Braces from Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso helped Liverpool to a 6-0 demolition of sorry Derby at Anfield on Saturday.

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Summer signings Ryan Babel and Andriy Voronin also got on the scoresheet as Liverpool maintained their unbeaten record this season and Derby continued to struggle in the top flight.

Liverpool were dominant throughout, and although it is rare to say a 6-0 win is thoroughly deserved, this result certainly was.

Alonso put the hosts into the lead in the 26th minute, his wickedly struck free kick evading the heads of both Derby defenders and Liverpool attackers alike on its way into the far corner of the net.

The strike proved the danger of Alonso from long range, but Derby keeper Stephen Bywater will have to ask a few questions of himself for allowing a free kick from fully 35 yards out to pass him by.

Babel then opened his account for Liverpool with a deserved second in first half injury time. Alvaro Arbeloa made it on the left hand side, cutting the ball back to the Dutchman who feigned a shot, taking out two defenders in the process, and slotting neatly home.

Liverpool had dominated the first half as Derby struggled to create anything of note at all. Manager Billy Davies opted to play with a lone striker, Steve Howard, in an attempt to frustrate Liverpool going forward. But that plan had already been filed under 'failure' by the time Babel's strike flew in and the team's headed into the dressing rooms.

The absence of Steven Gerrard or Jamie Carragher in Liverpool's line-up was the source of some Derby optimism before kick off, and Sami Hyypia's lack of pace was exposed by Stephen Pearson early on, but the visitors rarely tested the Reds' back line.

Derby sat back and allowed Liverpool to play their game, Jermaine Pennant in particular causing Tyrone Mears plenty of problems on the left hand side. The winger was a continual source of ammunition for Dirk Kuyt - partnering Torres up front - but the Dutchman more than once squandered chances to get on the scoresheet.

Such was Liverpool's dominance of the opening period, and Derby's inability to hold on to possession for any meaningful length of time, they could conceivably have gone in at half time a couple more goals to the good. A sweetly struck long range effort from Dan Agger early on, a Torres header straight at Bywater and Javier Mascherano's daisy cutter on 20 minutes all nearly saw Liverpool open the scoring earlier than they did.

If Billy Davies delivered a team talk in the dressing room at half time it appeared not to have had the desired effect on his side, as Liverpool continued where they had left off after the break.

Seconds after the restart, Alonso should have grabbed a second but he could not apply the finishing touches to a super flowing move and his shot was sliced into the Kop.

But Anfield did not have to wait long for a third, Torres effectively sealing all three points with a neat finish on 56 minutes before Alonso did eventually complete his brace on 13 minutes later, finishing with aplomb after the ball broke to him on the edge of the box.

The Derby floodgates were then busted wide open as substitute Voronin made it five, stabbing the ball over line after Bywater had parried a Kuyt shot straight into the Ukrainian's path.

Torres netted his second with 12 minutes remaining, capitalising on a terrible mistake by Andy Todd at the back to complete the rout and leave Derby rock bottom with just a single point from five games so far this season.

The Rams' afternoon was summed up as the clock ticked towards full time, Craig Fagan spinning in the box to latch onto a free kick only to completely miss the ball.