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In a tense Anfield atmosphere Liverpool beat Manchester United to end a run of four successive defeats and keep their title ambitions intact.
It was a must-win game after the disaster against Lyon last week and gave Rafa Benitez some well-needed breathing space from a very hungry media who were beginning to smell blood.
This win moved them within four points of United and six of leaders Chelsea who annihilated Blackburn 5-0 on Saturday. However, don't let this victory mask you from the inherent deficiencies in this Liverpool side as Torres was only 80 per cent fit and this time the manager's gamble paid off ... but it will not every time. This is still going to be a very long and hard season for the Merseyside reds and the title still looks to be beyond them.
Torres apart, this team looks solid but short of the quality required to sustain a title run or beat the top sides in Europe and this is best demonstrated in the attacking make-up of the team. Such is Benitez's problems that he was virtually forced into playing an unfit Torres after Gerrard was ruled out with injury. His lack of confidence in Ngog, Kuyt and Babel has reached a critical point and how he must now regret selling the likes of Crouch and Keane who are consistently performing for Tottenham.
The game on Sunday started brightly but lacked an early goal and became very scrappy as the half wore on. The tension was evident amongst the crowd and United could not take advantage as both midfields snubbed each other out. Ferguson, of course, rounded on the match official after the game in his tiresome attempt to deflect from his own team's deficiencies.
This is the second away defeat for the champions and on both occasions they have failed to score. Even the introduction of Michael Owen could not change the course of the game and Ferguson must be getting slightly worried about who is going to score all the vital goals that Ronaldo provided before his departure to Real Madrid.
This game though was settled by a piece of skill that any centre forward would have been proud of. However, it was at the expense of another error by Rio Ferdinand who is struggling to recapture his top form since being sidelined by injury. Whilst it was not a catastrophic mistake it was one that will certainly have his England manager worried, as, if top class strikers can turn and run past him so easily then any thoughts of World Cup glory can be forgotten.
This one piece of action highlighted the positives of Torres and the negatives of Ferdinand and the United defender must be even more concerned given that the Spaniard was not fully fit.
Torres though, this sublime finish excluded, was not the best player on the pitch as this was Liverpool's Benayoun who is turning into a playmaker of some talent. He provides not only the energy of the team but also the subtlety that is usually Gerrard's role. It was his measured pass that put Torres through and he was more of a threat than anyone else on the field. Benitez must be relieved that at least one of signings has made the step up to join Torres and Gerrard as indispensables in his team.
Where do they go from here? If they lose to Arsenal tonight in the Carling Cup and Lyon next week then only the FA Cup will remain as a target as the league is still beyond them. Given this side's make up it is unlikely they will go on a sustained run of victories but Liverpool do love being backed into a corner so may yet surprise ... but only if their two main protagonists find full fitness and stay injury free.
With Arsenal surrendering a two-goal lead away to West Ham, Tottenham losing at home to Stoke and Manchester City drawing, Chelsea's Carlo Ancelotti must have had a very contented smile on his face on Sunday night.
Only the loss of several of his key players for the African Nations Cup can be concerning him at the moment and the rest of the league should beware of a sustained run by the West London team.
