SOCCER:ROY HODGSON said Fernando Torres had proved against Chelsea that he is "back to his best". The Spain striker scored twice as Liverpool beat the champions at Anfield yesterday.
Chelsea’s lead at the top of the Premier League is now two points, from Manchester United, with a full midweek programme to come. Torres, who doubled his season’s tally in the first half, said he had struggled to shrug off the groin and knee injuries that had affected him at the World Cup.
“People will say he’s back to his best and certainly today he was,” said Hodgson, whose side climbed to a ninth in the table after a third successive win.
“He’s a vital player for Liverpool, as he would be for any club. Hopefully he will end up looking back at this season, like the team, saying, ‘okay, so I didn’t have the brightest of starts, but it ended up as a great season’.
“He wants the club to do well, and he wants to see we’re moving in the right direction. We were all in a situation wondering what the future would be during the takeover but, like me, he can now see a positive future here with new owners. He likes being at Liverpool and playing for Liverpool. I don’t have any fears for the future as far as he’s concerned, as long as we can get back close to the top of the table where Liverpool belong.”
Hodgson is overseeing a recovery after this club’s worst start to a season in 57 years. Torres has now scored 44 goals in 47 league appearances at Anfield and seven times in eight matches against Chelsea.
Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, said: “He’s come back fit again after what was not a good moment, but he is a fantastic striker.”
Torres said: “It’s been difficult. It was a tough end of last season for me, and in the World Cup. Lots of injuries. But every day I’m feeling better and improving every day. I don’t know if I can play my best soon, but I will as soon as is possible. I know the expectation and I want to fight hard to get my top form.
“We’re now going forward and up the table, and getting better every day. We wasted a lot of points at the beginning of the season so now we have to win every game and show we can play like this against the teams in the middle of the table, Wigan and Stoke, with the same intensity and quality. But this was worth more than three points. It will give us more confidence.”
Before this match, Chelsea were beaten at Manchester City and held by Aston Villa and were unconvincing in victory at Blackburn. Against Liverpool they missed Michael Essien’s energy, Frank Lampard’s threat and, initially, Didier Drogba’s brawn.
Essien’s toe injury might have healed in time for Fulham’s visit to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. Drogba was brought on at half-time yesterday, having been suffering from a fever. He set up a chance for Florent Malouda, only for Jose Reina to make a stunning save. Nicolas Anelka hit the bar in the second half as Chelsea failed to score for a third time in four away league matches.
“We didn’t play well or quick enough in that first half and Liverpool defended well,” said Ancelotti. “The result is not good but at least the performance in the second half was better . . . We thought it would be very difficult to extend our lead at the top of the table here, but now we have to stay focused and not worried.
“Even after this defeat we’re in a good position compared to everyone else.”
