Alberto Aquilani finally found a performance to justify his 17 million pound price tag, capping a masterful display with his first Liverpool goal in a 4-1 win rout of Portsmouth at Anfield. The summer signing, brought in after Xabi Alonso’s sale to Real Madrid, has struggled to adapt to life in England but was at the heart of everything in only his fifth Barclays Premier League start. Fernando Torres scored twice, with Ryan Babel and Aquilani adding goals in between his strikes, before Nadir Belhadj hit a late consolation. It was the first time since they beat Hull 6-1 in September that Liverpool had scored more than two goals in a league match and that helped lift them to fifth in the table, a point behind Tottenham having played one match more. However, of their three assignments this week – they face Lille on Thursday trailing 1-0 in the Europa League before heading to Old Trafford on Sunday – this was by far the easiest. For Portsmouth the defeat ensured their 59-year winless run at Anfield continued but, considering their off-field problems, it will hardly have a defining impact on their season.