Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes his side’s rivals will feel the force of Europe’s ‘stand-out’ striker Fernando Torres in the five crunch fixtures to be played over the coming month.
In Saturday’s 2-1 comeback victory over Reading at Anfield, Torres became the first Liverpool player to net 20 Premier League goals in a season since Robbie Fowler 12 years ago.
Steve Coppell’s side took a shock fifth minute lead through Marek Matejovsky but the hosts hit back to record a seventh straight win goals from Javier Mascherano, who hit his first strike for the club on 19 minutes, and Torres on 48 minutes.
The victory puts Liverpool in good stead for a crucial period of games over the next four weeks as they travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Sunday before hosting Everton in the derby a week later and then going on to play a hat-trick of games against Arsenal in the space of seven days with a Premier League meeting sandwiched between the sides’ Champions League quarter-finals clashes.
Carragher believes that Torres can prove to be vital weapon for Liverpool in these games as the striker, who has netted nine times in his last six outings, is now showing his best form after failing to make much of an impact in the corresponding fixtures against the same opposition earlier in the campaign.
He said: “Against Man United we didn’t really make the most of Fernando, he didn’t play against Everton and he came off injured at half-time against Arsenal. He hasn’t really played against them.
“I am sure they all watch Match of the Day and see each week what damage he has been causing and they will be well aware of him.
“Of course, it’s different in a game. He is going to be facing top defenders and they will relish showing what they can do, just as he will relish showing them.
“He’s on fire at the moment. He is the stand-out striker in European football right now and looks like he has got the lot.
“The header he scored today, you probably wouldn’t expect off a pacey striker. But I was stood right behind him and it was some header.
“It has been a long time since Robbie Fowler got 20 league goals and for Fernando to be the first player since then to do it shows he is a special player.”
Carragher acknowledges that the following month could either make or break Liverpool’s season given the importance of the matches and nature of the opposition.
He said: “It can go two ways. If we win the majority of these games we can hopefully go on and have a fantastic season. Or it can go the other way and it is doom and gloom again.
“That’s the stage of the season we are up to. Every game is important for every team, not just us. Sir Alex Ferguson says March and April are the months that prove decisive in terms of what you are going for and I think that’s going to be the case.
“We have Man United, Everton and then Arsenal three times so those five games are absolutely massive.
“I relish these games though. This is what you are in the game for. If you are going to win trophies you have to win big games and beat big games.”
A seventh straight win on Saturday ensured that Liverpool remain in pole position for fourth place but after their impressive 1-0 success in the San Siro four days earlier, Carragher admitted it was a different kind of test for his team.
He said: “We knew it was going to be a tough game. Reading are fighting for their lives and coming off the back of a Champions League game is always tough.
“To go 1-0 down and come back to win 2-1 is a great result really. I know everyone would expect us to win, but we showed a bit of character. We realise we haven’t played great, but the result was the most important thing.”
In Saturday’s 2-1 comeback victory over Reading at Anfield, Torres became the first Liverpool player to net 20 Premier League goals in a season since Robbie Fowler 12 years ago.
Steve Coppell’s side took a shock fifth minute lead through Marek Matejovsky but the hosts hit back to record a seventh straight win goals from Javier Mascherano, who hit his first strike for the club on 19 minutes, and Torres on 48 minutes.
The victory puts Liverpool in good stead for a crucial period of games over the next four weeks as they travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Sunday before hosting Everton in the derby a week later and then going on to play a hat-trick of games against Arsenal in the space of seven days with a Premier League meeting sandwiched between the sides’ Champions League quarter-finals clashes.
Carragher believes that Torres can prove to be vital weapon for Liverpool in these games as the striker, who has netted nine times in his last six outings, is now showing his best form after failing to make much of an impact in the corresponding fixtures against the same opposition earlier in the campaign.
He said: “Against Man United we didn’t really make the most of Fernando, he didn’t play against Everton and he came off injured at half-time against Arsenal. He hasn’t really played against them.
“I am sure they all watch Match of the Day and see each week what damage he has been causing and they will be well aware of him.
“Of course, it’s different in a game. He is going to be facing top defenders and they will relish showing what they can do, just as he will relish showing them.
“He’s on fire at the moment. He is the stand-out striker in European football right now and looks like he has got the lot.
“The header he scored today, you probably wouldn’t expect off a pacey striker. But I was stood right behind him and it was some header.
“It has been a long time since Robbie Fowler got 20 league goals and for Fernando to be the first player since then to do it shows he is a special player.”
Carragher acknowledges that the following month could either make or break Liverpool’s season given the importance of the matches and nature of the opposition.
He said: “It can go two ways. If we win the majority of these games we can hopefully go on and have a fantastic season. Or it can go the other way and it is doom and gloom again.
“That’s the stage of the season we are up to. Every game is important for every team, not just us. Sir Alex Ferguson says March and April are the months that prove decisive in terms of what you are going for and I think that’s going to be the case.
“We have Man United, Everton and then Arsenal three times so those five games are absolutely massive.
“I relish these games though. This is what you are in the game for. If you are going to win trophies you have to win big games and beat big games.”
A seventh straight win on Saturday ensured that Liverpool remain in pole position for fourth place but after their impressive 1-0 success in the San Siro four days earlier, Carragher admitted it was a different kind of test for his team.
He said: “We knew it was going to be a tough game. Reading are fighting for their lives and coming off the back of a Champions League game is always tough.
“To go 1-0 down and come back to win 2-1 is a great result really. I know everyone would expect us to win, but we showed a bit of character. We realise we haven’t played great, but the result was the most important thing.”
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