Fernando Torres bullet fires Liverpool into life

He is a machine made for scoring. With this game drifting into anticlimax for Liverpool, Fernando Torres again showed why he is the outstanding goalscorer in European football, exploding into life with just seven minutes to go to deliver a typical viper-strike from the left channel.

By beating Craig Gordon at the near post, Torres ensured a happy end to a troubled week at Anfield and if Liverpool are to mount a serious challenge for their first title in 19 years, Torres will be at the heart of it.

Coming into his fifth year, Rafael Benitez is under serious pressure to mount a challenge. However, those efforts are being undermined by the farcical contortions of the club’s efforts to sign Gareth Barry from Aston Villa. Benitez is apparently frustrated by his chief executive Rick Parry and the failure of the American owners Hicks and Gillett to wrap up the Barry deal. Add to that the agitation of Xabi Alonso for a move away from Anfield - possibly to Arsenal - and it makes for an unhappy ship.

Certainly, Liverpool were foggy-headed from kick-off, carrying a heavy hangover from their abysmal performance in the goalless midweek Champions League qualifier against Standard Liege.

Sami Hyypia was chosen ahead of Dan Agger in the centre of defence, presumably to counteract the aerial prowess of Daryl Murphy, and swiftly gifted El Hadji Diouf a chance to score, messing up a back header that fell way short. Jamie Carragher cleared up ­ something he was going to have to get used. Indeed Carragher spent the half screeching at the new Italian left-back Andrea Dossena, trying to curb his forward movements. Poor Dossena was in turn shouted at by Benitez, who demanded he make more attacking runs.

The problems were not just in defence. The much vaunted £40 million pairing of Torres and Robbie Keane in attack failed to click, and Torres only scored after Keane had been substituted. Roy Keane wants to sign a top-class centre- half but Nyron Nosworthy and Danny Collins were composed in dealing with the pair. Robbie Keane played deeper, trying to collect and run at the defence. He failed to make much headway in the early stages though and only had a snap shot wide after a neat bit of juggling to show for his efforts.

Sunderland, in contrast, have made a substantial improvement over the summer. Roy Keane has bought more astutely than in previous transfer windows, and the radical restructuring has had clear benefits.

Steed Malbranque was outstanding on the right flank, looking trim and sharp, combining well with right-back Pascal Chimbonda, also signed from Tottenham. The other acquisition from White Hart Lane, Teemu Tainio, was ferocious in defensive midfield.

Working off that solid platform was Diouf, who might well prove the bargain of the summer. The best chance of the half came when his cross, from the left, picked out Murphy. The Sunderland striker had a free header but could not get enough on it.

Liverpool grew in self-belief in the second half, and the half-time introduction of Alonso, in place of Damien Plessis, was certainly instrumental to that. Plessis had not played poorly and has the makings of a really serious player. But Alonso is that already.

Having escaped when Diouf mis-hit a Tainio cross at the far post straight at Jose Reina, Liverpool surged forward. Yossi Benayoun finally gave Craig Gordon something to think about when his direct run and shot brought out a tidy near-post save. Keane followed up but his effort was blocked.

Gerrard went even closer with an hour played, his attempt to cuff the ball inside the far post from just inside the box blocked by Collins.

Collins almost undid his good work though when he deflected Kuyt’s shot but Gordon was swiftly down to his left and then back up to block the Keane follow up. Belatedly, Liverpool were stirring. And Torres was loading the bullet in the chamber.