www.liverpoolfc.tv/match

Liverpool have moved five points clear of Everton in the race for Champions League qualification after a 1-0 win in the 207th Merseyside derby.

Fernando Torres bagged his 28th goal of the season to secure victory and put the Reds firmly in control with six games remaining.

The result, which makes it eight victories in nine, also sends Rafa Benitez and his squad to the Emirates with confidence firmly restored following defeat at Old Trafford seven days ago.

Benitez was asked at Friday's pre-match press conference whether he'd rest players today ahead of Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg. Unsurprisingly, the journalist was given short shrift.

The race for fourth is clearly as important to Liverpool's future as progression in this season's Anglo-European Cup, so it was no surprise to see El Nino line up ahead of Steven Gerrard in a 4-2-3-1 formation which, until last Sunday, had yielded seven straight victories.

The only big-name absentee was Javier Mascherano, who is still waiting to hear whether his one-match suspension following last weekend's red card will be extended.

The match began amid the usual banter between both sets of supporters. The Kop spent the opening minutes reminding their city cousins they're 'not Scousers anymore' due to the Toffees' proposed relocation to Kirby.

It wasn't long before the Reds were on top on the pitch, too. Seven minutes, in fact. That's how long it took Torres to get Liverpool's 100th goal of the campaign.

The chance came after Xabi Alonso robbed Yakubu on the edge of the visitors' box before a Dirk Kuyt touch sent his strike partner through. Tim Howard made himself big but Torres gave him no chance with a cool finish into the bottom corner.

The number nine has now scored in six consecutive home games, a club record he shares with Fred Pagnam (1919), Roger Hunt (1964), Ian Rush (1983) and Michael Owen (1999).

Next he turned creator, leaving Joseph Yobo dizzy with his footwork before teeing up Kuyt. It wasn't an easy take for the Dutch international, but he eventually managed to get a shot in only for Tony Hibbert to throw his body in the way.

Kuyt might have got his head on a dangerous corner from the skipper minutes later but, with the net gaping, the ball evaded him by inches.

By this stage, Everton officials sitting in the press box were commenting that it seemed as if Liverpool had more men on the pitch. Their side's frustrations were certainly starting to show. Howard Webb, a referee who chooses common sense over pedantry, was forced to book both visiting central midfielders for rash challenges inside 20 minutes.

It should have been 2-0 on 28 minutes when the recalled John Arne Riise flew down the left before crossing towards Ryan Babel. The winger's concentration just seemed to slip momentarily, however, and the chance was gone.

The second very nearly did come six minutes before the break when Gerrard, who'd just delighted the majority of Anfield with a chainsaw of a tackle on centre-back Phil Jagielka, smashed a 25-yard volley against the post.

A satisfying first half, then, with perhaps the only gripe being Liverpool's failure to make dominance count beyond the opener.

David Moyes brought on Yakubu, Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar for the second half. At least, that's what anyone not watching the first closely might have thought, the trio proving totally ineffectual in the opening 45.

'The Yak', who Jamie Carragher described as one of the Premier League's best finishers in the matchday programme, even got a shot in on 50 minutes, though the whistle had already gone for an indiscretion.

Leon Osman was next to threaten with a smart header from Arteta's in-swinging free-kick. Thankfully, it hit the Kop hoardings, though the visitors were starting to get foothold in the game.

It took an expertly-timed tackle from Sami Hyypia to thwart Yakubu in the box on the hour mark.

At the other end, Lucas had a decent hit blocked by Yobo, though chances seemed harder to come by as Everton pushed for an equaliser.

Moyes again tried shuffling his pack, Leighton Baines replacing Phil Neville, who snatched his tracksuit top in anger as he made his way off to rapturous boos.

If anything, the changed put a stop on the Toffees as an attacking force, with the only other chance of note falling to Kuyt, whose 20 yard curler was deflected narrowly wide by Fernandes.