Liverpool still asking the question

West Ham 0 Liverpool 3:Liverpool are back on top of the Premier League table, for now at least, after brushing aside the challenge of West Ham at the Boleyn Ground through a Steven Gerrard brace and a late Ryan Babel strike. The Merseysiders lead on goal difference but the champions have two games in hand, starting with the Manchester derby tomorrow afternoon.

All Liverpool can do is keeping asking the question and they wasted little time in doing that today, with Gerrard opening the scoring in the second minute. His second, seven minutes from the break, saw him finish the rebound from his own penalty which was touched on to the post by Robert Green.

It effectively sealed the contest as a toothless Hammers side struggled to get behind their defence, though when the did, courtesy of a terrible blunder from Jamie Carragher, David di Michele tripped over himself when rounding Pepe Reina before being booked for cheekily claiming a penalty.

Liverpool’s hopes this season have been built on the firepower of Fernando Torres and Gerrard — and the pair combined after 76 seconds for the opener.

Torres, back fit after a hamstring problem ruled him out of the win over Newcastle, received the ball in midfield but was given the time to turn and pick his pass, threading ball through to Gerrard beyond the Hammers defence.

The hosts were claiming offside but James Tomkins had played Gerrard on, with the England midfielder taking the ball around Green and finishing into an empty net.

It stunned the hosts, who kicked off knowing Fulham had won and Tottenham picked up a point earlier in the day in the race for the Europa League next season.

Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola believes four more points will see them secure seventh place - which will get them into Europe if UEFA grant them a club licence - and they had their moments after the setback of Gerrard’s opener.

As they attempted to find a way back into the game, Diego Tristan flicked a header at goal from Mark Noble’s free-kick that required Jose Reina to save.

They got a little closer just before the half-hour mark when Noble earned a free-kick on the left and swung the set-piece into the danger area. Radoslav Kovac got in front of Reina to meet the ball but his header flew over the crossbar.

Their progress was undone when Luis Boa Morte suffered a nightmare 30 seconds which resulted in conceding a penalty just before the break.

He was furious that no free-kick was given when Javier Mascherano brought him down, then chased back to own penalty area and hauled down Torres when Yossi Benayoun scooped the ball through.

Green saved Gerrard’s spot-kick but the rebound fell to the Liverpool captain to tap home.

Di Michele should have pulled a goal back when he seized on a mistake by Jamie Carragher. He raced through and got his feet tangled up as he tried to take the ball around Reina. It was a shocking miss and referee Alan Wiley rubbed salt in the wound by booking the Italian for diving.

Boa Morte was trying to atone for own his first-half error after the restart but one powerful run was ended by Fabio Aurelio, earning the full-back a caution.

Liverpool threatened to score a third, with Benayoun volleying over from Dirk Kuyt’s cross and Torres looping a header just over the crossbar.

The Hammers defence looked under pressure but Matthew Upson was exposed in a different way when he received a bloody nose - the centre-back had to strip down to his underwear on the sidelines to change his kit.

Upson was among the players racing back when Liverpool broke on the hour mark, with the hosts saved by Green rushing out to block Kuyt’s effort.

Benayoun then exchanged passes with Torres before shaving Green’s post with a drive.

There were ironic cheers when Di Michele was taken off for Freddie Sears, as there were when Tristan put the ball in the net after clearly being offside.

The visitors were able to keep out any genuine efforts and added a third through Babel with five minutes remaining.

Kuyt crossed for his fellow Dutchman, Green saved the initial header but the rebound was tapped home.