Fernando Torres’ performance in his first game back from injury earned the striker rave reviews both home and abroad. The victory was Liverpool’s first in five outings and according to press, Torres’ ninth goal of the season paved the way for the Red’s most important win of the 2009/10 campaign. It was a strike that lifted the gloom at Anfield, silenced the talks of crisis at the club and kick-started Liverpool’s season.

The Times opened with ‘Torres sinks United’. The English newspaper highlighted just how important the striker is to his club. With Torres recovering from injury, the Reds had lost against both Sunderland and Lyon, but his return to the side resulted in a change in fortunes. ‘What a difference a goal makes; and what a difference it makes when Liverpool have, in Fernando Torres, a world-class forward who is capable of forcing that kind of breakthrough. Torres was absent through injury when his team suffered the defeats by Sunderland and Lyon that turned an earlier blip into a full-blown crisis, but, after taking a pain-killing injection to his groin before facing the old enemy, he more than made his presence felt yesterday.’

The Daily Express headlined with ‘Torres Turns the Red Tide’. In the run-up to the game at Anfield the words crisis and Liverpool had been used in the same sentence. But Torres, who is still not fully fit, appeared at just the right time to put the Reds’ season back on course. ‘It helps, of course, that they have a striker of Torres’ predatory powers to call upon when cornered and fighting for their lives. Torres’ contribution, especially given he was clearly not fully fit following a groin problem, added credence to Benitez's claim that all Liverpool have been missing has been their star names.’

The Guardian hailed Fernando Torres as the Spaniard ‘lifted the Anfield gloom’. The match report considered Torres as the ‘best piece of business Rafael Benítez is ever likely to conduct’. The Guardian highlighted that Torres’ contribution to the manager's survival campaign, in the wake of four consecutive defeats, was vital. ‘By the end arguably the world's best centre-forward could hardly stand. His body trembled with exhaustion and his eyes called out for him to be rescued. After 80 minutes he was replaced by Ngog. The ovation rocked the stadium.’

The BBC praised the forward’s instinct in front of goal, as Torres showed just why he is the top of the class. ‘Fernando Torres demonstrated his world class with a 65th-minute opener, comfortably shrugging off the attentions of Rio Ferdinand before powering an unstoppable finish high past United keeper Edwin van der Sar at The Kop end.’

In the striker’s homeland, MARCA opened their match report with ‘Torres saves Liverpool once more’. ‘Again it was the Niño who led the charge running onto a great through ball from Benayoun. Torres stood up well to Ferdinand’s illegal challenge, before sending the Kop to their feet with a sublime finish, a magical goal.’

Fellow sports dedicated newspaper AS titled with ‘Fernando Torres, Liverpool’s saviour against United’. The article praised the forward’s goal and drive, as he led a Liverpool side missing Gerrard to victory. The striker was not afraid to lead from the front on what many had described as the club’s D-Day’.