Gerrard double sends Liverpool top

A double strike from Steven Gerrard inspired Liverpool to a 3-0 win at West Ham on Saturday as they leapfrogged Manchester United onto the top of the Premier League.

Gerrard struck after only 76 seconds at Upton Park and doubled his tally before half-time by tapping home after seeing his penalty saved by Robert Green.

Netherlands winger Ryan Babel rounded off the victory by prodding home from close range after 84 minutes.

Rafael Benitez’s side now lead the table on goal difference, though United have two games in hand and will regain top spot if they manage at least a draw in Sunday’s derby at home to Manchester City.

The defeat for West Ham leaves them in ninth position and is a blow to their hopes of finishing seventh and qualifying for the Europa League, the revamped UEFA Cup, next season.

Spain striker Fernando Torres returned to the Reds’ starting line-up after missing last Sunday’s 3-0 home win over Newcastle with a hamstring injury.

Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano also started after recovering from an ankle knock.

Torres was immediately at the centre of the action when Liverpool took the lead in the second minute with a goal of effortless simplicity.

The Spaniard picked out Gerrard with an inch-perfect pass, with the England midfielder skipping around goalkeeper Green and rolling the ball home from the right.

Just two minutes later, Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt floated a ball over the Hammers centre-backs that Torres was only narrowly beaten to by Green.

The home side had to wait until the 27th minute for their first attempt on goal, Czech midfielder Radoslav Kovac beating Pepe Reina to Mark Noble’s free-kick from the left but sending his header over the crossbar.

The visitors doubled their lead in the 38th minute after a moment of madness by Portuguese midfielder Luis Boa Morte.

The former Fulham man was incensed by referee Alan Wiley’s refusal to award a free-kick after he was brought down from behind by Mascherano and he raced back into his own area and dragged the advancing Torres to the ground.

Gerrard’s resulting spot-kick was well saved by Green low to his right but he could only parry the ball back across goal where Liverpool’s captain followed in to tap the ball home.

Kovac was booked for remonstrating with Wiley and the sense of frustration around the ground was compounded when David Di Michele blew the hosts’ best chance of the half.

The Italian striker was clean through on goal after Jamie Carragher’s error two minutes before the break but stumbled to the ground having gone around Reina and was booked for diving.

Former West Ham midfielder Yossi Benayoun almost added to Liverpool’s advantage five minutes after the break but he sent his back post effort over the bar.

Kuyt sparked a counter-attack when he intercepted a pass and released Gerrard on the hour-mark but the Netherlands forward saw his shot from a return ball well saved at Green’s near post.

Substitute Babel rounded off the win six minutes from the end when he poked the ball home from five yards after the luckless Green had saved his point-blank header from Kuyt’s cross.