PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS: Torres eases pressure on Liverpool's Benitez

 FERNANDO Torres and David Ngog eased the pressure on Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez as Manchester United's title aspirations took a blow at Anfield.

DELIGHT: Fernando Torres scores his ninth of the season as Liverpool secure a 2-0 win over Manchester United (Getty Images)

Torres outmuscled a flat-footed Rio Ferdinand after Yossi Benayoun's precision pass ripped open the Manchester United defence.

Torres was losing balance but stayed composed to unleash an unstoppable shot past Edwin van der Sar for his ninth goal of the season.

Benitez received not one but two votes of confidence - from co-owner George Gillett and managing director Christian Purslow - before an encounter that everyone else seemed to be billing as must-win for the Spaniard.

But if the pressure was on, the Liverpool manager brilliantly bottled it up as Torres brilliantly broke the deadlock with his well-taken 65th minute strike.

Benitez simply nodded and checked his watch.

The remaining 25 minutes will have certainly dragged for the under-fire boss and when Sir Alex Ferguson throw on former Kop favourite Michael Owen, Benitez might have feared a nasty late twist to the story.

But Reina stayed resolute under-fire while United's Nemanja Vidic was sent off in the last five minutes after hauling down Dirk Kuyt - his third consecutive dismissal in this always fiery encounter.

Liverpool also ended the game with ten men after Javier Mascherano saw red in injury time for a second bookable offence but within seconds Anfield was buzzing again as David Ngog, a 79th minute replacement for Torres, sealed the win.

"We showed passion, aptitude and character," said Benitez, whose side bossed the game from whistle to whistle.

"We are just taking things one game at a time. I'm not looking ahead. We can't be too excited, we've got another game on Wednesday.

"This team is better than people think. We just need a bit of luck. However, the only way to changes things in football is to win games and we showed a lot of character."

Defeat for United means Chelsea stay top of the league following their 5-0 victory over Blackburn 24 hours earlier, while Liverpool leapfrog both Manchester City and Aston Villa to sit fifth.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was left fuming as his side again threw away a lead as West Ham, who are still without a home win this season, grasped a much-needed 2-2 draw.

First half goals from Robin van Persie and William Gallas put the Gunners in total control at Upton Park.

But Carlton Cole’s 74th strike and substitute Alessandro Diamanti’s 80th minute penalty helped the second from bottom Hammers to a valuable point.

West Ham were reduced to ten men when midfielder Scott Parker, who has only just returned from suspension, saw red following a second yellow card in the 85th minute.

Van Persie had a gilt-edged chance to win it in injury time but was denied as Green atoned for the error he made for Arsenal’s opener.

Elsewhere, substitute Ivan Klasnic netted a dramatic late winner as Bolton edged a five-goal thriller against Everton at the Reebok.

Chung-Yong Lee gave the hosts a 15th minute lead, an advantage that the much-admired Gary Cahill doubled just over ten minutes later.

Louis Saha reduced arrears and Marouane Fellaini leveled it with a shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 54th minute.

Both sides had chances to win it before Klasnic, a replacement for Ricardo Gardner, netted his first Bolton goal with four minutes remaining.

Fulham showed their fighting spirit as they came from behind to earn a share of the spoils against Manchester City – ending their winning record at home.

Joleon Lescott put City ahead soon after the restart and Martin Petrov doubled their advantage seven minutes later.

However, Damien Duff reduced arrears and Clint Dempsey headed home a free-kick to secure a 2-2 scoreline.