Liverpool 1-0 WBA

His appearance is different with his cropped, dark hair and no Alice band, but in front of goal Fernando Torres looks more like his old self.

His volley was the clearest evidence yet that after an injury-plagued 2010, he is getting back to his lethal best.

Torres' matchwinner to bring up Liverpool's 2,000th league victory ended his run of nine games without a goal for club and country - an African drought by his prolific standards - stretching back to April.

It was his 50th effort for Liverpool at Anfield and incredibly he has netted 41 times in his 43 home games.

His value to Liverpool is priceless in games like this where a moment of magic from him means the difference between drawing and winning.

The Reds will be grateful for at Torres' timing in breaking his duck for the season yesterday and they laboured to beat Roberto di Matteo's well-drilled West Brom side.

The Spanish World Cup winner's goal also lifts them out of the bottom three and kickstarts their league campaign after their chasing at Manchester City last Monday.

This win was as close as the scoreline suggests and this was a difficult afternoon's work for Hodgson's men.

Despite wheeling back all their big guns who missed the trip to Turkey and fielding their strongest starting XI, bar the suspended Joe Cole, Liverpool made very hard work of collecting the three points.

Torres had an early sniff of goal when he was played through on the left, but his effort was blocked.

West Brom were transformed from the side walloped by Chelsea on the opening day and they might have taken the lead in the first half.

Marco Fortune's right-foot shot was smothered by Pepe Reina after the Baggies' striker had played a one-two with Jonas Olsson and they should have had a penalty when Martin Skrtel wrestled Olsson to the ground.

Referee Lee Probert seemed determined not to give West Brom a penalty and Christian Poulsen got away with virtually yanking off Peter Odemwing's shirt in a similar incident in the second half.

Liverpool did not shake themselves from their lethargy until the hour mark when Skrtel hit a volley from the edge of the area, which just missed the top corner.

The game was decided in Liverpool's favour in the space of 30 seconds in the 65th minute. Right-back Gonzalo Jara raided upfield and saw a shot saved by Reina after his first effort was blocked. With him caught out of position, Liverpool broke down his flank and Torres played a one-two with Kuyt on the left before volleying home from the edge of the area into the bottom corner.

The goal visibly lifted Torres and ex-Red Scott Carson denied him a second when he saved his point-blank volley from a cross from Steven Gerrard, who was strangely subdued.

Probert was nothing if consistent in his refusal to award any penalties and he shook his head in denial when Jara blocked Torres' goalbound effort with his raised arms.

The Wiltshire official appeared overawed by his first game at Anfield and his decision to dismiss James Morrison for a foul on Torres seemed harsh.

Morrison did catch Torres high on his shin, but it wasn't malicious and the red card was the first of any colour in the game.

To their immense credit, West Brom's 10 men manfully battled on and the final whistle was greeted more with relief than joy by the Kop.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.