Liverpool 4 Portsmouth 1: RAFA BENITEZ gambled and won as Liverpool moved back up to fifth with a win that was stylish as well as convincing. Benitez backed up Fernando Torres with Alberto Aquilani as well as Ryan Babel and was rewarded when all three scored.
Unusually poor delivery by Steven Gerrard saw Liverpool waste free-kicks and corners in the opening minutes, and Torres might have had a penalty when Ricardo Rocha appeared to handle his shot in the area.
Dirk Kuyt and Lucas were rested, as Benitez shuffled his resources. The rarely seen Aquilani began to link well with Maxi Rodriguez, and both were involved in setting up Gerrard for a shot that flew high into the Kop. Aquilani was unlucky when the best move of the game so far saw his volley miss the target by inches.
All the same it took a double mistake by the Portsmouth reserve goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown to open the floodgates for Liverpool. First his weak clearance was returned by Gerrard, then he dallied over Rocha’s backpass and allowed the Liverpool captain to charge down his next attempt. Rodriguez squared to Torres and the home side were in front.
Two minutes later Liverpool doubled their lead and effectively killed the game, something of a rarity in these parts nowadays, when Torres picked up a deep cross at the far post, comprehensively beat Steve Finnan and left Babel a simple task.
Aquilani gained a reward for his efforts four minutes after that with his first goal in English football. Again Torres was the provider, this time with a neat backheel. Once Gerrard’s dummy had wrongfooted the defence it was straightforward for Aquilani to slide in a shot from close to the penalty spot.
Liverpool could have had more before the interval, with Torres striking a post and Gerrard putting a good opportunity wide, though Portsmouth showed character in keeping going and Frederic Piquionne was a handful for the home defence.
Ashdown partially atoned for his errors by denying Gerrard and Babel in quick succession at the start of the second half, though, not to be outdone, Pepe Reina produced a splendid instinctive save to deflect the ball over the bar, when Michael Brown seemed certain to score. Reina then set Babel free down the left wing with a kick of perfect weight and accuracy. Babel galloped into space beyond Finnan, then spoiled the moment by crossing to no one.
Their victory would have been more emphatic still had Stuart Attwell awarded a penalty when Johnson was scythed down by Nadir Belhadj. No matter, after Gerrard had made way for Yossi Benayoun Liverpool scored a fourth through a typical finish from Torres, again picked out by the impressive Aquilani.
Portsmouth’s 88th minute goal from Belhadj was not undeserved.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Johnson (Kelly 70), Carragher, Agger, Insua, Aquilani, Mascherano, Maxi, Gerrard (Benayoun 73), Babel, Torres (Ngog 80). Subs not used: Cavalieri, Kyrgiakos, Kuyt, Lucas.
PORTSMOUTH: Ashdown, Finnan, Wilson, Rocha, Hreidarsson (Owusu-Abeyie 75), Brown, Diop (Mokoena 64), O’Hara (Webber 85), Dindane, Piquionne, Belhadj. Subs not used: O’Brien, Mullins, Hughes, Kanu. Booked: Dindane, Mokoena.
Referee: S Attwell (Warwickshire).
