Liverpool clinch to a narrow and crucial win over Portsmouth

Portsmouth lose narrowly to Liverpool despite leading twice. Fernando Torres scored 2 minutes into the injury time and Liverpool return to the top of the league, at least for one day.

Without captain Steven Gerrard, Liverpool started a starting line-up that included full-backs Arbeloa and Aurelio deployed in midfield roles and 19-year-old striker David N'Gog starting in place of Torres.

Even with Torres, Kuyt, Xabi Alonso and Albert Riera watching from the sidelines, Liverpool dominated possession for much of the game, with Aurelio going close with a well-struck free-kick early on and Javier Mascherano seeing a shot from distance saved by David James. The first half ended goalless, former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch also wasted a chance for Portsmouth.

At the 59' minute, Benayoun slaloms through the midfield brilliantly and feeds it out to Kuyt on the right, and the Dutchman crosses and Babel misses the ball from 6 yards out with the open goal at his mercy!

3 minutes after, Crouch slips a ball into the path of Nugent, who is unmarked and slips the ball underneath the onrushing Reina and into the net and Portsmouth took the lead! At the 69' minute, Alonso rolls the ball into the path of Aurelio, who absolutely blasts the ball into the bottom corner of the net t0 draw Liverpool level.

Babel was subsituted with none other than Torres in the 76' minutes. But 2 minutes later, a Portsmouth corner comes in and Hermann Hreidarsson is completely unmarked to send a header through the arms of Jose Reina and send Portsmouth 2-1 up! Liverpool are level again in 85' minutes. Torres finds himself in acres of space as he cuts a ball back from the byline to Kuyt, who evades two attempted challenges from Distin before blasting a shot past James at the near post!

Hreidarsson appeals for a corner, but he doesn't get it, and slaps his hands on the ground in frustration. If that wasn't bad enough, this is all right in front of the referee, and after a couple of choice words from the Icelander Howard Webb whips out the only yellow card in the highly disciplined match in the 88' minutes.

With 1 approximately 1 minutes left, Mascherano plays Benayoun to the byline and the Israeli chips a ball to the near post for FERNANDO TORRES TO HEAD HOME!! Torres is once again Liverpool's hero again!

Portsmouth was consigned to a fourth straight home defeat. While Liverpool's title challenge lives on! Hooray!