Liverpool 2-1 Cardiff

Steven Gerrard spoiled former team-mate Robbie Fowler's Anfield homecoming with Liverpool's winner to end Cardiff City's Carling Cup hopes.
Nabil El Zhar gave Liverpool the lead in this fourth-round tie with a long-range thunderbolt on 48 minutes.
Cardiff captain Darren Purse equalised, heading home Paul Parry's free-kick.
But within 46 seconds Liverpool retook the lead as Yossi Benayoun raced clear on the left and laid the ball into Gerrard's path to strike home.
Fowler, still a favourite with the Liverpool fans, returned to Anfield in the blue of Cardiff after leaving for the second time last summer.
The 32-year-old's name echoed around the stadium before the start, and four minutes into the match Fowler had a great chance to score.
Fabio Aurelio tripped the striker just outside the box in front of the Kop and Fowler, with a two pace angled run-up, sent a curling free-kick towards the top corner.
But French goalkeeper Charles Itandje flung himself to his left to claw the ball away to deny Fowler a dream return.
Liverpool responded with a Ryan Babel effort - clipped over the bar as he fell - before a clever, nimble turn from Peter Crouch ended with a low drive which fizzed wide.
Aurelio was next to try his luck with a bending drive that Bluebirds goalkeeper Michael Oakes comfortably turned round a post.
Lucas Leiva and Sebastian Leto also both went close for the home side, while at the other end Itandje turned away a dangerous Parry header, but the match remained goalless at the break.
Three minutes after the restart El Zhar remedied that, with a wonderful 30-yard strike to record his first Liverpool goal.
Gerrard made the early inroads with a typical driving run, before picking out El Zhar in space.
The 21-year-old Moroccan international, bought from St Etienne, came inside onto his right foot and unleashed a pile-driver that fizzed past Oakes and went in off the inside of the post.
Joe Ledley, who had been bright all night, almost pulled Cardiff level but the Wales international saw his goal-bound shot picked off by Itandje.
On 65 minutes Parry then sent across a fine bending free-kick that Cardiff skipper Purse honoured with an equally good header to level the score.
But Liverpool restored their lead within a minute as Gerrard swapped passes with Benayoun before burying the ball in the net from 15 yards.
Crouch nearly gave the Reds the comfort of a cushion but Oakes was again alert to palm the towering striker's header away.
Fowler nearly wrote himself a story-book ending with a vintage turn and snap-shot, only for the ball to ricochet off a Liverpool defender.
Then in the last minute Parry found space for a goal-bound effort, but again desperate defending saw the shot blocked and with it went Cardiff's last chance of forcing extra time.
Liverpool could even have finished with a flourish as Harry Kewell broke away on a swift counter-attack in injury time, only for Benayoun to blaze wide.
· Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez:"I would have wanted really to leave Steven out of the match.
"But we have too many injuries and Mohamed Sissoko was sick again, so Steven had to play and in the end he was the one who scored the vital goal.
"Cardiff worked very hard and were always dangerous, but then Steven got through to score a typical goal."
· Cardiff manager Dave Jones:"We've come to Anfield and given them a bit of a fright.
"You're at your most vulnerable when you're in possession and unfortunately we lost the ball on the halfway line.
"But of all the players for the ball to break to, who can do that damage, it had to fall to the player I consider the best in that position - Gerrard."
Liverpool: Itandje, Arbeloa, Hobbs, Carragher, Aurelio, El Zhar (Kewell 71), Lucas (Mascherano 87), Gerrard, Leto (Benayoun 63), Crouch, Babel.Subs Not Used: Martin, Riise.
Booked: Lucas, Babel.
Goals: El Zhar 48, Gerrard 66.
Cardiff: Oakes, McNaughton (Gunter 84), Purse, Johnson, Capaldi, Ledley, Rae, McPhail (Whittingham 89), Parry, Fowler, Hasselbaink (Thompson 75).Subs Not Used: Magennis, Loovens.
Booked: McNaughton.
Goals: Purse 65.
Att: 41,780
Ref: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).

Torres hat-trick inspires Reds

FERNANDO Torres scored a hat-trick to inspire Liverpool to a 4-2 victory at Reading in the League Cup third round.
The Spain striker was on target three times in the second half after Israeli Yossi Benayoun put Liverpool in front before the break with his first goal for the club. Arsenal, last season's runners-up, rested virtually their entire first team against Newcastle United but still ran out 2-0 winners with late goals from Nicklas Bendtner and Brazilian Denilson. Two other Premier League sides got through. Manchester City beat Norwich City 1-0 with a Georgios Samaras goal one minute from time while Portsmouth triumphed 1-0 at Burnley thanks to David Nugent. Fourth division Morecambe's run came to an abrupt end as they went down 5-0 at second division Sheffield United. Torres, surprisingly left out of Liverpool's 0-0 draw with Birmingham City in the Premier League at the weekend, was unstoppable at Reading. Benayoun's 23rd-minute effort was cancelled out by Bobby Convey's volley before Torres pounced five minutes after the break with a precise low finish after being played in by Sebastian Leto. Reading levelled again after 64 minutes through John Halls but Torres proved the difference. John Arne Riise came off the bench to tee up Torres after 72 minutes and the Spaniard struck again four minutes from time after rounding the Reading keeper.

Reading 2-4 Liverpool

Fernando Torres capped a fine display with a hat-trick as Liverpool dumped Reading out of the Carling Cup.
Yossi Benayoun fired Liverpool ahead, but Bobby Convey volleyed an equaliser from Nicky Shorey's corner.
Torres raced clear to score but again Reading hit back when another Shorey corner was prodded in by John Halls.
But Torres made sure of their place in the fourth round when he slammed home from a John Arne Riise square ball and then ran clear before slotting home.
Despite both sides making a host of changes there was no doubting the importance of the game as they combined to produce an entertaining and competitive encounter.
But Torres' all-round contribution and sublime finishing skills proved the difference between the Premier League sides and will have sent out a warning to their domestic rivals.
It was the perfect response after being left on the bench by manager Rafael Benitez against Birmingham at the weekend.
Reading caused problems for Liverpool's backline from the start, with Leroy Lita guilty of missing a glorious early chance when he headed Halls' cross straight at the Reds' debutant keeper Charles Itandje.
Instead it was Benayoun who opened the scoring when he picked up the ball 10 yards outside the area, nutmegged Andre Bikey before crashing his shot past Adam Federici.
Convey capped his recent return from injury with a first goal in over 18 months, meeting Shorey's corner from the right with a volley which found the bottom corner.
Liverpool were unhappy with the goal, with three Reading players standing in offside positions.
But Torres put them back in control after the break when he was sent through on goal by Sebastian Leto and held off Bikey before easily slipping it past Federici.
Torres was giving Bikey a torrid time and should have been rewarded with a penalty when the Reading defender hurled him down in the area.
Reading threatened to make Liverpool pay when another Shorey corner was stabbed home at the second attempt by Halls for his first goal for the club.
But Riise came off the bench to tee-up Torres and he confidently drilled past Federici.
The lively Lita had an overhead kick tipped over but it was Torres' day as he was sent clear and he teased Federici before rounding the keeper and tapping in to secure the win and the match ball.
Reading: Federici, Halls (Kitson 80), Duberry, Bikey, Shorey, De la Cruz, Harper, Convey (Hunt 80), Fae, Long (Henry 79), Lita.Subs Not Used: Hahnemann, Cisse.
Booked: Bikey, Duberry, Fae.
Goals: Convey 28, Halls 64.
Liverpool: Itandje, Finnan, Carragher, Lucas (Hobbs 89), Aurelio (Riise 69), Arbeloa, Benayoun, Sissoko, Leto, Crouch (Gerrard 77), Torres.Subs Not Used: Martin, Putterill.
Booked: Lucas.
Goals: Benayoun 23, Torres 50, 72, 86.
Att: 23,563.
Ref: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).