Rafa: 'Torres on fire'

Updated 08.52 Thu Mar 06 2008

Keywords: curbishley, benitez, Torres, liverpool

Rafael Benitez is convinced his side are finding their form at a "crucial" point in the season.

The Reds swept aside West Ham 4-0 to regain fourth place in the Barclays Premier League above rivals Everton.

Fernando Torres climbed from his sick-bed to grab his second successive home hat-trick

Benitez had Fernando Torres to thank as the Spaniard climbed from his sick-bed to grab his second successive home hat-trick, the first time a Liverpool player has done that in 62 years.

Benitez said: "Torres is on fire. Everyone has confidence now that we will score. We are playing well as a team, working as a team, that is the difference in our play now. "

Liverpool have now won three league games on the trot, and Benitez said: "It is now in our own hands whether we qualify for the Champions League."

Anfield fans will be grateful for something else to think about rather than the takeover battle, which now seems to have reached stalemate.

Now Liverpool must continue in this vein at home to Kevin Keegan's Newcastle on Saturday to send themselves into next Tuesday's Champions League trip to Inter Milan full of confidence.

Meanwhile, West Ham boss Alan Curbishley admitted he had been forced into a near-crisis meeting in the dressing room with his team after their second four-goal drubbing in five days.

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley was fuming afterwards, saying: "We made no impression on Liverpool in any area of the pitch.

"I expected it to be hard, but I did not expect it to be like this."