The Wednesday Wonder: Fernando Torres

The Hammers were out to get over a dismal start to the season. Liverpool was ready to steady a shaky ship – say that five times fast – and improve on their 4-0 win over Burnley from the week before. Both teams came to play at Upton Park on Saturday, and neither time gave in throughout the entirety of the match. As expected, the home team and rowdy fan base were ready for their matchup with one of the Big Four.

The scoring got underway in the 20th minute by way of Fernando Torres. The Liverpool striker sought out the back of the net with one of the fanciest goals the Premier League has seen this season. After receiving the ball outside of the box on the left side of the pitch, Torres put a little “shake and bake” move on his defender that gave him enough space to the left to take the ball on a tight angle toward the net.

At this point, any sane person may attempt to pass to an open teammate due to the fact that the keeper was blocking any logical shot, and there was no extra room to work with – but not Fernando Torres. Robert Green made an attempt at the ball down low, but as Torres came flying in with the ball he flicked it with his right foot up and over a very surprised Green and into the net. The goal was a work of art, and it seemed to signify good things to come for Liverpool in the match.

It’s important to not forget, however, that West Ham was not about to roll over and die just because of one beautiful goal. Although the momentum was clearly in Liverpool’s favor for the next several minutes, the Hammers would fight back, and redemption would come just nine minutes after Torres’ goal. Zavon Hines made a run deep into the Liverpool box, and he seemed destined to get off a clear shot on goal. Jamie Carragher was not about to let it happen, but I’m pretty sure that you can’t push somebody in the box – which is what Carragher did – resulting in a penalty for West Ham.

Alessandro Diamanti stepped up to the stop and – in one of the more peculiar penalties I’ve witnessed – he sent the ball flying down the middle and just under the crossbar. If it hadn’t been a complete accident, it would’ve been a beautiful shot, but Diamanti slipped when he was taking the shot, which had Liverpool appealing for a “double kick,” which would’ve voided the goal. That was not the case however, and West Ham tied up the match 1-1.

That scoreline would not last long, though, as Dirk Kuyt decided to get into the action just four minutes before halftime. A Yossi Benayoun corner was lofted high and perfectly into the box where Steven Gerrard rose above the rest and connected with a vicious header that shot toward the back post. The ball seemed like it was either going to hit the post or go just wide of goal until Dirk Kuyt stuck out his foot and redirected the ball just inside the post. The heads up play by Kuyt allowed Liverpool to head toward halftime with a nice 2-1 lead.

But not so fast, my friend! West Ham was not about to settle with being down a goal going into halftime on their own turf. Just at the stroke of half, the Hammers were awarded a corner, and the excitement in Upton Park was palpable. You could tell that everybody was confident that something good was going to happen – and something did. The corner from Mark Noble came rocketing into the box where English striker Carlton Cole was ready and waiting. Cole got just higher than the Liverpool defenders where he barely got a touch on the ball.

It was enough, though, as the ball flew across the whole box and into the back of the net at the back post. Pandemonium is the only way to describe the ensuing explosion of celebration. The crowd knew – or at least wanted to know – that today was their day against Liverpool. The momentum was back in West Ham’s favor as the halftime whistle blew. If the first half was that exciting than I could only imagine what the second half would bring.

I wish that I could say that West Ham had what it took to mount an attack that put Liverpool away late in the match, but as the title states, Fernando Torres is the Wednesday Wonder on this day – and he plays for Liverpool of course. The second half was all about not taking advantage of great chances for the Hammers. Nothing came of several deep runs by West Ham players into the Liverpool box. Liverpool was having the same problem, though. Many chances throughout the second half went unfinished, and Liverpool fans and players alike were getting quite frustrated.

Liverpool is a great team late in games, though, and combine that with the theme of the day – which is Fernando Torres – and you can kind of predict what happened next. With fifteen minutes left in the match, Liverpool mounted an attack. Ryan Babel got the ball on the right flank after a poor clearance out of the Hammers’ box by their defenders. Babel took the ball toward the corner and looped an outswinging ball into the box where a charging Fernando Torres was ready to be the hero yet again.

Torres popped up between two West Ham defenders, winning the ball in the process, and headed it into the back of the net. Torres and Babel embraced because they knew they had just taken the wind out of West Ham’s sails. The score would stay that way as Liverpool walked away the 3-2 winners. With the crucial three points, Liverpool now sits in third where they are more accustomed to being. Now they can only hope for more victories like their 4-0 trouncing of Burnley rather than their 3-2 “grind it out” victory at West Ham, but they know that Torres is the right man for the job when it’s time to rally the squad. His performance this week was more than enough to warrant him this week’s Premiership Talk Wednesday Wonder! Congratulations, Fernando Torres!

What did you think of Torres’ performance? Was there anybody more deserving of the Wednesday Wonder? Have your say below!

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