Wanderers conquered the Premiership champions Manchester United last weekend but there was to be no such repeat on Merseyside with the Trotters sinking to their heaviest defeat of the campaign so far.

It has been over half a century since Bolton last won in the league away at Liverpool and within a quarter of an hour gone of today's game it didn't look like that sequence would end any time soon.

Andy O'Brien was forced out of the Bolton line up through injury prior to the game so manager Gary Megson was forced to hand a first league start of the season to Slovakian international Lubomir Michalik.

Early doors the game was evenly poised with Wanderers veteran midfielder Ivan Campo firing over the crossbar of his compatriot Jose Reina after some good work by Nicolas Anelka and El-Hadji Diouf.

Both teams had chances cleared off the line in the opening ten minutes of the game with Michalik coming to Bolton's rescue to deny Peter Crouch and striker Kevin Davies seeing his effort blocked at the other end.

On 17 minutes Liverpool took the lead through a trademark Sami Hyppia header in front of The Kop after captain Steven Gerrard had delivered a pinpoint free kick from the left.

The game heated up during the halfway point of the first half, Crouch headed a Gerrard corner over for the hosts whilst Harry Kewell screwed his effort wide of Jussi Jaaskelainen's goal.

Bolton nearly gifted Rafa Benitez men a second goal when Ricardo Gardner was wasteful in possession and this allowed Torres the chance to run at the Wanderers defence before shooting the ball just wide of Jaaskelainen's right post.

Seven minutes before the break Nicolas Anelka should have drawn Bolton level but the French striker hit the ball into the side netting despite being presented with an open goal after goalkeeper Reina and Jamie Carragher had collided.

The miss was a key turning point in the game and more or less on the stroke of half time Torres doubled Liverpool's advantage when breaking clear of the Bolton defence and lifting the ball over Jaaskelainen after Gerrard had sprayed a superb low pass into his path from just inside the Bolton half.

Early on in the second half Liverpool continued to press and Crouch was unlucky not to have got on the scoresheet when heading a deep John Arne Riise cross from the left just wide.

On 50 minutes Gerrard gained possession just outside the Bolton box and the England midfielder fancied his chances with a piledriver but fortunately for the Wanderers they where saved by the outstretched leg of Jaaskelainen.

Youngster Jack Hobbs came off the bench for the Merseysiders in place of the injured Carragher moments later but even then the visitors where unable to penatrate the Reds defence.

The game was effectively over in the 55th minute when referee Steve Bennett awarded a Liverpool penalty after Crouch had gone down in between Meite and Michalik.

Meite was ajudged to have pushed the giant striker just as he was shaping up to shoot and Gerrard confidently planted the resulting spot kick past the despairing Jaaskelainen.

On the hour Anelka had a rare Bolton chance when cutting in from the left but the Wanderers top scorer could only fire his effort straight into the path of goalkeeper Reina.

Full back Riise fired a free kick straight at the Bolton wall soonafter and then Gary Megson's men once again went on the attack only for ex-Liverpool man Diouf to head an Anelka cross from the left into the arms of Reina.

This proved to be the last piece of action for the African front man as he was replaced by the UEFA Cup hero Stelios Giannakopoulos much to the delight of the home crowd who baited him throughout the contest.

Liverpool themselves made changes and of those Dutchman Ryan Babel wrapped up the points with just over five minutes to go when tapping in the fourth after Jaaskelainen had parried a Gerrard effort into his path.

Wanderers must now pick themselves up for an important European game against Red Star Belgrade on Thursday night and this will be followed by the visit of local rivals Wigan Athletic to the Reebok Stadium one week today.

BOLTON WANDERERS: Jussi Jaaskelainen, Jlloyd Samuel, Lubomir Michalik, Abdoulaye Meite, Ricardo Gardner, Gavin McCann, Ivan Campo, Gary Speed, El-Hadji Diouf (Stelios Giannakopoulos), Nicolas Anelka, Kevin Davies

SUBS NOT USED: Christian Wilhelmsson, Andranik Teimourian, Mikel Alonso, Ali Al-Habsi (GK)

LIVERPOOL: Jose Reina, Alvaro Arbeloa, Sami Hyppia, Jamie Carragher (Jack Hobbs), John Arne Riise, Harry Kewell (Ryan Babel), Steven Gerrard, Leiva Lucas, Yossi Benayoun, Fernando Torres (Dirk Kuyt), Peter Crouch

SUBS NOT USED: Javier Mascherano, Charles Itandje (GK)

REFEREE:

Steve Bennett

ATTENDANCE:

43,270

BOOKED:

Diouf (Bolton)

Campo (Bolton)

Michalik (Bolton)

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