There were two very obvious confirmations in today’s match. One, Liverpool never do things easily for themselves. A two goal comfortable cushion at home, that almost felt like a designer sofa got transformed to an edgy rocking chair at the closing minutes. Fairly enough though, the rocking chair had a solid ground underneath and it was only a fright that never materialized. While at the start of the season, it seemed that penalties were the only way to get past a very mean Liverpool defense, it has ben getting pretty much different lately, especially since the start of 2008. Conceding two goals at Anfield to Middlesbrough could have easily proved fatal or at the very least a loss of two points.

And then for the second confirmation. Fernando Torres is in a class of his own. That is too plain obvious. Torres with his twenty-one goals so far has coupled two usually mutually exclusive commodities - quality with quantity. He can be the eagle, hunting for prey and he can be the vulture, picking up the carcass. In fantasy terms, he can probably have a great night, have a sackful of ale and wake up without a hint of a hangover. Today, he snatched on a wayward back-pass, then rounded the keeper and coolly deposited the ball into the net. Shortly afterwards, he got the ball, created a tiny but enough space for him and hammered the ball beyond the reach of the keeper, reminding us of his goal against the same Boro a few weeks ago which got the reds out of jail. And then, his presence caused havoc and misunderstanding between their keeper and the defender, both rushing on him to leave him an empty net to aim for. He could not miss and he didn’t miss to record his second hat-trick of the season. The standing ovation was richly deserved in the supplementary minutes of the match and his substitution was a confirmation by Rafael Benitez that he knows the three points are in the bank as I don’t think otherwise he would have dared subbing him.

The European hangover never materialized. After the unforgettable night at Anfield last Tuesday, the feet kept firmly on the ground and Liverpool did what was asked of them. Another day, another dollar. The Liverpool way.