Rafa Benitez claimed Liverpool secured the perfect confidence-booster ahead of tomorrow's Champions League clash against Arsenal by sending Merseyside neighbors Everton to a 1-0 defeat at Anfield on Sunday.
Fernando Torres's seventh-minute goal, his 28th in all competitions this season, moved Liverpool five points clear of Everton in the race for the fourth and final Champions League spot.
But with the first-leg of the all-English quarter-final against Arsenal next up, Liverpool boss Benitez admitted that the victory over Everton could not have been better timed.
PHOTO: AP
"After the defeat against Manchester United last week, to beat our local rivals allows us to be more confident going into the Arsenal game on Wednesday," Benitez said. "We have some knocks from this game, though, and it is difficult to say about certain players. Lucas Leiva, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard and Ryan Babel are all tired, so in three days' time, we will have to see how they are."
Torres, who equalled a club record by scoring in his sixth successive league home game, has been a huge success at Anfield since arriving from Atletico Madrid at the end of last season.
Benitez admits that the Spanish striker's impressive goals return this season has been a real bonus.
"Torres has been a surprise for everyone. Twenty-eight goals in his first season, with twenty-one in the league, is a fantastic achievement," the Liverpool manager said. "I wouldn't like to say that he is the best striker in Europe, but he is scoring goals and he is playing very well. The understanding between Torres and Gerrard is key for us, but Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel are also doing well and giving us a good balance. With Arsenal away in the Premiership next Sunday, we need to keep working hard because Everton play Derby at home. Beating Everton means three points, but it also means that we are now five points ahead of them which is a good gap. It's a really important win for us."
Everton's hopes of Europe are now likely to rest with securing fifth place and claiming the UEFA Cup spot that goes with it.
But despite the setback of this defeat, which was sparked by a mistake by Nigerian forward Yakubu who was dispossessed 20 yards from his own goal, Moyes insists that Everton remain in the hunt for a Champions League place.
"The fight for fourth place definitely goes on and I have just told my players that it is great that Everton are still going for the chance to play in the Champions League," Moyes said. "In the first half, Liverpool created a lot of chances, but we hung in there and the boys did well to get to halftime without conceding again. Yakubu was caught on the ball when he should have cleared it and I suppose he was a touch naive. It left Torres to score the goal which gave Liverpool the impetus, but I think it may have affected Yak for the rest of the game."
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