Steven Gerrard described Fernando Torres as “frightening” after the forward's hat-trick for Liverpool, his second in successive home games, in their 4-0 victory against West Ham United on Wednesday.

The Spaniard has scored 24 goals in 33 matches this season, while his feat of scoring consecutive home hat-tricks has not been achieved by a Liverpool player since 1946, and only four players in their history have managed such an achievement.

“Fernando is frightening,” Gerrard, the Liverpool captain, said. “From the opening home game of the season to Chelsea when he scored a cracker, he has been consistent. He has now hit 18 Premier League goals, the first person to do that here since Michael Owen. Hopefully he can continue like this right to the end of the season.

“He has pace, power and is very direct, but the most important thing for us is his workrate. He hasn't come here as a star, he is chipping in with his work as well and when you get that, you cannot ask for much more.”

The true achievement after three straight league wins, though, is that the demanding standards set out by Gerrard in an angry interview last week are finally being met.

Gerrard, who took his own tally for the campaign to 18 with the fourth goal against West Ham, said: “I know I called for an improvement recently and the way the performances have gone I am obviously pleased. We were all disappointed with the inconsistency at home, but against West Ham we started to put that right.”