Liverpool started the game the brighter and bossed the first half without creating a real clear cut chance. Indeed the best chance of the opening period fell to Everton. Mikel Arteta sent in a corner that eventually wormed its way through to rat-boy Tim Cahill but he hillariously fluffed his shot from eight yards out and then fell over.
Everton's £15m signing Marouane Fellaini then had a great chance when Pepe Reina dropped a cross after losing it in the sun but with the goal gaping he hit his shot straight at Jamie Carragher on the goal line. The goal wouldn't have counted as the referee had awarded a free-kick (harshly but it's Everton so sod them) for a foul on Reina but it was still funny to see such an easy chance missed.
The Reds had their chances before the break too, Albert Riera finding space down the left and then crossing for Torres before the Spanish striker's shot was blocked by Joseph Yobo. Xabi Alonso then received the ball outside the box but his shooting was just as woeful as last week and his shot went wide into the crowd.
Liverpool stepped up another gear in the second half against an Everton side that put up no fight whatsoever and created an early chance for Steven Gerrard. His shot went narrowly past the post.
Fernando Torres had had a difficult afternoon to this point but exploded into life on 58 minutes. Xabi Alonso burst forward with the ball, played it wide to Robbie Keane on the left and he crossed it into the box. Dirk Kuyt ran to the near post taking Joleon Lescott with him leaving Torres in plenty of space at the back stick to side-foot a volley past Tim Howard for the opener. The perfect riposte to the Bitters who had been shouting abuse at him throughout the game.
Minutes later it was 2-0. Dirk Kuyt and Robbie Keane combined on the edge of the box to create a chance for the Dutchman. Phil Jagielka slid in to deny Kuyt but the ball ran free to Torres who shaped for the far corner, then totally wrong footed Howard by planting the ball in the top near corner of the net.
Dirk Kuyt then had the ball in the back of the net moments later but the goal was disallowed when the linesman correctly ruled Riera hadn't managed to keep the ball in play before crossing.
If that disallowed goal was the correct decision the next one was harsh. Andrea Dossena crossed for Torres at the far post and the striker thought he'd become the first player since Ian Rush to score a derby hat-trick when his first time shot went across Howard and into the net. Unfortunately referee Mike Riley, who'd done his best to spoil the game by stopping play every couple of minutes, disallowed the goal for a supposed foul by Kuyt on the elephant man in the build up.
The day got worse for the Bitters before the end when Cahill was sent off for a studs up challenge on Alonso. The idiot made sure Riley would show him the red card by ignoring the ref when he called him over and walked away.
The ref then called time and Liverpool racked up their seventh win in their last nine visits to the ground that's made of wood.
