Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson believes that Chelsea striker Fernando Torres is on the way "back to his best".

The Spaniard has faced criticism for failing to recreate the form he had at Liverpool before moving to Stamford Bridge in January 2011 for £50m.

Despite initially struggling to find his feet at the West London club, Torres is beginning to show impressive form following his winning goal in the Blues' 2-1 win over Manchester City yesterday.

"It looks to me like Fernando Torres could be back to his best at long last – I thought he was excellent in Chelsea's win over Manchester City," Lawrenson wrote in The Mirror.

"He's got the hunger back, and also half a yard of pace. He missed an easy chance early on and could easily have let his head drop, but he didn't. If Torres' improvement continues then it will be a godsend for Jose Mourinho."

Yesterday's victory has taken Chelsea to second in the Premier League table.