LAST-GASP TORRES SINKS CHELSEA Fernando Torres struck a last-gasp double to claim a sensational 2-0 victory for Liverpool against 10-man Chelsea. The Reds produced a dominant second-half display against the Blues and deservedly claimed the three points when El Nino grabbed his first Anfield goals of the season on 89 and 94 minutes.
It means Rafael Benitez's men move up to second place in the table and are now two points behind leaders Man United who still have a game in hand.
The Reds had gone into the match with the Londoners hoping to send out a message that they were still very much a part of the title race.
Vice Captain Jamie Carragher had urged his teammates to make a statement of their intent and they duly set about making life uncomfortable for Luiz Felipe Scolari's men.
A lightning break after just 60 seconds almost provided the perfect start but for once Steven Gerrard failed to make the most of an opening on the edge of the Chelsea penalty area.
Amidst the backdrop of snowfall both sides showed a keen appetite for the contest and in the early exchanges there were some thunderous challenges, but little in the way of actual attempts at goal.
Xabi Alonso went some way to altering that stat with a stinging 25 yarder that Petr Cech managed to tip over the bar at full stretch, but it remained an evenly matched contest throughout the half.
The Reds looked the more likely to make a breakthrough with a series of long range efforts that will have caused some concern for the visitors, particularly when Javier Mascherano's thunderbolt was spilled by Cech. Sadly for Rafa and co there was no red shirt close enough to take advantage.
The game needed a goal and it could so easily have arrived on the half hour mark when Jamie Carragher crossed from the right for Torres, but the Spaniard's turn and shot was brilliantly blocked by a Chelsea defender.
As the half finally came to close the Reds could claim to have edged it and with a touch of luck they could have gone in ahead.
Albert Riera evaded two challenges and forced a smart save out of Cech with Ashley Cole lucky to see the rebound smash off his knee and wide of the far post.
A second-half onslaught at the Kop end was the order of the day and Dirk Kuyt went close to an immediate breakthrough when he stabbed an effort wide following Alex's mistake.
Mascherano then floated a pass to Gerrard inside the area but despite a superb knockdown from the skipper, Torres saw his goal-bound effort well blocked.
The Reds were turning the screw and could easily have been awarded a penalty on 56 minutes when John Terry appeared to bring down Kuyt, but referee Mike Riley refused to point to the spot.
Tensions were reaching fever pitch and Liverpool were handed a huge advantage just shy of the hour mark when Frank Lampard was shown a straight red card for a high tackle of Alonso.
The dismissal inspired a crescendo of noise inside Anfield with the Reds surging forward to chants of 'attack, attack; attack, attack, attack'.
Gerrard saw his free-kick deflected to safety by the Chelsea wall and Mascherano headed Carragher's cross just over before Alonso's curler cannoned off back off the crossbar.
The home side were camped inside the Chelsea half and must have thought they had finally scored on 72 minutes. A corner from the right fell at the feet of Torres and as the striker turned he unleashed a fizzing effort at goal that was somehow hacked clear on the line.
Substitute Yossi Benayoun twice came close late on before El Nino saved the day with a sublime near post header from Fabio Aurelio's pinpoint cross.
And it got better four minutes into injury-time when the Spaniard lashed home the loose ball after Benayoun was challenged in the penalty area.
It means Liverpool have completed their first league double over Chelsea since 1990 - the last time they won the title. Teams Liverpool: Reina, Aurelio, Carragher, Skrtel, Arbeloa, Riera, Alonso, Mascherano, Kuyt, Gerrard (captain), Torres. Subs - Benayoun, Agger, Ngog, Dossena, Babel, Leiva, Cavalieri
Chelsea: Cech, Cole, Terry (captain), , Bosingwa, Malouda, Lampard, Ballack, Obi Mikel, Kalou, Anelka. Subs - Ferreira, Hilario, Stoch, , Ivanovic, Mancienne, Drogba
Referee: Unknown
Conditions: Snow
Attendance: Unknown
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Fernando Torres
Breakdown 16:01 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : It's second v third in the Barclays Premier League. Chelsea get the match underway at a snowy Anfield - they're playing towards the Kop end
1 min : Torres initiates an attack through the middle and plays in Gerrard on the edge of the Chelsea penalty area, but the Blues usher him away
2 mins : Cech fires a free-kick upfield
3 mins : The referee blows for a foul after Albert Riera took down Bosingwa, apparently
4 mins : My word, that is proper snow
6 mins : Riera plays in Torres down the left. El Nino puts a ball across for Kuyt, but the referee blows for another foul - this time Gerrard was at fault after attempting to control on the edge of the area
7 mins : A pleasing one-two between Kuyt and Arbeloa runs on a bit too far - the idea was there though
8 mins : Gerrard chips in a free-kick goalwards, but it runs over into the travelling Chelsea fans
9 mins : Riera cuts inside, but his pass finds a blue shirt
10 mins : It's been a testy opening ten minutes - both sides are sizing each other up here at a chilly Anfield
11 mins : Chelsea nearly found a way through there, but it turned out that Kalou was offside
12 mins : Fantastic shot from Alonso is tipped over by Cech
12 mins : The Spanish midfielder came close to getting another goal against Big Phil's men there - he really hit it from 19 yards and Cech had to stretch in order to keep the scores at 0-0
14 mins : Masch tidies things up at the centre - good work
14 mins : Liverpool are pushing for a goal here, but Chelsea seem content to play on the counter
15 mins : Malouda looks to get in down the left, but Carragher ushers him away
16 mins : Ballack disposesses Riera and floats a ball into the Liverpool penalty area, but Carra is there again to clear the danger
17 mins : Ballack has scored his only three goals of this season in the last four games.
18 mins : Riley gives Masch and Ballack a ticking off after a bit of handbags
19 mins : Reina sets Aurelio free down the left
19 mins : Mascherano shoots from out on the right, which Cech parries before clearing
20 mins : Bosingwa takes down Riera with an over-zealous aerial challenge. Liverpool free-kick
20 mins : First Booking: Javier Mascherano:
20 mins : That booking has been on the cards for some time now
21 mins : Malouda takes down Aurelio, things are getting rather feisty
23 mins : First Booking: Ashley Cole:
23 mins : Cole took down Kuyt to guarantee a booking there
24 mins : Chelsea have really come into things now. They're getting the ball down and playing
26 mins : Gerrard and Torres combine and come close to finding a way through, but Chelsea manage to clear
27 mins : Kuyt storms down the wing on the break, but the attack fizzles out
29 mins : An horse-like backheel from Alonso brings a cheer from the Anfield crowd. It came after another Chelsea clearance
30 mins : Cech looks to dribble the ball out of his area, and nearly pays for it when Riera attemtps to tackle
32 mins : Torres tees himself up for a shot from nine yards out, but his effort is blocked
36 mins : Riera looks to play a long pass, but it just runs straight through to Cech
37 mins : It's more of the same kick and run stuff here at Anfield. Chelsea have been clearing everything
39 mins : Chelsea threaten at the other end, but Skrtel gets it away
40 mins : Gerrard sets up an attack
41 mins : Bosingwa hoofs clear
42 mins : Riera thunders a great shot in at Cech, but somehow the Chelsea defence puts it out for a throw after the keeper got a hand to it
43 mins : Liverpool corner
43 mins : Cech punches clear. Someone might want to tell him it could be an idea to catch it every now and then
45 mins : Chelsea have a free-kick in a dangerous position
45 mins : Carragher clears
16:48 GMT : Half Time Reached
17:03 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Liverpool get the second half underway. We are shooting towards the Kop end
46 mins : First Booking: Xabi Alonso:
47 mins : Bosingwa looks in a lot of pain after that challenge from Alonso
48 mins : Aurelio thumps clear from a lofted long ball
49 mins : Some good build-up play from Liverpool is looking promising here
51 mins : Gerrard picks the ball up in space and finds Kuyt on the right, who puts a cross in which deflects off a Chelsea defender. Liverpool corner
52 mins : Kuyt tries a speculative dink of a shot after the Gerrard corner misses everyone else and finds the Dutchman on the far side. It goes a couple of yards wide
53 mins : First Booking: John Obi Mikel:
53 mins : This is a good spell for Rafa's men. Now Torres tries a shot, which is blocked
54 mins : The snow is really whipping around the place now
55 mins : Mascherano looks for options and finds Alonso
56 mins : Arbeloa storms down the right and plays in Kuyt, who is tackled by John Terry just before a potential shot. Good stuff
57 mins : Arbs is looking lively here - he's right in the thick of it
58 mins : Exclusive news: Today's official attendance is 44,174 - you heard it here first
60 mins : Sending Off: Frank Lampard:
61 mins : First Booking: John Terry:
64 mins : That sending off has really stoked things up at anfield - Liverpool have a free-kick 23 yards out. Game on
65 mins : John Terry heads clear, then Arbeloa floats in a cross which Mascherano tries a header from. The Argentine heads just over
66 mins : Ballack tries to throw Reina off the ball, but he's having none of it
68 mins : Gerrard comes close with a header, but Cech clears for a corner
68 mins : The Reds latest attack hits the bar before Cech clears for another corner. We're getting closer
68 mins : Substitution: Deco for Florent Malouda:
69 mins : Substitution: Didier Drogba for Nicolas Anelka:
69 mins : Drogba is booed by pretty much the whole of Anfield
70 mins : First Booking: Steven Gerrard:
70 mins : Mike Riley reckons Gerrard dived there
71 mins : Aurelio brings the ball up the left flank
72 mins : The Brazilian tries a shot, but yes - you've guessed it, Chelsea manage to block it
73 mins : Torres comes agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock, but the Blues' defence clear it off the line
74 mins : Substitution: Yossi Benayoun for Albert Riera:
74 mins : The Spanish striker is having a right good go here, but a stoic Chelsea keep hacking it away
75 mins : 15 minutes left to find a way through
76 mins : Alonso tries to pick out a shot, but it skids wide. Great build-up play, but the end product wasn't there
77 mins : Liverpool are throwing everything at the Chelsea rearguard
78 mins : Arbeloa takes down Kalou
78 mins : The Kop roar on the Reds to attack
79 mins : Torres acrobatically turns and shoots, but Cech comfortably collects
80 mins : Fantastic effort from Benayoun. He cuts inside from the left before unleashing a powerful right-footed shot. Cech gets a hand to it and puts out for a corner
81 mins : Torres has yet another shot blocked, Chelsea attack on the counter
81 mins : Dirk is disposessed just inside the penalty area
83 mins : Another great shot from Yossi
83 mins : Substitution: Ryan Babel for Javier Mascherano:
85 mins : Substitution: Miroslav Stoch for Salomon Kalou:
87 mins : Liverpool keep attacking, but to no avail
89 mins : GOAL! Fernando Torres:
89 mins : Torres heads home to surely secure the points for Liverpool!
90 mins : There will be a minimum of five minutes added time
90 mins : Anfield is bouncing
90 mins : Substitution: David Ngog for Fernando Torres:
90 mins : Liverpool have won!
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