The Guardian
Liverpool's club record signing, Fernando Torres, sent a timely reminder to his manager, Rafael Benitez, with a stunning hat-trick against Reading. Torres, omitted from Liverpool's past two Premier League games, struck three times in the second half to earn the Reds a place in the fourth round of the Carling Cup.
The Independent
Liverpool negotiated the most awkward of Carling Cup hurdles last night but not without an uncomfortable third-round ride at the Madejski Stadium. It took a second-half hat-trick from Fernando Torres, the striker who joined from Atlético Madrid for £20 million in the summer, finally to put Reading to the sword.
Though Liverpool led twice, they allowed Reading to claw their way back into contention on each occasion. Only persistence and the dead-eyed marksmanship of Torres kept them afloat and, ultimately, eased them to a tenth successive match without defeat in all competitions this season.
Torres was forced to endure a series of robust challenges from the Reading defenders. Yet his poise and balance eventually proved too potent, especially for André Bikey and Michael Dubbery, whose limpet-like treatment of him early on evaporated after the break. The Spain player, despite collecting a few bumps and bruises along the way, won the contest hands down.
The Times
Fernando Torres walked off the pitch at the Madejski Stadium last night with the match ball under his arm, the hat-trick that knocked Reading out of the Carling Cup an eloquent response to his manager's decision to leave him out of the starting XI for Liverpool's last two Premiership matches.
Torres doubled his tally of goals in a Liverpool shirt in 36 second-half minutes to underline the predatory skills that persuaded Rafa Benitez to part with £20 million for his services in the summer.
Daily Telegraph
