Portsmouth arrived at Anfield boasting the best away record in the league.

But Harry Redknapp's men soon found themselves on the back foot as a superb volley by Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun was quickly followed by an own goal by Sylvain Distin to put Liverpool two up with barely quarter of an hour gone.

Zimbabwean forward Benjani Mwaruwari fired Portsmouth back into the contest 12 minutes after the break but Fernando Torres guaranteed the win with two late goals to take his tally for his first season in England to 14 goals in all competitions.

"We scored four goals against the team with the best team away record, so that was important for the confidence of everyone," said Reds boss Rafael Benitez.

"The team was playing with passion and intelligence and they are things that it is important to put together."

Manchester City remain in the top four, just ahead of Liverpool, after a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa. Norwegian striker John Carew earned a point for the home side after Rolando Bianchi had given City the lead after only four minutes.

"He's settling in better and better," City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson said of Bianchi, who has begun to pay back some of the 8.8-million-pound he cost the club with three goals in his last four games.

At the other end of the table, Bolton's revival under Gary Megson gathered pace with a 3-0 home win over Birmingham, courtesy of a first-half strike from El Hadji Diouf and a late double from Nicolas Anelka.

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