Liverpool‘s new £22.8 million striker paid off last night as Luis Suarez came off the bench to score Liverpool’s second goal on his debut against Stoke City to give the Reds a much needed 2 – 0 win.

After Raul Meireles’s 47th-minute opener the Uruguay striker, a deadline day capture from Ajax Amsterdam, joined the fray in the 63rd minute and tucked in the second goal to secure seventh-placed Liverpool’s third successive win and take them within two points of Sunderland.

It was a bad night for Manchester City as they could draw 2-2 only at Birmingham City. Tottenham Hotspur gained ground as Peter Crouch’s early goal earned them a 1-0 win at Blackburn Rovers.

Manchester United, who beat Aston Villa 3-1 on Tuesday, lead the way with 54 points, five ahead of Arsenal. Manchester City have 46, Chelsea 44 and Spurs 41.

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Former Bafana (South African) striker Benni McCarthy ia at war with West Ham United.

The 33-year-old striker has been left out of the Hammers 25-man squad for the rest of the Premier League season, meaning he is only free to play in FA Cup matches.

Furthermore, the struggling East London club has attempted to offer McCarthy a £1 million pay-off to voluntarily end his contract with the club.

But McCarthy, who stands to earn more than £2.7 million if he sees out the remaining 18-months of his Hammers contract, has rejected the club’s offer.

Benni’s Hammers tenure has been an abject failure. He has been cursed with fitness problems, and was lambasted by the club for being overweight.

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Liverpool have turned down a transfer request from Fernando Torres, the English Premier League club said Saturday, following an audacious bid from Chelsea for the Spain striker.

“Fernando Torres tonight submitted a written transfer request, which has been rejected by Liverpool,” Liverpool said in a statement on its website.

“Fernando is under a long-term contract and the Club expects him to honour the commitment he made to Liverpool FC and its supporters when he signed the agreement.”

Torres, 26, is under contract at Liverpool until 2013. However he is widely reported to have a buy-out clause in his deal which will allow him to leave if another team matches his £50 million valuation.

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The Reds have rejected a £25 million bid from Chelsea for striker Fernando Torres ahead of the January transfer window closing on Monday.

Chelsea is in need of a new forward to help its faltering title defense after slipping from top to fourth in the standings, 10 points behind leader Manchester United.

“Chelsea have made an offer for Fernando which has been rejected,” Liverpool announced late on Thursday. “The player is not for sale.”

Liverpool’s American owner John Henry is not prepared to let his top player leave, with the team showing signs of a recovery since Kenny Dalglish returned to the manager’s job at the start of the month.

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Kenny Dalglish got his first win at home last night in his second spell as manager when Liverpool beat Fulham 1 – 0 at Anfield.

It took a scrappy 52nd minute own goal from John Pantsil, who sliced the ball into his own net after Fernando Torres shot deflected off the post, to secure the three points and Liverpool’s second consecutive Premier League win after the weekend victory over lowly Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The win lifted Liverpool to seventh in the standings with 32 points.

“We will take anything as any club will do,” manager Dalglish told Sky Sports. “At times we played good football and deserved the bounce of the ball.

“I have seen three games and that is one of the few games we have had a little bit of good fortune.”

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Manchester United came back from 2 – 0 down to beat Blackpool 2 – 3 and move five points clear at the top of the table.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side had gone 27 league matches without losing, a run stretching back to their 2-1 defeat against Chelsea in April last season.

But that sequence looked in danger as goals from former United defender Craig Cathcart and striker DJ Campbell put the Seasiders 2-0 up at half-time.

Blackpool could have had a penalty when Luke Varney was bundled over by Rafael da Silva early in the second half.

But United finally got one back when in-form Bulgarian forward Dimitar Berbatov volleyed home Darren Fletcher’s cross in the 72nd minute.

Mexican striker Javier Hernandez, on for the lacklustre Wayne Rooney, equalised when he ran onto a Ryan Giggs pass and slotted past Richard Kingson in the 74th minute.

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Chelsea ended their miserable away form by beating Bolton Wanderers 0 – 4 last night at the Reebok Stadium. Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, Nicolas Anelka and Ramires were all target for the Blues.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side had fallen away from contention for the title with a record of one win in nine matches but they have now won their past eight matches at the Reebok Stadium without conceding a goal.

Victory moved them up to fourth and to within seven points of leaders Manchester United, who travel to Blackpool on Tuesday which continued the poor run of Owen Coyle’s side, who have now suffered four defeats in their last five matches in a damaging run of form and are just eight points above the bottom three.

Drogba gave Chelsea an early lead with his 10th of the season and Frenchman Malouda equalled that tally with a second goal just before half time.

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