STEVEN GERRARD'S late winner spared Liverpool's blushes after Bolton threatened to heap more misery on Rafa Benitez.
The Reds have already lost twice this season — to Tottenham and Aston Villa — and the Trotters nearly made it three defeats in four.
The home side stunned Liverpool by taking the lead, but a Glen Johnson drive saw the troubled Anfield men level at the break.
Benitez had laid into his top stars in the wake of their early-season beatings.
But the Liverpool boss was full of praise for how the Reds reacted when they were staring down the barrel at Bolton.
He said: "All our players wanted to impress and do well. Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, among others, knew they needed to improve.
"We showed we have quality players and they all fought hard to show their improvement.
"We had a lot of possession and were in control for much of the game. To concede two goals like we did is disappointing, but the team hit back and proved their quality."
The Trotters were in with a shout of a shock until Sean Davis was ordered off with two yellow cards.
And boss Gary Megson sympathised with the midfielder over both his bookings. He said: "You should not kick the ball away, but it was only done in frustration.
"As for the second yellow card, the Liverpool player [Lucas] was slowing up when being chased and just waiting for the contact before going over.
"Maybe we are not as cute as some of the big teams who are clever at doing things like that. They control the ball, slow down and wait for the hit."
Benitez, though, was adamant it was red, adding: "When you foul someone like that from behind, it is a yellow card, there is no doubt about it."
Liverpool had dominated possession for much of the first half, but Bolton skipper Kevin Davies scored his side's first league goal of the season 10 minutes from the interval.
But Liverpool hit back when £17million full-back Johnson punished a poor clearance from a corner with a low drive from the edge of the box.
Bolton defended deep and in strength, inviting Liverpool onto them. The visitors had plenty of possession, but without making clear-cut chances. Matt Taylor and Tamir Cohen worked tirelessly in midfield, breaking up Liverpool's flow.
One through ball from Lucas after 31 minutes saw Torres shake off Cahill and attempt to chip Jussi Jaaskelainen from just inside the box, but the keeper pulled down the effort.
At the other end, a Taylor free-kick was headed away for a corner by Torres, and that gave Bolton their breakthrough.
Taylor's 35th minute corner curled to the far post where Johan Elmander headed it down into the six-yard box for Davies to turn past Jose Reina from a couple of yards.
Fabrice Muamba was booked for a foul on Albert Riera two minutes later as Liverpool surged back looking for an equaliser, and it almost came when Torres chested down Johnson's cross, but fired across goal and wide of the far post.
But the equaliser came after 42 minutes when a corner was cleared only as far as Johnson just outside the box, and he fired a low show inside Jaaskelainen's near post.
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Jose Reina had to make a fine diving save to keep out a Taylor free-kick, before Davis was booked for kicking the ball away from a Liverpool free-kick.
Two minutes after the break, Liverpool's failure to clear a right-wing cross saw them go behind again.
Davies was able to flick the ball across the box, where two defenders failed to stop Cohen lashing the ball home from eight yards.
Bolton were reduced to ten men after 54 minutes. Lucas was racing towards the opposition box when Davis clipped his heels from behind. Referee Alan Wiley produced a second yellow and then the red card.
Davis was furious. He had confronted the Brazilian before receiving his marching orders and ran towards Lucas again, before being halted by a colleague and ushered away.
It was the incentive Liverpool needed. Gerrard hit the bar before Torres took a pass from Dirk Kuyt and scored the equaliser past Jaaskelainen after 56 minutes.
Next into the book was Gerrard for a foul on Muamba, before Benayoun replaced Riera after 63 minutes.
And twenty minutes later, Gerrard — who had been largely ineffective for much of the game — thumped the ball past Jaaskelainen from 20 yards to hand Liverpool a much-needed victory.
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Ricketts, Cahill, Knight, Samuel, Elmander (Basham 59), Muamba (Riga 90), Davis, Cohen (Steinsson 78), Taylor, Kevin Davies. Subs Not Used: Al Habsi, Robinson, Lee, Andrew O'Brien. Sent Off: Davis (54). Booked: Cahill, Muamba, Davis.
Goals: Kevin Davies 33, Cohen 47.
Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Carragher, Insua, Mascherano (Voronin 74), Lucas, Kuyt (Dossena 89), Riera (Benayoun 63), Gerrard, Torres. Subs Not Used: Gulacsi, Plessis, Kelly, Skrtel. Booked: Gerrard. Goals: Johnson 41, Torres 56, Gerrard 83.
Att: 23,284
Ref: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).
