Fernando Torres:Time to step up

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has demanded his team-mates 'step up a gear' in the Premier League title race.

The Reds were overtaken by fierce rivals Manchester United at the table's summit on Saturday as Dimitar Berbatov struck late on to sink Bolton at the Reebok Stadium.

Chelsea's last-gasp victory over Stoke also piled the pressure on Rafa Benitez's side - who drew with Stoke in their last outing - ahead of Monday's crunch Merseyside derby.

And Torres, who is expected to start his first game for the Reds since returning from a hamstring injury when Everton arrive at Anfield, has urged his colleagues to improve their performances.

"This year there is a clear sense that the league is our target," Torres said in the Sunday Mirror.

"The only way is to have confidence in yourselves - maybe by stringing three or four wins together.

"You also have to remember the next few weeks will go a long way to deciding how the season pans out. Now is really the time to step up a gear."