of how far Chelsea have fallen - that a
scowl is likely to have settled upon the United manager's face last
night. United are still strong favourites to win the title but, with
Torres firing once more, having missed much of the season with
recurring hamstring problems, Liverpool suddenly look a rather more
fearsome proposition than when being held away to Wigan Athletic four
days earlier.

The sending-off, though, was a lousy decision. It seemed like a 50-50
challenge between Lampard and Alonso. By the time Alonso got to the
ball, it had become 55-45 in the Liverpool player's favour. Both
players got a piece of the ball, but Riley felt that Lampard, in
following through with what looked an unintentional kick at Alonso's
foot, overstepped the mark.

Perhaps Riley was swayed by an interview on Saturday in which Lampard
talked of "something between me and Alonso", dating back to when the
Liverpool player's ankle was broken by Lampard's late challenge in a
game at Anfield on New Year's Day 2005. On that occasion, Riley turned
a blind eye. This time he erred in opting for the maximum punishment.

To that point, the game had been cagey. Liverpool had been the better
team, Petr Cech saving well from Alonso and Albert Riera, but, with
John Terry and Alex defending resolutely, they were being kept at
arm's length. The red card changed the complexion. Within minutes, a
shot by Alonso had been deflected on to the crossbar by Alex, and
Torres, hitherto quiet, saw an effort acrobatically diverted wide by
Mikel. As the game entered its final 20 minutes, with Scolari sending
on Deco and Didier Drogba in an ill-judged effort to bring more edge
to their attacking play, it was clear that Chelsea's resistance would
be put to the test.

The introduction of Yossi Benayoun gave Liverpool the guile that had
been missing, but Gerrard engineered the breakthrough. Seizing control
of a move going nowhere, he executed a quick exchange of passes with
Dirk Kuyt and sent the ball wide to Fabio Aurélio, whose excellent
cross was headed in by Torres, the forward darting across Alex to meet
the ball first at the near post. Chelsea knew then that the game was
up - with José Bosingwa highly fortunate to escape a red card for
leaving his studs in Benayoun's back - but worse was to follow when
Ashley Cole was forced into a mistake by Benayoun and Torres made the
scoreline 2-0.

BenÍtez looked delighted afterwards, having gambled on leaving Keane
out of the squad again. Tottenham Hotspur have been in touch with
Liverpool about taking the forward back to White Hart Lane and it is
feasible, though not probable, that a deal could be done before the
transfer window closes at 5pm today.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): J M Reina 6 Á Arbeloa 7 J Carragher 7 M Skrtel 7
F Aurélio 7 J Mascherano 6 X Alonso 7 D Kuyt 6 S Gerrard 7 A Riera 5 F
Torres 8 Substitutes: Y Benayoun 7 (for Riera, 74min), R Babel (for
Mascherano, 83), D Ngog (for Torres, 90+5). Not used: D Cavalieri, A
Dossena, D Agger, Lucas Leiva. Next: Portsmouth (a).

Chelsea (4-1-4-1): P Cech 6 J Bosingwa 5 Alex 6 J Terry 7 A Cole 6 J O
Mikel 6 S Kalou 5 M Ballack 6 F Lampard 6 F Malouda 3 N Anelka 4
Substitutes: Deco 3 (for Kalou, 69min), D Drogba 4 (for Anelka, 69), M
Stoch (for Kalou, 85). Not used: Hilário, P Ferreira, B Ivanovic, M
Mancienne. Next: Hull (h).

Referee M Riley Attendance 44,174

Lampard joins the list of Alonso's fall guys

Frank Lampard, who broke the ankle of Xabi Alonso in a tackle at
Anfield in 2005, is the fifth player to be sent off this season after
fouling Liverpool's Spaniard, even though the Chelsea midfield player
clearly made contact with the ball yesterday, as the picture, below,
shows.

Seeing red with Alonso

Sept 13: Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United Arm in face, second yellow card

Sept 27: Tim Cahill, Everton Late challenge, straight red

Oct 5: Pablo Zabaleta, Manchester City Two-footed lunge, straight red

Oct 18: Antonio Valencia, Wigan Athletic Foul, second yellow

Yesterday: Lampard, Chelsea High challenge, straight red


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Telegraph:


Liverpool's Fernando Torres stuns 10-man Chelsea after Frank Lampard red card
Liverpool (0) 2 Chelsea (0) 0

By Telegraph staff

Fernando Torres grabbed two late goals as Liverpool reclaimed second
place in the Premier League.

Chelsea had Frank Lampard sent off for a lunge of Xabi Alonso in the
second half, and Liverpool took advantage to complete a league double
over Luiz Felipe Scolari's side.

Referee Mike Riley booked seven other players as the two teams slugged
it out in their attempt to keep the title race alive.

All the interest before kick-off was in Robbie Keane, who was dropped.

The last time that happened he did not even bother turning up, but he
was all smiles going into the home dressing room this time.

There was also plenty of interest in the goings on in the stands
before the game, with co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks sitting
well apart in the front row of the directors' box.

On the pitch the game started in swirling snow, with Steven Gerrard
surging around midfield as Liverpool took the game to Chelsea.

Alonso forced the first save from Petr Cech after 11 minutes, seeing a
20-yard drive tipped over.

Then Javier Mascherano fired in a low effort from 30 yards that Cech
parried, with no Liverpool player near enough to collect the loose
ball.

Torres and Albert Riera tested the Chelsea defence with their direct
running, but this was a very tight contest.

After 41 minutes, Riera fired in a fierce drive that was again pushed
out by Cech, with Ashley Cole putting the ball narrowly wide of the
left post as he cleared.

On the hour mark, Lampard was shown a straight red card for a wild
tackle on Alonso. He connected with the ball, but also the Spaniard's
ankle, and referee Riley reacted instantly.

John Terry was booked for protesting but in the current climate such
tackles are considered dangerous. However, Chelsea will rightly say
that Gerrard was only warned for a similar tackle a few minutes
earlier.

Alex then deflected an Alonso drive onto the bar as Liverpool sought
to claim the advantage.

On 69 minutes, Chelsea sent on Deco and Didier Drogba for Florent
Malouda and Anelka.

Gerrard was booked for diving by Riley as Liverpool cranked up the
pressure, with Torres having a shot hooked away by Salomon Kalou.

Yossi Benayoun then replaced Riera after 74 minutes, Liverpool
searching for some invention to unlock Chelsea's rearguard.

It almost came when Benayoun tested Cech from 20 yards, before hooking
another effort inches over.

Ryan Babel replaced Javier Mascherano after 83 minutes, with Liverpool
still searching for the breakthrough.

And, with two minutes left, Liverpool grabbed the lead thanks to
Torres' first goal in front of the Kop this season.

He arrowed a near-post header past Cech from a left-wing cross from
Fabio Aurelio.

Then, in injury-time, Benayoun got away in the box, the ball broke
from a Cole tackle, and Torres fired home from eight yards.



------------------------------------------------------------------


Mirror:


Liverpool 2-0 Chelsea: Fernando Torres scores two to keep Reds title
dream alive

Rafael Benitez's side still trail Manchester United by two points
having played a game more, but remain in the hunt after eventually
overcoming stubborn Chelsea resistance.

Chelsea had Frank Lampard sent off in the second half and from then on
Liverpool pounded away in search of the winner.

And Torres struck with a near-post header and a simple tap in the final minutes.

Liverpool made three changes from the side which drew at Wigan in
midweek, with Albert Riera, Dirk Kuyt and Xabi Alonso returning in
place of Yossi Benayoun, Ryan Babel and Lucas.

Striker Robbie Keane was omitted from the 18-man squad, with teenage
striker David Ngog on the bench.

Chelsea fielded the same side which beat Middlesbrough 2-0 in midweek,
with Salomon Kalou passed fit.

Keane did not attend Anfield the last time he was left out of a squad,
but was all smiles going into the home dressing room this time, and
sat in the directors' box later.

But suggestions that he is on his way out of the club cannot be
discounted and there was plenty of interest in the other goings on in
the stands before the game, with co-owners George Gillett and Tom
Hicks sitting well apart in the front row of the directors' box.

The pair will be re-opening talks with Benitez over his new contract
and attend a board meeting together tomorrow.

On the pitch the game started in swirling snow, with Steven Gerrard
surging around midfield as Liverpool took the game to Chelsea. Alonso
forced the first save from Petr Cech after 11 minutes, seeing a
20-yarder tipped over.

Then Javier Mascherano fired in a low 30-yarder that Cech parried
away, with no Liverpool man nearby to take advantage.

The midfield battle started to get tasty with tackles flying in.
Mascherano was booked for flattening John Obi Mikel and soon after
Cole was cautioned for a foul on Dirk Kuyt.

Torres and Riera both tested Chelsea with their direct running, but it
was a very tight contest.

Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard were quick to support Nicolas
Anelka, putting Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel under severe
pressure.

After 41 minutes Riera fired in a fierce drive that was again pushed
out by Cech, with Cole slicing the ball narrowly wide of the post as
he cleared.

The second period was just a minute old when Alonso was cautioned for
a foul on Kalou and Mikel was soon to be in referee Mike Riley's book
for a foul on Alvaro Arbeloa. Liverpool were attacking the Kop end
now, and Gerrard, despite the bitter cold, was warming to his task.

One run produced a corner, with Kuyt hooking wide while off balance.
Then Torres saw a shot blocked by Terry.

Then on the hour Lampard was shown a straight red card for a tackle on Alonso.

He connected with the ball, but also the Spaniard's ankle, and referee
Riley reacted instantly. John Terry was booked for protesting and
Chelsea will rightly point out that Gerrard was only warned for a
similar tackle a few minutes earlier.

Alex then deflected an Alonso drive onto the bar as Liverpool sought
to claim the advantage.

On 69 minutes, Chelsea sent on Deco and Didier Drogba for Florent
Malouda and Anelka. Gerrard was booked for diving as Liverpool cranked
up the pressure, with Torres having a shot hooked away by Kalou.

Benayoun then replaced Riera after 74 minutes, Liverpool searching for
some invention to unlock Chelsea's rearguard.

It almost came when Benayoun tested Cech from 20 yards before hooking
another effort inches over.

Babel replaced Mascherano after 83 minutes and Chelsea sent on
Miroslav Stoch for Kalou soon after.

And with two minutes left, Liverpool grabbed the lead with Torres'
first goal in front of the Kop this season.

He arrowed a near-post header past Cech from a cross from Fabio Aurelio.

In injury-time Benayoun got away in the box after Cole failed to
control and Torres fired home from eight yards.


----------------------------------------------------------------


Mail:


You just cost us the title: Chelsea boss Scolari's fury at Lampard red card
By John Edwards

Luiz Felipe Scolari accused referee Mike Riley of derailing Chelsea's
title challenge with the controversial sending-off of Frank Lampard in
yesterday's 2-0 defeat at Anfield.
The Chelsea manager urged Riley to review Lampard's 60th-minute
challenge on Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso and to rescind his
straight red card.
Scolari, who conceded Chelsea's Jose Bosingwa should have been dismissed for
slamming his studs into Yossi Benayoun's back, admitted the loss had
all but counted Chelsea out of the title race - two late goals from
Fernando Torres securing a win that lifts Liverpool back into second
place.
Frank Lampard was controversially sent off for his challenge on Xabi Alonso
Chelsea are third, five points behind leaders Manchester United, who
have a game in
hand.
'I have not spoken to the referee, but I hope he will perhaps look at
a video of the incident and say in his report he made a mistake,' he
said.
'It was a foul by Alonso, not Lampard, so I just cannot understand the
decision. If it is not overturned, Lampard has to miss three games
because of a mistake and that cannot be right.
'It changed the game one million per cent, because they had so much
more of the ball after that and created more. I would have accepted a
red for Bosingwa but not Lampard.
Frank Lampard was given his marching orders on a miserable afternoon
for Chelsea at Anfield
'Whatever happens, we cannot change the result or its effect on our
title chances. We will fight to the end but it is more distant for us
now.'
Lampard and Alonso have clashed before but the Chelsea midfielder insisted:
'I had no intention of injuring the player. It was obvious I touched
the ball and there is no way it was a red card offence.'

Torres scored his first League goals since October, the first a
brilliant near-post header in the 89th minute, the second an easy
finish four minutes into added time that left Liverpool two points
behind United.
He said: 'We knew that this was a massive game. Every player knew
that. From the beginning until the very end, we worked really hard
with intensity and determination. We are very happy with the 2-0
scoreline.
'We know that games in England, more than any other league, go for 90
minutes and you can score in any minute and you have to keep going
until the end.
'It is a long race. We know that Manchester United are top of the
table but we are going to fight with them until the end.
'Chelsea had one player less so they needed to defend. A draw was good
for them but we needed to win. Once we had one extra player we kept
creating more chances.
'It has brought back some belief and confidence. These were my first
two goals since coming back from injury. I have scored at home for the
first time this season and to do that against Chelsea was fantastic.'
Liverpool's co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett were together in
the directors' box for the first time in 13 months but they faced an
angry demonstration from supporters outside the main entrance after
the game, even though Liverpool are hard on the heels of Sir Alex
Ferguson's leaders.

Gillett was also confronted by fans outside Liverpool's Marriott Hotel
as he left for the ground earlier in the day and the animosity could
increase the owners' resolve to sell.

They plan talks with Benitez over a new contract for the Liverpool
manager but will also try to revive negotiations with Nasser
al-Kharafi after a member of the Kuwaiti billionaire's family attended
the match as a guest of Hicks.


-----------------------------------------------------------

Indy:

Torres strikes after Lampard walks

Liverpool 2 Chelsea 0

By Sam Wallace

All the elements of the great dysfunctional family that is the
Liverpool boardroom were in Anfield yesterday: the Americans and the
English, the factions and the grudges. Looking around the directors'
box you would find it hard to get that lot to agree on anything, apart
from, perhaps, the genius of Fernando Torres.

Thanks to Torres, the fight goes on. Liverpool stay in the title race
as Manchester United raise their pace to a gallop. The gap may be two
points and a game in hand to United but somehow, miraculously, Rafael
Benitez's team are still putting up an argument despite the politics
of the club, the farce over Robbie Keane and the increasingly erratic
behaviour of their manager. They are in with a shout and that in
itself is remarkable.

Torres cut through the traffic on 88 minutes to head in the decisive
goal before he added the second in injury-time to unite this unhappy
house of Scouse in joy just when they were beginning to wonder if it
really was all over. They did so with the benefit of a deeply
questionable performance from referee Mike Riley who sent off Frank
Lampard having failed to do the same to Steven Gerrard when the latter
had committed a foul of greater severity minutes earlier.

The sending off was the match's turning point, when Liverpool's
control of the game turned into a siege of Chelsea's goal. It was the
point when Liverpool's divided co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks,
along with their two sets of American guests, freshly decked out from
the club shop, sensed that, for all their unfamiliarity with local
custom, they were about to witness something very special indeed.

From Torres came the moment of brilliance, a service that Gerrard has
been too often obliged to deliver of late, and so life was breathed
into Liverpool's title challenge. At the same time, there was little
sign of a pulse in Chelsea. Amid the rapture at Anfield there was the
sense that this team have nothing left to give and – for all their bad
luck with Lampard's red card – the situation is grave.

Scolari said that Lampard's tackle did not warrant a red card but he
did not do so with the urgency of a man clinging on to his football
reputation by the fingernails. Rather he pronounced breezily that,
yes, this title race is getting more difficult and that things are
looking rather bleak for Chelsea. Does he care? He says that he does
but few managers can have remained as calm about a performance as
gutless as Chelsea were.

Instead the Chelsea manager offered a trade-off to the Football
Association in which they rescind Lampard's red card, for a challenge
on Xabi Alonso, in exchange for a ban for Jose Bosingwa. As plea
bargains go it was bizarre but honest nonetheless which is rare for a
manager with his back up against a wall. Bosingwa thrust his studs
into Yossi Benayoun's back late in the game out of sight of Riley, an
incident that will be reviewed by the referee and should get Bosingwa
banned.

Where does this leave the Chelsea project? Back at the point where you
wonder whether even £100m will fix it this summer, and that is before
anyone considers whether Roman Abramovich has the inclination to spend
it.

Didier Drogba's appearance as substitute, some of it spent on the left
side of midfield, looked more like an act of protest. Florent Malouda
was ineffectual and Chelsea's first meaningful attempt on goal, from
Salomon Kalou, came on 75 minutes.

If Lampard misses the next three games, then that might well spell the
end of their challenge. Apart from Alex da Costa, who was the man of
the match until Torres beat him to the ball for his goal, and Jon Obi
Mikel, Chelsea are shrinking. John Terry's booking means he misses the
FA Cup game against Watford. The pressure is on Scolari whose record
against the three other members of the big four is now a lamentable
lost four, drawn one.

The game caught light on the hour, two minutes after Gerrard had gone
through Kalou with a challenge that showed more than a glimpse of the
Liverpool captain's studs. It was reckless. Riley looked hard for a
moment and let it go, which was a moment longer than he gave himself
to make his decision on Lampard.

That time the Chelsea man went in with his studs up, played the ball
and Alonso went over him. The flash of studs was what Riley must have
seen, he cannot have got sight of the clean contact Lampard made with
the ball, if anything it was the Chelsea man who was the victim,
caught on the shin by Alonso's trailing leg. But by then Riley was
already reaching in his back pocket.

There is no love lost between Alonso and Lampard, Lampard broke his
ankle in a challenge on New Year's Day 2005 and Alonso has never
forgiven. Yesterday Alonso made sure that he stayed down long enough
to make it look like Lampard's challenge had really hurt. Lampard's
only hope will be that the FA overturn the red card as quickly as they
did for Paul Robinson, sent off for West Brom against Manchester
United on Tuesday.

Then came the siege. Alex had done a brilliant job on Torres until the
striker got to Fabio Aurelio's near post cross a fraction before the
Brazilian and headed past Petr Cech. Ashley Cole gave away the second,
letting in Benayoun, then tackling him and inadvertently squaring the
ball to Torres who scored.

Can Liverpool do this every week? If they want to keep up with United
they may have no choice.

Goals: Torres (88) 1-0; Torres (90) 2-0

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Reina; Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio;
Mascherano (Babel 83), Alonso; Kuyt, Gerrard, Riera (Benayoun 74);
Torres (Ngog 90). Substitutes not used: Cavalieri (gk), Dossena,
Agger, Leiva.

Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, A Cole; Mikel; Kalou
(Stoch 85), Ballack, Lampard, Malouda (Deco 69); Anelka (Drogba 69).
Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk), Ivanovic, Ferreira, Mancienne.

Referee: M Riley (Staffordshire).

Booked: Liverpool Mascherano, Alonso, Gerrard. Chelsea A Cole, Mikel, Terry.

Sent off: Lampard.

Man of the match: Torres.

Attendance: 44,174.


---------------------------------------------------------------


Guardian:


Lampard's red card gives Liverpool green light for victoryWin puts
Benítez's team within two points of Manchester United at top of
Premier League
Liverpool 2 Torres 89, Torres 90
Chelsea 0

Ambition and desperation are intertwined for Liverpool. While they
deserved the win that puts them two points behind Manchester United,
who have a game in hand, Rafael Benítez's team thrived on the luck of
a mistake by the referee, Mike Riley. Fernando Torres broke the
deadlock in the 88th minute, with the first of his goals, but Chelsea
had lacked Frank Lampard for the last half-hour following a red card.

With his departure Chelsea had to make increasingly desperate blocks
to keep Liverpool at bay. Lampard was sent off despite making contact
with the ball before the collision with Xabi Alonso. Even if the
official could argue that the midfielder's studs were raised, he had
done no more than speak to Steven Gerrard for a more reckless foul on
Mikel John Obi shortly before. Alonso had been the serious offender in
the incident with Lampard but this was a jumble of a match that seemed
too much for the officials. Shortly after Liverpool's opener, the
Chelsea full-back Jose Bosingwa put his boot into the back of Yossi
Benayoun without receiving any punishment.

It was a mostly inept occasion and the efficiency at the heart of the
opener hardly belonged here. The left-back Fabio Aurélio flighted the
ball to the near post and Torres' header glanced it into the far
corner of the net. The Spain centre-forward struck again in stoppage
time when a stretching challenge by Ashley Cole accidentally laid the
ball into his path.

Liverpool will be heartened by a first League win since December 28.
Conversely Chelsea have cause for introspection. Luiz Felipe Scolari
said that his side had been inferior all afternoon. Maybe that could
have been rectified if Lampard had been around until the close but
Chelsea have extracted one point from five League meetings in this
campaign with United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

While there continue to be several formidable footballers on the books
at Stamford Bridge, Scolari suffers from an unbalanced squad.
Resources in attack are meagre. Nicolas Anelka hardly registered and
the substitute Didier Drogba does not appear fully engaged in the
cause. Creativity has been restricted not only by Joe Cole's injury
but also because of the failure of Florent Malouda and Deco.

Liverpool, by comparison, were probably feeling good about themselves
last night. It will have slipped their minds that this was an occasion
of frenetic scuffling. The omission from the squad of Robbie Keane,
for the second time in three games, will provoke gossip but it may
have been in the Irishman's interests to duck this. No one's standing
was raised here.


---------------------------------------------------------------


Sun:


Liverpool 2 Chelsea 0From SHAUN CUSTIS at Anfield

Published: 01 Feb 2009

IT is amazing what happens if you leave your £22million striker on the pitch.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has come in for criticism for subbing
Fernando Torres recently as his side have drawn vital Premier League
games.


The manager's argument was that Torres has been tiring late on as he
works his way back to full fitness following a lengthy lay-off from
hamstring trouble.


But this time Benitez kept him going almost until the final whistle
and was rewarded with two goals and three vital points to get the
Reds' title challenge back on track.


Torres pounced after 89 minutes to head in at the near post then made
it safe in the third minute of injury-time after an Ashley Cole
howler.


It is the first time Liverpool have done the double over Chelsea since
1990, which coincidentally was when the Kop last won the championship.


For the Blues, one point out of 15 against the so called Big Four
tells its own story.


Liverpool controlled the match but were helped in no small measure by
referee Mike Riley's controversial decision to dismiss Frank Lampard
on the hour.


Lampard — although his studs were showing — won the ball as he slid in
on his old adversary Xabi Alonso but at the same time the Liverpool
midfielder kicked his shin.


The free-kick could have gone either way but from Riley's position it
looked like the Chelsea midfielder was at fault and the red card was
out.


The pair have some history. Four years ago Lampard accidentally broke
Alonso's ankle and, despite subsequent attempts to apologise his
victim, would not listen.


Lamps' team-mates were furious about his dismissal and skipper John
Terry talked himself into a yellow card as he argued the toss.


But it was not just the sending off they were annoyed with. There was
also the fact Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard escaped punishment only
a couple of minutes earlier when he went flying in studs up on Salomon
Kalou.


Gerrard enjoyed a charmed life. He could have been booked twice inside
the first 10 minutes.


When he was finally cautioned it came for a desperate dive on the edge
of the Chelsea penalty area.


From the moment the shaky Petr Cech saved from Alonso, Liverpool were on top.


Kop owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett made a special trip from the
States to watch the game.


They shared a common frustration with the fans who want them out as
chances went begging.


Cole almost put through his own goal just before half-time and, soon
after the restart, Dirk Kuyt volleyed past the post after Alex missed
a clearing header at a corner.


Then came Lampard's red card, which puts him out of the romantic FA
Cup meeting against Watford where his dad Frank Senior is on the
coaching staff, unless the authorities take pity on him an uphold an
appeal.


Liverpool cranked up the pressure but Alex was putting his body in
front of every shot. The way he flung himself across the area to
deflect Alonso's drive on to the top of the bar was typical.


Kalou's shot on 75 minutes, which was straight at Pepe Reina, brought
howls of derision as it was Chelsea's first of the game while there
was little attacking threat from the surly sub Didier Drogba.



The introduction of Yossi Benayoun added an extra dimension to
Liverpool and the Israeli exploited the space available, forcing a
diving save out of Cech.


Benitez replaced Javier Mascherano with Ryan Babel to belie the
Spaniard's normally cautious approach and you sensed the home side
believed victory was there for the taking.


And so it came to pass as Fabio Aurelio stormed down the left and
whipped in a near-post cross.


For once, Alex was caught napping as Torres got in front of him to
divert a header past Cech.


It was the first goal he had scored at Anfield since his winner
against Manchester City last May.


He did not have to wait long for No 2 as Cole hesitated dealing with a
through ball.


Benayoun robbed him and although Cole got back to win the tackle, he
only succeeded in diverting the ball across the area for Torres to tap
in.


Cole will hope England boss Fabio Capello, who left the game five
minutes before the end, does not see the highlights.


Jose Bosingwa has little hope the FA ignore replays of his outrageous
foul near the end.


Riley and his linesman failed to spot him planting his studs firmly in
Benayoun's back who was shielding the ball by the corner flag.


Lampard may yet win a reprieve but Bosingwa deserves to be banned.