Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has accepted that he will have to rely heavily on Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to keep the club's unbeaten run going, at least until the January transfer window opens.
The duo have turned on the style at the right time for Liverpool in the last five games, with Torres adding another wonderful strike in the 1-1 draw at Wigan Athletic on Wednesday night to the two that came against Chelsea at the weekend.
Gerrard, who single-handedly won the Europa League game against Napoli last week, provided an inch-perfect pass for the striker's goal against Wigan.
And apart from David Ngog's strike against Arsenal on the opening weekend of the season, all Liverpool's league goals have either been created or scored by Gerrard and Torres.
Hodgson said: "If we are going to do well this season we need those two firing on all cylinders, we need Torres' goals and Gerrard's manipulation and control of the midfield.
"We only saw it in glimpses against Wigan whereas against Chelsea and in our previous victories against Napoli, Blackburn and Bolton it was present in much larger doses."
Hodgson has had to juggle new arrivals and an ever-growing injury list since his arrival in the summer.
Against Wigan Liverpool were without defenders Sotirios Krygiakos, Daniel Agger and Glen Johnson, midfielders Joe Cole and Ryan Babel, and Raul Meireles went off due to sickness at half-time.
Hodgson hopes to strengthen in the January transfer window, with his focus up front and in defence.
He added: "Where we are badly off is if something goes badly wrong at the back, where we don't have a lot of players to cover.
"Up front if Fernando or David Ngog are not able to play we don't have options in terms of out-and-out centre-forwards.
"Those are a couple of areas where we need to look for help in the January transfer window."
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