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The opening stages saw play flow from end to end as Bolton looked to attack on the counter with a three-pronged forward line consisting of the imposing Kevin Davies and speedy former Anfield favourites El-Hadji Diouf and Nicolas Anelka.

Their tactic of flooding the midfield worked well through the middle but a fit-again Harry Kewell and Yossi Benayoun found space out wide to feed crosses into the heads of big Liverpool strikers Torres and Peter Crouch.

Benayoun cut back for Crouch only five minutes in, having rounded Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, and Ricardo Gardner blocked on the line before Torres saw the Finn save his follow-up shot.

In front of his away fans seconds later, Trotters defender Abdoulaye Meite met a Davies flick-on and directed the ball just past the far corner.

Liverpool were in the ascendancy though and took the lead in the 17th minute. Gerrard's kick from the left was difficult to deal with and Hyypia attacked the space to finish easily into the far corner.

Anelka and Diouf were lively for the visitors whenever they ventured forward. The former almost fed in Gary Speed with a lovely turn-and-pass while Senegalese Diouf saw a dangerous free-kick headed just behind by Crouch and another deadly cross-cum-shot also almost bundled into his own net by Alvaro Arbeloa.

France forward Anelka missed perhaps the easiest chance he will ever have faced after a collision between Liverpool keeper Jose Reina and defender Jamie Carragher. He was given an open target to aim at on the right side of the area - but calmly passed the ball past the wrong side of the near post, to the disbelief of everyone in the ground.

With the break looming the Reds doubled their advantage to put to bed any resistance from the Lancashire outfit.

Gerrard slipped a delightful through ball for Torres to latch onto and as Jaaskelainen came out on the angle, the former Atletico star dipped the ball over him and into the goal in front of the Kop.

Liverpool pressed home their advantage in the second period as Crouch headed just wide and Gerrard was unfortunate with a low shot that Jaaskelainen diverted over the bar with his foot.

Bolton had lost their ability to make chances and paid for it when Lubomir Michalik fouled Crouch and skipper Gerrard slammed home the spot-kick on 56 minutes.

Torres struck a shot just over once he had cut back onto his right foot and Kewell was a continued menace as Rafael Benitez's players cruised to three points on the wet turf.

With minutes left Gerrard put Dirk Kuyt in on the right with another excellent low ball and his shot to the far post was saved by Bolton's overworked 'keeper Jaaskelainen.

But Babel followed up at the far post to slot home and seal the win, which moved the Reds up to third place in the Premier League table. Gary Megson's Bolton are 17th.

Jonathan Symcox / Eurosport