Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez hailed star striker Fernando Torres after the Spaniard bagged another hat-trick in the 4-0 win over West Ham.The Hammers second defeat by the same margin in five days saw the Reds leapfrog Merseyside rivals Everton back into fourth spot on goal difference.

Manager Rafael Benitez said: "Torres is in great form and he is on fire. Everyone has confidence now that we will score."

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

"But we need to continue this good form at home to Newcastle on Saturday, so we can then turn our attention to Inter Milan in the Champions League next week high on confidence.

"It is good that we are running into form at a crucial time of the season.

"We are playing well as a team, working as a team - that is the difference in our play now."

Torres scored his second hat-trick in successive home league games to take his tally to 24 for the season - having stepped out of his sick bed to play.

The Spaniard had missed two days' training with a stomach bug, and his compatriot said: "It was a worry, but he wanted to play - and he showed he was fine out there.

"I was about to bring him off before he scored his third. Maybe he saw Peter Crouch warming up on the line and decided he only had a few minutes before he was going to be substituted."

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley admitted his disappointment at two bad defeats in the past week.

He said: "We made no impression on Liverpool in any area of the pitch.

"We have had two tough games against Chelsea and now Liverpool, and made no impression on either side. I expected it to be hard - but I did not expect it to be like this.

"This is the first four days of our season that we have let ourselves down. These last two performances have not been good enough, so now we have to go to Spurs on Sunday and get back on track."

The Hammers were left in no doubt as to what the travelling support thought, with a series of pointed chants at Anfield.

"I heard our fans voicing their disapproval - they think that playing 4-5-1 is negative," said Curbishley.

"But that is how Liverpool played, even if they had top players who could change a game.

"A lot depends on the players that we have available and what suits them. We have been missing so many of our signings through injury - this is the best way for us to play.

"We have had a meeting in the dressing room, not a crisis one, but we needed to say that this cannot continue."

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