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Liverpool 4 Fulham 0December 11, 2006
STEVEN GERRARD sparked Liverpool's second-half romp as the resurgent Reds rose to fourth.
Jamie Carragher and Luis Garcia finished off the home side's spell of three goals in 12 minutes.
And Luis Garcia's stoppage-time free-kick underlined Liverpool's dominance of possession with their fourth goal.
The victory took Kop boss Rafa Benitez to 50 league wins in his 93rd game - quicker than Manchester United chief Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
Benitez said: "If I can win the same trophies as Sir Alex Ferguson it will be good.
"It is just a statistic, but it is good because it means my team is winning, which is the most important thing."
The Spaniard claimed Liverpool's seventh win in nine home games proved they have learnt to be patient when teams defend in depth at Anfield.
He added: "We knew it could be like that but I said to the players at half-time keep going, keep attacking, because we know in our last experiences here against Manchester City, Reading and Portsmouth we controlled the game.
"The first half was the same. We had two or three chances and the last pass or shot was not the best.
"In the second half, after the goal, it was easier."
Fulham boss Chris Coleman said: "I thought we were okay in the first 45 minutes.
"It was obvious we had to set our stall out early doors after two poor performances against Manchester City and Blackburn where the game was finished after 35 minutes.
"The defining moment was the first goal going in and after that for 15 minutes we fell away.
"Our concentration was poor, we lacked a bit of discipline and belief we could get back into it.
"That is something for us to go away and think about."
Strikers Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy twice combined dangerously to send Fulham early warning signs.
On the second occasion Bellamy's shot was blocked - Luis Garcia stabbing the loose ball past Jan Lastuvka but seeing Liam Rosenior clear off the line.
Even at this stage Lastuvka seemed intent on time-wasting.
But it was from the keeper's long clearance that Moritz Volz crossed for Brian McBride to hit a first-time shot that Jose Reina tipped round.
From the corner Liverpool's swift counter-attack down the right led to John Arne Riise driving Jermaine Pennant's cross wide from 25 yards.
Pennant then outstripped Rosenior but Kuyt mis-hit the winger's centre horribly wide from long distance.
Possession, though, remained all Liverpool's.
And, after Finnan crossed from the right, Kuyt's header was deflected wide by Zat Knight.
Rosenior then had to head Riise's piledriver behind.
Liverpool, however, rarely found any composure in the final third, with Alonso bundling another speculative effort wide.
Then Pennant, enjoying one of his better games, broke from inside his own half.
The former Birmingham flier climaxed a 40-yard run by slipping the ball to Bellamy, who laid it off for Luis Garcia to have a shot blocked by Knight.
When Fulham did gain some possession in the Reds' half they lacked ideas - typified when Papa Diop blazed high from 30 yards.
Pennant, in contrast, just failed to get a telling deflection on Alonso's low free-kick, while Kuyt under-hit a decent opening after Bellamy dummied cleverly.
:Lastuvka then leapt down to thwart Alonso's 30-yard curler as Liverpool turned up the pressure.
A minute before half-time Luis Garcia's looping header from Kuyt's left-wing cross dropped onto the top of Lastuvka's net.
And seconds after the break Kuyt wasted another opportunity, following Reina's long kick.
Diop, who had returned with heavy strapping on his right thigh, lasted just four minutes before being replaced by Philippe Christanval.
Pennant continued to trouble the Cottagers - one cross being missed by Bellamy's head before it slipped through Kuyt's legs.
But the expected breakthrough arrived on 53 minutes.
Bellamy's cut-back to Kuyt saw the Holland frontman's shot blocked by the arms of Ian Pearce, Uriah Rennie instantly awarding a penalty.
Gerrard's effort was well saved low to Lastuvka's left but the Liverpool captain drove home the rebound.
Coleman claimed Pearce had little chance of stopping the ball hitting his arm, whereas Benitez said: "I couldn't see it clearly but for me it was a penalty," said the Spaniard.
"A penalty is always a situation which can change a game but we created enough to win, not just with the penalty."
Agger missed a free header from Gerrard's corner, before Bellamy fired over from his captain's next flag-kick.
But, two more corners later, Agger flicked on a Gerrard cross for Jamie Carragher to dive in feet first for only his second goal for Liverpool - his first for seven years.
The result was assured on 66 minutes when the unmarked Luis Garcia leapt to nod home Agger's left-wing cross.
And, after Lastuvka brilliantly defied Gerrard's volley, Gonzalez whipped home a free-kick seconds from time.
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