The Blues were forced to play a man down for the final half-hour after Frank Lampard was given a straight red for a studs-up challenge on Xabi Alonso, a decision by referee Mike Riley which looked unduly harsh.
A scrappy start to the game saw both sides struggling to hold on to the ball in the blizzard conditions, but it was the home side who tested the keeper first after a long-range effort from Alonso on 11 minutes went flying towards the top corner, but Petr Cech was on hand to tip the ball over.
With both teams opting for one up front the game would be won or lost in the middle of the park and the opening 20 minutes hardly left the centre circle, with foul after foul from either side and a yellow card for each summed up the match so far.
The Reds seemed a lot more hungry to win the ball and drive men forward and a determined passage of play on the half-hour mark almost created the opening.
After battling to win the ball, Steven Gerrard released Jamie Carragher down the right to whip in a ball for Torres, but his quick turn and shot was blocked well by a last-gasp lunge from Alex.
Having not had one shot on the Liverpool goal, Chelsea were lucky to go in at the break on level terms when a surging run into the box from Albert Riera saw his shot saved well from Cech and a backtracking Ashley Cole almost stabbed the rebound into his own net from three yards.
With no changes at half-time Rafa Benitez watched his team take up where they left off by throwing men forward in search of the opening goal.
An early effort from Dirk Kuyt flew wide of the Blues goal and a low drive from Torres on the edge of the box was blocked by the outstretched leg of Ashley Cole.
Liverpool felt they should have had a penalty on 55 minutes following a late challenge on Kuyt from Chelsea skipper John Terry inside the box, but referee Riley waved play on.
The Blues were down to ten men on the hour mark after a sliding tackle from Lampard on Alonso saw the Chelsea man shown a straight red for raising his studs.
Replays showed he won the ball and it was the Spaniard who kicked the bottom of Lampard's boot.
Pinned on their 18-yard line, Chelsea were throwing bodies in front of every Liverpool shot and another well timed block from Alex on Alonso almost led to an opener as the the ball looped over Cech and onto the crossbar.
Unable to clear their lines Chelsea should have gone behind when Torres was allowed to control the ball and chip it towards the corner, but Mikel somehow wrapped his foot around the ball to clear it off the line.
Having brought on Deco and Didier Drogba to try and give his side some kind of outlet, Chelsea boss Phil Scolari then saw his side wilt in the closing stages.
A Gerrard ball out wide to Fabio Aurelio gave the wing-back all the time in the world to swing in a near-post cross to Torres, who dived in front of his man to head his side into the lead.
With five minutes of added time shown by the fourth official, Chelsea tried to push men up the pitch.
However, a long clearance from was mis-controlled by Ashley Cole and it was his tackle on Benayoun which gifted the ball to Torres to sidefoot his second of the game and take the Reds to within two points of Manchester United.