Goals: Benayoun 13', Distin 16' og., Torres 67', 85' - Mwaruwari 57

Fernando Torres maintained his scoring burst as Liverpool returned to winning ways with a 4-1 victory over Portsmouth at Anfield on Saturday.

Torres, the club record 26.5-million-pound signing from Atletico Madrid, netted twice to take his tally to six goals in his last six club outings to seal Rafa Benitez's first Premier League victory in three attempts.

Zimbabwe striker Benjani Mwaruwari had thrown Portsmouth a lifeline with his ninth goal of the campaign after Liverpool had established a commanding 2-0 half-time lead.

But Torres made sure Liverpool started their crucial four-match Christmas programme on a winning note with his 13th and 14th goals since moving from Spain in the summer.

Having fielded an under-strength side for the League Cup quarter-final defeat to Chelsea three days earlier, Benitez wheeled out his big guns for a game Liverpool dared not lose.

Benitez desperately required a win to brighten up his fourth Christmas at Anfield after back-to-back league defeats had left them trailing leaders Arsenal by 10 points.

Jamie Carragher and Alvaro Arbeloa were the only two survivors from midweek as the likes of Torres, Steven Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt returned to the starting line-up. Despite making his return from a broken metatarsal against Chelsea, there was no sign of Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso.

Portsmouth arrived at Anfield boasting the best away record in the Premier League. Having won six out of nine on the road, Redknapp's side have already accumulated more points away from home than they managed in the whole of last season when they achieved their highest league finish in 52 years.

They had failed to win in their previous 11 visits to Anfield yet knew that they would leapfrog Liverpool if they put that statistic to the sword.

But they never recovered from a disastrous start which saw them concede twice in the opening 16 minutes as Liverpool wasted no time establishing a commanding grip on the game.

Harry Kewell, who had his best game since returning from a long injury, had already gone close before the Australian international supplied the cross which led to Benayoun breaking the deadlock with a sweetly struck 13th minute volley which whistled past the outstretched hands of former Liverpool keeper David James.

Portsmouth had been down to 10 men at the time after Glen Johnson hobbled off for treatment following his goal-sacing challenge on Dirk Kuyt three minutes earlier.

But Johnson's return to the pitch failed to result in a change of fortune for Portsmouth. Indeed their afternoon went from bad to worse when Distin doubled Liverpool's lead in the 16th minute. The French defender will claim there was little he could have done as team-mate Sol Campbell's challenge on Torres rebounded off his leg and into the net.

Yet it left his side with a mountain to climb as Liverpool continued to pile forward in an attempt to kill off Portsmouth.

Gerrard went close after more good work by Kewell while Portsmouth's frustration showed as Senegal international Papa Bouba Diop and Iceland defender Hermann Hreidarsson were booked.

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp made a double substitution at the start of the second half and his side responded by pulling back a goal from out of the blue when Benjani left keeper Jose Reina rooted to his line in the 57th minute.

But Liverpool were by far the better side and Torres sealed the points when he scored twice in 17 second-half minutes before being substituted.

He showed composure to tuck the ball into the net in front of The Kop in the 67th minute after good work from Javier Mascherano.

And Liverpool's number nine sent the fans home happy with his second and his side's fourth goal six minutes from time with the Portsmouth defence all at sea.

Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Benayoun (Babel, 64'), Gerrard, Mascherano, Kewell (Aurelio, 76'), Torres (Lucas, 86'), Kuyt.

Portsmouth: James, Johnson (Lauren, 46'), Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Utaka (Kanu, 46'), Diop, Pedro Mendes, Muntari (Taylor, 73'), Kranjcar, Mwaruwari.