Benitez 'Guarantees' Top Four Finish

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez says he "guarantees" that they will finish in the top four despite their poor form so far this season.

Having begun hoping to challenge for the title Liverpool lie seventh in the table, 13 points behind leaders Chelsea and out of the Champions League.

"I am sure we can do it because I know we are better than the team you are seeing on the pitch," said Benitez.

"I can guarantee we will finish in the top four."

On Sunday, Liverpool lost 2-1 at home to Arsenal, despite scoring first.

That result, their sixth league defeat of the season, left them five points adrift of the Champions League places. And it extended their run of poor results to only three wins in the last 15 games, their last home victory having come against champions Manchester United on 25 October.

Benitez is facing the most difficult period of his five years in charge at Anfield, but insists he will not compromise his principles to get out of an uncomfortable situation.

"For five years I think we were doing well," he said. "So we have to keep going in the same way because the club is stronger now in everything: the squad, the value of the club is better than five years ago.

"Yes, it is a bad moment but I still think we can improve.

"I think it is very important for any manager, but especially here in England, to be strong.

"You have to show you have an idea, you have your own people that you can talk with and analyse things and say 'This is the way to do things' and we have to keep going.

"The main thing for me is to come here early in the morning, do my job, go home still working a little bit and try to be ready for the next day.

"That is the way to do things and that is an example for the players - and they are doing the same thing.

"Everything can be improved and if we make mistakes we keep going.

"There are still 22 games to play so we know we have to change our target. Now it is to get three points against Wigan and then start thinking about Portsmouth (at the weekend)."

Rafa Benitez ‘Set For Huge Transfer Market Boost’

The huge windfalls that George Gillett and Tom Hicks, the co-owners of Liverpool, will collect from the sales of their American sports properties could be pumped into the English soccer club, according to English press reports.

'Under-fire Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez could be handed substantial transfer funds next month thanks to a cash windfall for American co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks,' reports the Daily Express.

'Gillett has already banked a £180 million profit from the sale of his ice hockey team Montreal Canadiens. And Hicks is days away from being £150m richer after his baseball side Texas Rangers was put under the hammer.'

However, sources close to both men suggest the money is unlikely to be spent on Liverpool.

Indeed, Hicks has already stated that business at the Rangers will not affect his actions at Liverpool.

In a piece of good news for the club's fans, though, the American added last month that the club's Champions League exit will not force it to sell any of its players.

Liverpool Defender Jamie Carragher Prays For Good Times

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is praying that there are good times around the corner as the off-colour Reds look for an upturn in fortune.

Sunday's luckless 2-1 home defeat by Arsenal means that Liverpool have now won just three times in 15 matches.

"I pray that we win the FA Cup, Europa League and get in the top four," Carragher told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"But between now and the end of May it's going to be a grind at times and we have to stick together."

Liverpool have a good chance to get back in contention from their next three games.

Starting with Wednesday night's home clash with 14th-placed Wigan Athletic, they face successive games against teams currently in the bottom four - at backmarkers Portsmouth this Saturday (19 December) before the Boxing Day clash with Wolves (26 December).

They then round off the festive period with a trip to Birmingham to take on one of their main rivals for a Champions League place, Aston Villa (29 December, 1945 GMT).

And Carragher does not accept, despite all the flak they have received in the media for their poor run of results since the end of September, which the Reds are on their knees.

"Every night I'm praying that at the end of the season they'll be something worth what we've gone through," added the former England defender.

"Statistics like that are not good. But before the Fiorentina game we hadn't lost in six.

"Statistics can change quickly and we want to make sure we can start changing those stats, starting Wednesday.

"We've got to move on now. Wigan is a massive game but it's a perfect game for us.

"When you have a disappointing result you want to get back on the pitch as soon as possible."

Liverpool fought hard last season to finish Premier League runners-up as they failed to clinch what would have been a record 19th league title - instead allowing Manchester United to equal their haul of 18.

But the Reds vice captain believes that, despite Xabi Alonso's summer departure, they still have a strong enough squad to challenge.

"With the quality of the players we've got and the stature of the club we realise we should do better," said Carragher.

"It's tough at the moment for everyone associated with the club, but we've been here before.

"It's not always great times here at Liverpool. Part of playing for Liverpool is having big character and that's what's we need at the moment.

"Then we can dust ourselves down and at the end of the season say it wasn't so bad in the end."

Yossi Benayoun: Liverpool Must Get Winning Habit Back

Liverpool winger Yossi Benayoun has challenged himself and the rest of the Reds squad to rediscover their winning mentality and embark on a run of victories.

The Israeli feels that recording a few back-to-back wins would see the confidence return at Anfield, along with a more optimistic outlook.

"We need to win three or four games in a row and try to get our confidence back up," Benayoun told his club's official website.

"We always seem to win one, but then we don't follow it up with a result in the next match. We need to keep working hard in training and try to start winning, beginning against Wigan Athletic. We know we need to be in the top four and that is our target.

"If we can do that and have a good run in both cups our season will improve."

Liverpool welcome Wigan to Anfield on Wednesday night. They currently trail fourth-placed Aston Villa by five points in the Premier League table, with the prospect of Martin O'Neill's men extending that lead against Sunderland on Tuesday night.

Benayoun knows that a win is a must if Rafa Benitez's men are serious about a top-four finish this season.

"After you lose you want to play the next game as soon as possible," he added.

"We are lucky we have the game on Wednesday and we will try to play good football and win the game for our supporters. We owe them a lot because we haven't played well this season.

"There's never an easy game. We have already seen this season that anyone can beat anyone. The top four teams from last season have lost a lot of points. We know it will be difficult against Wigan at home, but we need all three points. Anything less would be a disappointment."

Mark Lawrenson: It’s Up To Rafael Benitez To Give Liverpool FC Players Their Belief Back

The belief seems to have gone from Liverpool at the moment – and it needs to come back quickly.

In short, the players need to realise how good they are again.

Rafael Benitez won’t find the answers to the current problems by looking for money in the January transfer window or by taking any notice of anything the likes of Jurgen Klinsmann or Graeme Souness say.

They are just pundits paid to give an opinion, it’s what they do.

What football managers do is pick their best team and send them out motivated and up for it.

That’s all Benitez needs to concentrate on now – don’t worry about anything else.

It seemed to have worked to a tee against Arsenal with the way Liverpool started against them on Sunday.

They were at it from the start and I think if the first half had been 10 minutes longer they would have more than one goal up.

But if it only takes one goal to completely knock you off your stride then a second goal is essential, but it also underlines the fact that there are definitely issues with confidence.

At 1-1 a game is still there for winning, but Liverpool seem to lack the conviction to recover from setbacks at the moment.

The Glen Johnson own goal is just the kind of scrappy, nothing goal they could benefit from themselves at the moment, but when those things aren’t going for you, you need to make them happen.

And Liverpool are still good enough to do that without a doubt.

Once the sharpness of Fernando Torres is back, Benitez has his strongest squad to choose from and now is the time to instill into them how good they are as players.

Even Torres and Steven Gerrard will need to be told that – just to give them that extra boost of inspiration and a spring in their step. Those things are important when the mood among the players is a bit down during a dodgy run of results.

It’s not a sign of weakness, it’s called good mean-management and Benitez needs to demonstrate that to his players now to start getting the best out of them again.

Come out against Wigan on Wednesday like they did on Sunday and the tide could finally turn.

One thing Benitez has in his favour – and perhaps one thing that some would argue mean he is lucky to be at Anfield – is that the crowd are understanding and want to back the team.

They know that this current Liverpool side is much better than the results this season indicate and they know the players have it in them to turn it round.

Those results need to be forgotten about now as does any other issue surrounding the club.

Benitez needs to pick his best players, look them in the eye and remind them how great they are.

Hosting Wigan gives them the perfect chance to prove it.

And sometimes it only takes one game and one good result and ‘bang!’ You’ve bounced back.

Suarez Reiterates Ajax Pledge

Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has reiterated that he will not be leaving Ajax before the World Cup finals.

The 22-year-old is the leading scorer in Holland by some margin, with 18 to his name already this term.

This has seen the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United linked with him, though Chelsea are believed to be leading the chase for his services.

But despite interest from Carlo Ancelotti, Suarez does not want to think about moving ahead of the World Cup finals.

"I am not going to move anywhere for the moment. I thank any team that is interested but my idea is to stay at Ajax at least until the end of the current season," said Suarez to Radio Carve.

"Maybe when this season ends I will accept a move somewhere.

"Chelsea? There is nothing at all.

"I don't know from where the press gets some information.

"If it's true, I thank them that they are interested.

"I have said to everyone at Ajax that I want to stay here because I nearly always play and I want to be in good shape for next year to play for Uruguay in South Africa. I am going to stay at Ajax at least until June."

Liverpool In £6m Swoop For West Ham United's Scott Parker

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is reportedly set to capitalise on the financial worries dogging West Ham United with a £6 million move for Scott Parker, according to The Sun.

The tabloid claims that the Reds are ready to seal the deal once the transfer window opens in January, particularly if the alleged takeover bid from David Gold and David Sullivan does not go through.

The 29-year-old midfielder - who was voted Player of the Year for the Upton Park outfit last season - is said to be a stop-gap replacement for Javier Mascherano, who is tipped to leave Anfield if the Merseyside club fail to finish in the top four this season.

Parker, who joined West Ham from Newcastle United in 2007, earns more than £50,000 a week plying his trade for Gianfranco Zola's side.

Liverpool Boss Rafa Benitez Receives Support From Wigan's Roberto Martinez

Arsenal inflicted a sixth Premier League defeat on Liverpool at the weekend. The Gunners overcame a half-time 1-0 deficit to win 2-1, and despite the mounting criticism levelled at Rafa Benitez, Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez insists his compatriot will "provide the answers".

Wigan travel to Anfield on Wednesday evening, and Martinez will be hoping for a further upset. However, the Latics manager predicts a top-four finish for the under-performing Reds.

"Rafael Benitez has huge experience," Martinez told Sky Sports. "He has been in this situation many times before and he will find the answers. It is just a matter of time.

"What tends to happen in these situations is that you get a little bit of a snowball effect because, before the start of the season, expectations were really high, but any squad would be damaged by the number of injuries they have suffered to key players.
"The quality is there," added Martinez. "They showed that in the first half against Arsenal yesterday. They have world-class players and they will turn the corner. I have no doubts about it."

Regarding the club's chances of qualifying for the Champions League - they face stiff competition from Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City - Martinez said: "I still feel Liverpool will finish in the top four. Look at their players. They have huge experience.

"You are not talking about young players or a young team. You are talking about Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina, and Jamie Carragher.

"It is probably the most experienced group of players in world football. What is happening at the moment will not affect them."

Rafael Benitez Feels One Half Of Football Is Not Enough

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was left short of words after watching his side slump to another defeat, this time at the hands of Arsenal at Anfield.

The Spaniard had been encouraged by the start his charges had made to the game, but felt the game was transformed when defender Glen Johnson was unfortunate to turn the ball into his own net as the Reds were beaten 2-1.

"The first half was really really good," Benitez told Sky Sports.

"We were very pleased and we thought it could have been even better.

"I thought the own goal changed everything. We started making mistakes. The second half was totally different."

Liverpool could have been two goals to the good going into the break had they been awarded a penalty after William Gallas challenged Steven Gerrard in the penalty area, but appeals were waved away by referee Howard Webb, leaving Benitez to bemoan the decision.

He added: "It was a penalty. If you foul somebody in the box it's a penalty."

Besides the penalty which referee Howard Webb turned away, Benitez took responsibility for his side's defeat. "When you lose you have to be disappointed, especially if it is at home."

Looking forward, Benitez said that the game had not changed his overall goal for the season.

He continued: "It's the same target: top four. It's a long way so we have to keep going, and keep winning games."

Liverpool Striker Dirk Kuyt Looks For A Reds Fightback

Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt says the Reds must pick themselves up quickly after the 2-1 home defeat by Arsenal.

Although the Premier League title race looks out of reach (they trail leaders Chelsea by 13 points), the Reds are still targeting a top-four finish.

And, going into Wednesday night's home clash with Wigan, a five-point gap has opened behind Aston Villa in fourth.

"We want a top four finish so we must change things as quickly as possible," Kuyt told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"That's our target. If you play for Liverpool Football Club you always have to focus on the next game and there is a lot to play for."

Liverpool have now won just three times in 15 matches in all competitions following Sunday's luckless defeat.

Coming on top of their early exit from the Champions League, the Reds' continued poor run of results in the league has seen the pressure rise on manager Rafa Benitez and his players.

And Kuyt, who hit his sixth goal of the season on Sunday, is urging the rest of the squad that finished runners-up to Manchester United last season to keep their chins up.

"This is my fourth season here," said 29-year-old Kuyt. "And the first few seasons we were quite close to big trophies.

"Last season we were second and we were almost there.

"This season we all wanted to go for the league trophy.

"We are far away from that now. And we are really disappointed.

"But from tomorrow we have to focus on the next game and that's Wigan."

Kuyt scored twice in last season's corresponding game against Wigan, a 3-2 home win.

And he also bagged a brace against the Latics in a 2-0 win at Anfield in April 2007.

Wigan were beaten 3-0 on their first league visit to Liverpool in December 2005.

And they have only once taken points off Benitez's side at Anfield - two seasons ago in a 1-1 draw.

Napoli Want Andrea Dossena, But It Depends On Liverpool

Napoli are keen to land Liverpool defender Andrea Dossena, but agent Roberto La Florio has warned a financial strait-jacket could scupper negotiations.

Dossena is said to be willing to return to Italy and the Partenopei have shown an interest. But they want the player on a loan deal, rather than a permanent contract as president Aurelio De Laurentiis docks transfer allowances, according to reports in Italy.

"The deal is on hold at the moment as the Reds will not let Dossena go unless they receive a good offer," La Florio told Pianetaazurro.it.

"We have to have patience because the situation may change. Napoli and Liverpool have to speak and reach a consensus.

"Napoli want the player, but we have to see what Liverpool say. Rafa Benitez could change his mind and agree to send Dossena on loan which is what De Laurentiis wants."

Rafa Benitez Wants Players To Show Backbone

Liverpool FC manager Rafa Benitez has pleaded with his players to show backbone as the Reds' crisis worsens.

The Anfield chief witnessed another distressing display as his side lost 2-1 at home to Arsenal, having been ahead at the break on Sunday after a vibrant first-half display.

Benitez was clearly shocked by the Liverpool FC capitulation when a Glen Johnson own goal wiped out Dirk Kuyt’s early goal before Andrey Arshavin cracked a stunning winner and the Anfield men crumbled under the pressure.

It is an increasingly worrying situation for Benitez, whose side have won just three of their last 15 matches in all competitions.

With Wednesday’s home clash with Wigan now taking the significance of a must-win match, Benitez called for unity and character from his shattered players.

The Spaniard said: "We were in control in the first-half and on top of them all the time.

"But after we conceded the own goal everything changed, it was their time then and every minute they had more confidence and we were more nervous.

"The main thing now is that we have to show confidence, we have to show character.

"They play for Liverpool. We have to improve, we have to show character when we have problems and we must keep our confidence high.

"The only way to change things is to keep working hard and in this situation, when you are making mistakes, you have to be strong and try to do things properly in the future.

"We kept giving the ball away against Arsenal, it is something we have to improve on.

"Now we play Wigan on Wednesday here and we know we have to do better.

"We were not bad against Arsenal, we just made a big mistake that changed everything. The only way to change things is to stick together.

"We cannot be complaining, we cannot be arguing about anything. We must keep going and try to discover why we were so bad in the second half in terms of confidence."

He added: "We must discover why we couldn’t do the same things in the second-half that we did so well in the first period.

"Everyone was expecting us to be higher in the table after the Arsenal game and a victory would have taken us to fifth place.

"It is difficult to explain what went wrong in the second-half, we were very poor and we have to improve on this.

"The target is just to be in the top four and to start winning matches we should be winning."

Anfield Legend Ian St John Says 'Shocking' Liverpool Not Good Enough For Top Four

Liverpool legend Ian St John has described the team's current form as "shocking" and called on manager Rafael Benitez to arrest the slide.

St John, now 71, said: "It is disappointing because we have been watching this for a number of weeks.

"We have won three in 15 and that is shocking for Liverpool, shocking.

"It is hard to argue a case. Rafa said the season starts today, so OK we have started the season again and we are bottom.

"It is just not good enough and that is our best team. There was no-one on the bench you'd say should be playing."

He added: "We have seen (Aston) Villa, Tottenham and Man City and they look better than us. I think one of them will pinch that fourth spot.

You look at the team at the moment and you say they are not good enough for the top four.

"It's really sad the way things are going at the moment.

"Rafa has got to turn it around before the end of the season. He has got to let the fans see that something is going to happen, that we are not just going to drip points away and end up being also-rans."

Rafael Benitez - You Are Lucky To Have Won More Than Graeme Souness At Liverpool

Graeme Souness, as Rafael Benitez pointed out, did not have a great record as Liverpool manager. There was one season when Liverpool looked potential title winners, but that challenge quickly fizzled out and, for the most part, he filled the squad with ordinary players, and won the FA Cup.

Notice any similarities? Take away an incredible first year culminating in Istanbul in arguably the greatest comeback in the history of club football and Benitez’s record is not really all that different over the last four years.

These are altered times and the wealth gap generated by the Champions League has largely cemented an elite four in place, but the circumstances are broadly alike. There was an FA Cup win, a procession of mediocre signings and, right now, Liverpool lie seventh, a position all too familiar to those who remember the Souness years (he came sixth in his two full seasons at the club).

A team who have won three matches in 15 can no longer be said to be experiencing a blip. The 2-0 win over Manchester United in October: that was the blip. That was the result that is still hard to explain. Liverpool have lost more matches in the Premier League than Stoke City this season and have the same number of points as Birmingham City.

So statistically, there was nothing in the least surprising in defeat by a weakened Arsenal team yesterday. Liverpool are living off a name, a reputation for invincibility, particularly in the big games at Anfield. They surrendered that in the Champions League this season, and now in the domestic championship, too.

Indeed, in the present climate, the less Benitez seeks comparison with the Souness era, the better. The period from April 1991 to January 1994 is not recalled with fondness at Anfield, and understandably so, but Souness did not work for Liverpool at a time when losers could enter the European Cup. And that is a big difference.

Failure was a lot easier to come by under the old rules of engagement. There was no thrilling battle for fourth place, as is being played out now. No popping of champagne corks at trawling in 21 points behind the league leaders, as Benitez did in 2006-07. Benitez finished 37 points off the pace in his first year, but won the European Cup. That route was not open to Souness.

Back then, the Champions’ Cup lived up to its name. In Souness’s first season — he only took over in April, mind you — Liverpool came second in the old First Division, but qualified for the UEFA Cup, a tricky tournament, full of ambitious, thrusting wannabes, not the moribund Thursday-night snore fest it became. Liverpool were removed by Genoa at the quarter-final stage.

So Souness had his chance and did not take it. Benitez got his with an inferior Liverpool team in the 2004-05 Champions League campaign, defeated AC Milan against all odds, and greatness was assured. Yet Liverpool only finished fourth under Gerard Houllier the previous season and in Souness’s day that would not necessarily have guaranteed European qualification, at any level. And no Champions League final, no Rafa the genius.

Benitez is sensitive right now. He sees Souness as his inferior, in coaching terms rightly so, and resents his criticism. Yet bristling defensively at every remark smacks of a man who knows his problems are mounting. Earlier this month he had a dig at Jamie Redknapp, claiming he was looking to undermine Liverpool for the benefit of his father, Harry, the manager of Tottenham Hotspur. Redknapp, like Souness, gave an honest opinion, which is what he was required to do.

And face it, Liverpool are not losing because of what is being said in television studios. They are losing because they sold Xabi Alonso and five years of frantic transfer traffic has left a pedestrian squad, emboldened by a sprinkling of exceptional individuals.

Souness assembled an ordinary group, too, but at least he left Liverpool with Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler on the horizon. What is there to look forward to currently? A summer of speculation around Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres unless circumstances improve.

For all his faults as a manager, Souness still won three league championships and seven national cups across three countries. He was not a fool. More importantly, he was a wonderful midfield player for Liverpool and if they had more like him now, they wouldn’t have taken fewer points from eight home league games than Blackburn Rovers. In short, he is entitled to his view, just as Benitez is to his spiky response.

Always providing, of course, that in more reflective moments, he acknowledges that a lot of successful modern coaches would find the plaudits less forthcoming if they had been working at a time when first was first and second was nowhere; let alone fourth.

Carragher Calls For Character

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has called on the side to show some character to bounce back from their latest setback.

The Reds slumped to their sixth defeat in the Premier League after going down 2-1 against Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday.

The latest loss leaves Liverpool in seventh spot, five points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa in the race to finish in the top four.

Carragher admits the Arsenal defeat was hard to take and concedes the Reds should be doing better than they are at present.

"We started off well in the first half and should have had a penalty but you have to give credit to Arsenal, they're a top side," Carragher told the club's official website.

"The manner of the goals we conceded were unfortunate but other than them scoring, I can't remember them having too much else, which is why it is so hard to take.

"We've just got to dust ourselves down now and move to Wednesday. For the quality of the players and the stature of the club, we should be doing better.

"Statistics can change quickly and we have got to do that. It's tough at the moment but part of playing for Liverpool is having big character.

"That's what we need now. Between now and May it is going to be a grind at times but we have got to stick together, get through it and, as I'm doing, pray to God that at the end of the season there will be something worthwhile for what we've gone through."

Carragher admits Wednesday's game at home to Wigan is a must-win encounter if they are to get their campaign back on track and he knows the team need to start improving quickly.

"We can't look for excuses," added Carragher. "That's the way it is at top-level football - we know that any little thing can get pounced upon and that's happening at the moment.

"Wigan is a massive game for us. I've tried too many times down the years trying to work things out, so there's no point looking further ahead than that.

"We'll just try and get three points on Wednesday and then move on to Portsmouth. We've got to look at ourselves and realise that we've got to do much better.

"There's still some lads who aren't 100 per cent fit yet, so there'll be improvement to come but we need to get this team playing regularly."

Match Report: Liverpool 1 - 2 Arsenal

Liverpool suffered their second home embarrassment in five days as Arsenal grabbed the points in a game which was supposed to be a new beginning for the Anfield men.

Manager Rafael Benitez had insisted the season started again after the midweek Champions League defeat to Fiorentina.

But he did not get his wish even though Liverpool led at the break through Dirk Kuyt and should have had a penalty when William Gallas felled Steven Gerrard.

Arsenal grabbed two quick goals through a Glen Johnson own goal and an outstanding winner from Andrey Arshavin to heap more misery on the men from Merseyside.

Arshavin hit four last season in a 4-4 draw, but this time one was enough.

Bill Shankly's first official day behind the manager's desk at Liverpool was 50 years ago this Monday, and Benitez will sit uncomfortably in that same office after this.

Liverpool made six changes from the side dumped out of the Champions League in midweek, with Fernando Torres back in the starting line-up for the first time since early November. Fabio Aurelio was brought in at left-back against the pace of Theo Walcott.

Arsenal were unrecognisable from the side that lost to Olympiacos in Greece, only Walcott being retained by manager Arsene Wenger.

With Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Spurs all dropping points 24 hours earlier, both sides were desperate to take advantage.

And at last Anfield was treated to a pulsating clash after weeks of insipid displays.

The tempo and passion came from both sides and Liverpool could have had two goals in the opening 13 minutes.

First Torres broke away, fed Gerrard to his right and then took the return before failing to lift the ball over Almunia when clear.

Two minutes later referee Howard Webb controversially denied Liverpool a penalty when Gallas felled Gerrard.

The Liverpool skipper may have pushed the ball too far, but Gallas clearly took Gerrard's legs.

Denilson was booked for a high tackle on Mascherano as Liverpool poured forward.

Arsenal survived, at times with difficulty, but still sought to play their intelligent, passing football out of defence.

Samir Nasri fired wide and Cesc Fabregas tested Jose Reina as the threat on the break from the Gunners became increasingly apparent.

But four minutes from the break Arsenal finally cracked.

Aurelio lifted a free-kick into the six-yard box, where Almunia, under intense pressure in the air, managed only a weak punch and Kuyt fired home from 10 yards.

Arsenal were furious with a supposed aerial assault on their goalkeeper, Wenger making the point angrily to fourth official Andre Marriner.

The Gunners' chief was even more upset two minutes later when it looked like Aurelio stopped Walcott's run with an arm across his face. Only a booking ensured.

Arsenal came out after the break fired up for the challenge and were level after 50 minutes.

Nasri tore down the right and fired in a low cross that Johnson turned past Reina for an own goal with Walcott lurking behind him.

Mascherano was soon booked for a foul on Fabregas and it was soon to get worse for Liverpool, and especially Johnson.

Fabregas' cross after 58 minutes eluded Johnson, who then failed to stop Arshavin turning to fire in off the post from 18 yards.

Benitez finally turned to Aquilani with 25 minutes left, Mascherano making way, and with the watching Xabi Alonso applauding from the directors' box as the man bought to replace him trotted on.

But Aquilani made little impact and finished the game limping.

As much as the first half had been so positive for an aggressive Liverpool, the second was becoming deeply frustrating.

Passes started going astray, Liverpool were no longer in Arsenal's faces, rather chasing their heels.

The passion had gone from Liverpool and the accomplished young Gunners had a measure of control they were not going to lose.

Arshavin was booked for one too many late challenges on defenders clearing the ball, then Fabregas for kicking the ball away from a free-kick.

David Ngog coming on for Yossi Benayoun and then Philipp Degen for a flagging, disconsolate Johnson did little to change the flow of the match and Liverpool now have just three wins in their last 15 games.

I Will Not Walk Away From Liverpool - Rafael Benitez

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insists that he will not abandon the club and walk away from the crisis that they are facing.

The Reds have bowed out of the Champions League and are well off the pace in the Premier League, where they currently sit seventh in the standings.

There have been many questions asked of the Anfield giants' top-four credentials, while Benitez has come under harsh criticism for his selection policy and decision-making.

But despite all the perceived problems, the former Valencia manager has stressed that he intends to stay on Merseyside for the long haul and will not entertain offers from elsewhere.

"I am happy here and if another club wanted me I would once again say no," the Spaniard is quoted in The Mirror as saying.

"When I decided to sign my new contract I was very clear - that I was signing to stay for another five years.

"Nothing has changed in my mind. I thought we could improve and I still think that we will improve."

Liverpool have been struggling under the pressure of debt believed to be well over the £300 million mark, but Benitez stands firm.

"I knew at the start of the season that we would all have to work together to reduce the debts and at the same time try to keep the team doing well on the pitch," he said.

"It was something I understood and accepted. It is all part of the business of being the manager of this football club."

Chelsea To Make £30m Bid For Liverpool Star Steven Gerrard

Chelsea are set to test Liverpool's resolve to hang onto Steven Gerrard with a £30 million bid for the player in the summer, according to a report from The Daily Mirror.

Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly told friends that the Reds skipper has become a target as rumours of his growing disaffection with the situation at Anfield begin to spread.

With the Merseysiders in massive debt and seemingly heading towards another frustrating season, the Anfield hierarchy might well be tempted by the deal.

Whether Gerrard, 29, who signed a new four-year £25 million deal in the summer, is dissatisfied enough to consider leaving his hometown club remains to be seen.

Chelsea also have the threat of a FIFA transfer embargo still hanging over them that could mean they will be unable to deal in the close season.

Liverpool Move For Ruud van Nistelrooy Hinges On Wage Demands

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s hopes of landing a New Year move to Anfield hinge on the Dutchman accepting a pay-as-you-play deal instead of the £100,000-a-week after-tax wages he earns at Real Madrid.

Sunday Mirror Sport revealed last month that Rafa Benitez had identified the former Manchester United striker as a January recruit.

But while Liverpool believes they can get Real to slash their initial £3million asking price for the 33-year-old, they are not willing to match his salary at the Bernabeu given his recent injury record.

Van Nistelrooy’s advisers have touted him around Europe in a bid to safeguard his place in Holland’s World Cup squad.

He is now fully recovered from a thigh problem, but opportunities with the Spanish giants are at a premium now they have Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema, Raul and Gonzalo Higuain to choose from.

Benitez is interested in doing a deal that will add more firepower to his squad. And Liverpool are also willing to meet Van Nistelrooy’s demand for a two-and-a-half-year contract – but only if he slashes his current wages.

An Anfield source said: “There is an interest in Van Nistelrooy, but doing a deal will be very difficult unless something changes financially.

“His fitness record is a big worry. There are some reservations about bringing in a player who has suffered so much with injuries given how the squad has been hit by injuries this season.

“It would be a gamble, so any deal must offer some value for money otherwise it will not happen.”

Kop Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Pulls Plug

Liverpool's American rulers are reeling after Saudi Arabian Prince Faisal bin Fahd decided against pumping his family's millions into the Kop.

The Anfield club was in talks with the wealthy Arab owner of sports company F6 who was wooed by co owner George Gillett to buy a big chunk of the famous club.

Prince Faisal was a VIP guest at the thrashing of Hull earlier in the season and also invited Gillett to his Arabian base to discuss the possibility of taking a financial stake in the Kop.

However, People Sport can reveal the young Sheikh has told his closest aides to scrap any plans - despite the fact that Liverpool are out of the Champions League and more keen on a deal than ever.

Prince Faisal feels the asking price to buy out the club - £300million - is too high. And the option of taking just a 50 per cent stake does not appeal because the Saudi prince does not fancy a boardroom battle for power.

The collapse of the deal is a savage blow for Liverpool who knows that they must make the top four this season or lose out on the Champions League money that has been central to their planning.

Gillett had hoped the Saudi money would end years of bickering with co-owner Tom Hicks and score brownie points with Anfield fans.

Kop sources now say that Gillett is taking a back seat and that Texan Hicks, the hard man of the duo, is calling the shots about future planning.

Boss Rafa Benitez will not have any money to spend in the January transfer window unless he sells.

With reinforcements needed up front, Benitez could try to find a buyer for one of his midfielders - Lucas Leiva or Javier Mascherano - but is reluctant to let either of the South Americans leave.

Jamie Carragher Facing Anxious Wait Over Liverpool Future

Jamie Carragher faces an anxious wait to see if he is going to be offered a new contract by Liverpool.

The Kop cult-hero’s deal expires at the end of next season and he has been pushing for talks aimed at securing his Anfield future.

Carragher has seen Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Daniel Agger all agree long-term deals of late, while the Merseysiders are also looking to finalise agreements with Pepe Reina and Javier Mascherano.

But Liverpool will not open talks until the end of the season – when the most he can expect to be offered is a one-year extension.

That will be a major blow to the 31-year-old, who has served Liverpool all his career and is guaranteed his status as a club legend.

A Liverpool insider said: “When a player gets to that age you have to be more careful with new contracts.

“You take other things into account like form, fitness and injuries. We’ll look at it at the end of the season.”

Liverpool Likely To Follow Arsenal Blueprint For Staying In The Premier League's Top Four

Asked if the club must now focus on fourth place in the Premier League, England international Steven Gerrard replied: "Of course, that is always the priority at this club."

Inadvertently, Steven Gerrard offered Liverpool supporters a glimpse into the stark reality of the club's predicament as he mulled over defeat to Fiorentina, and elimination from the Champions League, this week. Asked if the club must now focus on fourth place in the Premier League, the England international replied: "Of course, that is always the priority at this club."

He meant, of course, that Liverpool's stature relies upon their continuing presence among the continent's elite, that the club could not run the risk of the financial shortfall of missing out altogether, that their desire to challenge Europe's elite for the signatures of the world's best players is predicated upon offering them the lure of Champions League football.

It sounded, though, as a damning indictment of Liverpool Football Club, class of 2009. At a club which, as Bill Shankly said, existed solely to win trophies, it is now the taking part that counts.

That Liverpool are operating under such severe financial constraints that to demand any more would be churlish is well-documented. The club hope to find an investor, or investors, to take a 25 per cent stake of Anfield by the end of the season.

The £100 million cash injection would help kick-start the building of the new stadium on Stanley Park, as well as allowing manager Rafael Benítez more leeway in the transfer market.

Even that injection of capital is unlikely to bridge the gap between Liverpool and the petrol parvenus of Chelsea and Manchester City, or the Old Trafford marketing juggernaut.

Liverpool's wage bill is the fifth highest in the Premier League. Figures suggest that factor determines league finish with almost unerring accuracy. Unlike City, Liverpool must live within their means. Until those means increase, they can hope for little better.

Liverpool Chase Everton's Louis Saha

Liverpool are ready to go ahead with a cheeky bid to snatch striker Louis Saha from Everton.

Manager Rafa Benitez has finally decided he needs someone to play alongside Fernando Torres.

But he’ll face a battle with Toffees chief David Moyes, who wants to rush through a new deal for his French hitman.

Benitez has been alerted by news that Saha’s two year ‘pay as you play’ contract expires in the summer.

It means the former Man United and Fulham striker is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club next month.

That’s alerted Bordeaux, Roma, Atletico Madrid and now Liverpool. Bordeaux see the France international, 31, as a possible replacement for their star striker, Marouane Chamakh, who is also out of contract at the end of the season.

Chamakh has been a target in this campaign for Arsenal, Sunderland and West Ham.

News of Liverpool’s interest is forcing Moyes to act fast. He will tell chairman Bill Kenwright that Saha is going nowhere, especially not to arch-rivals Liverpool.

The canny Scottish boss will now offer Saha a new two-year contract.

Meanwhile, Benitez knows that buying Saha would be a huge risk because, like Torres, he has suffered badly from injures and missed a lot of playing time in his career.

Benitez splashed out £17million for Italian Alberto Aquilani, only for the player to spend more time in the treatment room than on the pitch. And he would hate a repeat of that situation.

But Benitez knows he must do something to turn the club around after their poor performances in both the Premier League and Champions League.

Hitman Torres has often been forced to play through the pain barrier this season despite a hernia problem – because Liverpool do not have another recognised striker.

Saha, for all his previous injury problems, is a genuine frontman with 11 goals in all competitions this season – and wants to make the French World Cup party.

The Mersey Beatts For Star James Beattie

Liverpool have made a surprise enquiry about James Beattie as they hunt for a back-up striker to Fernando Torres.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez is desperate to add more firepower and provide some much-needed cover for the Spain star. But his targets are significantly limited by the club's financial plight.

Stoke striker Beattie would, however, be well within his price range and, following his bust-up with manager Tony Pulis last weekend, is available in January.

Beattie's wages - believed to be around £20,000 a week - would not be a problem for cash-strapped Liverpool, as the player would cost only around £500,000.

Benitez considers a move for injury-prone Ruud van Nistelrooy a risk given Torres's injury history and has distanced himself, for now, from a move for Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Premier League Preview: Liverpool vs. Arsenal

The two clubs whose status as members of the 'Big Four' is under most threat this season lock horns at Anfield on Sunday in what could be described as a must-win affair for both of them.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez claims the showdown with Arsenal heralds “the beginning of a new season” for the Reds, whose Champions League campaign ended ignominiously with a 2-1 home defeat by Fiorentina on Wednesday. That means the Merseyside giants have now won only three of their last 14 matches in all competitions, and have failed to secure victory at Anfield since October 25. If Liverpool don't dispose of the Gunners on Sunday afternoon, then far from being a new start it will be a frustrating continuation of a season that has already fallen well short of expectations.

The Reds currently languish, by their standards, back in seventh place, 12 points behind leaders Chelsea, although a positive spin on the situation would be that they are only three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, are unbeaten in their last four Premier League games and have not lost at Anfield since Aston Villa beat them in August. Moreover, Liverpool are unbeaten in their last five home league games against Arsenal, winning three and drawing two.

The Gunners, in third-place, can move seven points clear of Liverpool if they can conjure their first Anfield victory since October 2003. That match saw a Sami Hyypia own goal and a sublime strike from Robert Pires cancel out Harry Kewell's opener as Arsene Wenger's side maintained an unbeaten season that culminated in their last title triumph in May 2004. Despite their recent stumble - losing four of their last six matches in all competitions and failing to score in each of those defeats - Wenger refuses to concede that it is now a two-horse race for the Premier League title between Chelsea and Manchester United, insisting that the Gunners can still win it themselves. If the Frenchman is looking for omens, four of Arsenal's last five League victories at Anfield have seen them go on to be crowned champions that season.

More immediately, though, the less grandiose target for both managers on Sunday will simply be to stabilise their respective teams' current situations by defeating a major rival.

Both sides have been disrupted by injuries this season, though Liverpool look to have turned the corner in that respect with Alberto Aquilani, their £20 million summer signing from Roma, having made his first start of the season in midweek against Fiorentina - a game in which talismanic striker Fernando Torres also returned from injury. In contrast, Arsenal's treatment room is still bursting at the seams, a factor which influenced Wenger's team selection for the Champions League tie with Olympiakos on Wednesday. Having already won their group comfortably to reach the knock-out stages, Arsenal fielded the youngest side in the competition's history (average age: 21) in Piraeus. Kerrea Gilbert, Fran Merida, Carlos Vela, Jack Wilshere and in particular Aaron Ramsey all performed well in a side that also featured debutants Kyle Bartley and Tom Cruise, and Wenger was proud of the way the youngsters acquitted themselves in a narrow defeat.

Another young Arsenal side had come unstuck at Manchester City a week earlier in the League Cup, the competition from which they eliminated Liverpool six weeks ago. In that encounter Merida and Nicklas Bendtner scored for the Gunners in a 2-1 win at the Emirates, with Emiliano Insua replying for the Reds.


FORM GUIDE

Liverpool

09 Dec (Champions League) v Fiorentina (H) LOST 1-2
05 Dec (Premier League) v Blackburn Rovers (A) DREW 0-0
29 Nov (Premier League) v Everton (A) WON 2-0
24 Nov (Champions League) v Debrecen (A) WON 1-0
21 Nov (Premier League) v Manchester CIty (H) DREW 2-2

Arsenal

09 Dec (Champions League) v Olympiakos (A) LOST 0-1
05 Dec (Premier League) v Stoke City (H) WON 2-0
02 Dec (League Cup) v Manchester City (A) LOST 0-3
29 Nov (Premier League) v Chelsea (H) LOST 0-3
24 Nov (Champions League) v Standard Liege (H) WON 2-0


TEAM NEWS

Liverpool

Fernando Torres could make his first league start for six weeks after recovering from a hernia problem, havng come on as a substitute against Fiorentina. Alberto Aquilani is in the running for a starting berth, having made his full debut in that Champions League defeat.

Their availability signals that Liverpool are close to having a fully fit squad again, with Ryan Babel, recovering from an ankle injury, the only doubt for Sunday's clash.

Arsenal

Midfielder Alex Song is free of a domestic ban and is likely to start in a side that will be much-changed side from the one that lost to Olympiakos in midweek.

Eduardo (thigh) and Abou Diaby (calf) could be back in contention if they recover in time, but top striker Robin van Persie's recovery from surgery to reconstruct ankle ligaments will keep him sidelined until at least March, while injury-plagued Tomas Rosicky also misses out with a groin strain.

They join Kieran Gibbs (fractured metatarsal), Johan Djouoru (knee), Nicklas Bendtner (hernia) and Gael Clichy (back) on the sidelines, with Emmanuel Eboue also nursing a hamstring problem.


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Liverpool

There will be much expectancy on Merseyside if, as expected, Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani starts against Arsenal. After his full debut against Fiorentina, Benitez said: “To see Aquilani, to see [Fernando] Torres, those were the real positive things for the next match and the rest of our season. Aquilani showed his quality, his touch was good. His vision and passing were good but obviously he will have to work on his match fitness." It was while playing against Arsenal, for Roma, in last season's Champions League, that Aquilani sustained the injury that so delayed the start of his Liverpool career. Meanwhile Torres, who is the Reds' leading scorer with 10 goals, all in the Premier League, needs two more to reach 50 for Liverpool in the league. The Spaniard has missed much of Liverpool's disappointing run of form and results leading up to this match, and will be eager to get back in the groove.

Arsenal

It is impossible not to refer to Andrey Arshavin in the context of this match: it was at Anfield last April that the Russian playmaker announced his arrival in English football by scoring all of Arsenal's goals in a thrilling 4-4 encounter. Arshavin again showed his class last week against Stoke, when he was deployed as a centre-forward and ran the Potters' big centre-backs ragged with his movement, vision and positional play. He scored Arsenal's opener, missed a one-on-one, saw an effort deflected on to the bar and won the penalty which Cesc Fabregas failed to convert. If he leads the Arsenal line as well against Liverpool, the hosts will be in for a busy afternoon. Welsh teenager Aaron Ramsey, who scored the Gunners' second against Stoke after coming off the bench, was the man-of-the-match against Olympiakos in midweek, producing an array of astute passes that split open the Greeks' defence but on which his team-mates failed to capitalise. If Ramsey is involved at Anfield, it will be another step in his development.

Torres Is Left To Shoulder Burden Of Expectation At Average Liverpool

THE euro was plummeting this week (blame those feckless Greeks and Irish) but in football terms it's the English Premier League that looks the devalued currency.

A mire of dismal ineptitude characterises the entire lower half of the table. Just above them lie the plucky but unremarkable battlers, Sunderland, Birmingham, Fulham and Liverpool.

Liverpool's supporters will be dismayed to be grouped with those clubs, but perhaps they should be grateful, given the character of their team's recent performances. Liverpool's league position, a humble seventh, flatters them. Their recent unbeaten sequence in the league shows a side getting through on a wing and a prayer. They were clueless about how to break down a dully predictable Blackburn. They were both lucky and embarrassingly reliant on Jose Reina to win against a dominant but despondent Everton. They were lucky again to draw against a dominant Manchester City. They were very lucky to get a penalty to draw against Birmingham.

This dismal streak of fortuitous results was punctuated by a deserved exit from the Champions League, which Rafael Benitez attributed to the misfortune of conceding a couple of last-minute goals against Lyon. Another last-minute winner for Fiorentina at Anfield this week suggested that phenomenon was not down to the caprices of fate, but attributable to a familiar failure of mental acuity on the part of Liverpool defenders.

Received wisdom has it that the difference between the swaggering, goal-grabbing Liverpool of last season, and the dismal strugglers of this year amounts to the regular presence or absence of Fernando Torres, pictured, and Steven Gerrard. That is misleading. Liverpool managed to perform creditably last season when one or both of those talismans was unavailable, and have contrived to look dismal this season even in the presence of those supposed geniuses. Explanations must be more far-reaching.

It is true that Xabi Alonso looks a greater player with every week that passes since his departure to Real Madrid, but his departure cannot be the sole explanation for Liverpool's comprehensive loss of invention, composure and confidence.

This is a disjointed team playing without belief. Its character can probably be best appreciated in the players whose form has been half-decent. Glen Johnson, vilified by many for a defensive laxity that recalls Rio Ferdinand at his most nonchalant, was nevertheless one of Benitez's more inspired signings. He brings an urgency and directness down the right, and provided a significant attacking threat, until his injury in late autumn. He returned to a Liverpool side demoralised by their European failures.

Yossi Benayoun has been assiduous and inventive in the team's cause without being rewarded with the manager's confidence. Deployed, usually as a substitute, in a variety of positions, Benayoun seems to be regarded by Benitez as a stop-gap until something better comes along. Meanwhile, the earnest but unimaginative plodder Dirk Kuyt still seems to bask in his manager's inexplicable loyalty.

Torres remains Liverpool's key player. His return to the attack against Fiorentina on Wednesday immediately made Liverpool look more focused and menacing. The summer of 2008 belonged to him, with that insouciant winner against the Germans in the European Championship final. Next summer the World Cup offers the opportunity to make his mark as one of the great international forwards, but in the meantime he has to shoulder the burden of expectation at Liverpool, while his fitness is under close scrutiny. Christmas is the fulcrum of the season. Liverpool are now sifting through the wreckage of their campaign, looking for scraps to salvage, with a qualifying position for next year's Champions League, and possibly a cup run to keep them interested.

Sunday’s game against Arsenal at Anfield is the latest crisis point for Benitez. A win, and Liverpool can restore a little credibility, and briefly exalt their status to join Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa as flawed but sporadically useful challengers for a top four finish.

Nostalgists will cast their minds back to the scintillating match at Anfield last April, when Andriy Arshavin's four goals earned Arsenal a point, and put a spoke in Liverpool's hitherto healthy title challenge. Torres and Benayoun were superb for Liverpool that night, but defensive lapses undermined their pretensions to be champions.

Arsenal's meek submission to the might of Chelsea at the Emirates two weeks ago served to diminish their own title credentials. Arsene Wenger has become the footballing equivalent of one of those mature artists who had a few smash-hits in the past but is now more interested in exploring the limits of artistic invention. His work is imaginative and critically-acclaimed, but commercial success looks unlikely.

It might be up to the players to remind the manager of the obligations of delivering some silverware. Cesc Fabregas, who has become inordinately fond of his own pronouncements, has suggested that Wenger buy a big burly lad in January to protect Arsenal's plethora of diminutive geniuses.

Wenger has already expressed a degree of interest in Marouane Chamakh the Moroccan striker currently at Bordeaux. Chamakh is 6ft 2in but not quite the archetypal bustling target man (even if Wenger would ever countenance anything as vulgar). Wenger still seems fatally distracted by the flair of his youth players. He fielded eight or nine of them against Olympiacos on Wednesday, and purred at their potential (you wonder if he even noticed they lost the match).

Liverpool will huff and puff, while Arsenal pick out pretty patterns. Between them they would have a decent side. Separately though, they make a persuasive case that the strength of the Premier League runs exceedingly shallow

Manchester United And Liverpool Trail Congolese Star - Report

Monaco defender Cedric Mongongu is reportedly a target for a number of English clubs, according to his agent.

The 20-year-old DR Congo international has also been linked with a move to Serie A giants AC Milan, with Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool the Premier League sides reportedly keeping tabs on him.

Mongongu's agent Christophe Mongai does not think a deal will be done during the January transfer window, but expects him to move in the future.

"Milan has followed him for some time and has often sent its scouts to observe him, but that doesn't mean that there is a real deal," he told tuttomercatoweb.

"I don't know anything about interest from Juventus.

"In football you never know, but I think it is very difficult. AC Milan could be a problem with the competition from other clubs.

"The player is also wanted in England and the Premier League is a more important stage than the Italian championship."

Gerrard: Fitness Is The Key To Top-Four Hopes

Steven Gerrard believes Liverpool will find their way into the top four by the end of the season - if they can keep people fit.

The Anfield skipper, speaking ahead of Sunday's crucial home clash with Arsenal, is determined to raise spirits after the club's disastrous plunge out of the Champions League.

Gerrard has proved his fitness after a groin problem by playing four full matches since his return from injury, and that total would have been five had Alberto Aquilani, not been summoned to replace him against Debrecen in Budapest in the final minute.

Now Gerrard must turn his attention to salvaging Liverpool's Premier League campaign, particularly in a vital run of 11 matches before the Reds enter the Europa League in February.

And the midfielder sees the returning Fernando Torres as the key to a Liverpool revival.

Gerrard said: "If we get back to our full-strength team, and we get people fit, we're confident we are good enough to finish in the top four.

"Torres' return is massive for me, massive for everyone else. He's our main man, he's our top scorer and we need him back fit and firing.

"If that happens I'm sure we'll move back up the league and get in to the top four places. Without a doubt that has to be the main aim this season."

Liverpool fans saw a hint of the future during the 2-1 home defeat by Fiorentina on Wednesday, as the Merseysiders slipped out of Europe's elite after their final group E match.

Gerrard, Torres and Aquilani joined forces during the second-half for the first time and the passing, movement and understanding between the trio must have lightened boss Rafael Benitez's mood.

Gerrard said: "It's obviously important for the club financially (to be in the top four) and having played in the Champions League for such a long time, I'm desperate to play in it again next season.

"In the six games prior to the Fiorentina defeat we had gone unbeaten, including three successive clean sheets. We have been improving.

"It was a shame we lost it at the end, because we wanted to use the game to prepare for Sunday.

"But we will be right up for the Arsenal match. If we can get three points there and then take that into the Wigan home game next Wednesday, we can turn a corner."

Benitez could well use Gerrard, Torres and Aquilani against the Gunners, and the Spaniard agrees with his captain that Liverpool will end the season in the top four.

Benitez said: "This season's race for the top four is good for the fans, for TV and for neutrals. If you have just one club trying to break into the top four it is not so exciting.

"Now there are three, at least, trying to get into the top group and that makes everything more exciting. And that helps everyone because all teams will lose more games in the race.

"Even Chelsea and Manchester United, who are both very strong, are also losing games.

"But I feel it will still be the same top four at the end of the season.

"We have options now. We have Aquilani, (Javier) Mascherano, Lucas, Gerrard, Torres all to chose from. It is not a question of someone being left out, more a question of having choices for a change.

"We are better than we look, now we have three quality players all available and all fit. Now let's see whether we can improve our position and get into the top four.

"We will be there (in the top four). Arsenal will do that too. We can improve, we can be in the top four and we can win a trophy. It is only what you would expect from a top side.

"We have had a bad spell but we are still very close to the top four and our top players are now available."

Alan Smith: Liverpool's Fernando Torres Will Tear Into Arsenal

Think back to October when Liverpool deservedly beat Manchester United. Think back to the circumstances leading up to that game.

Rafael Benítez's side had just lost four on the trot, including the beach ball game at Sunderland and a home defeat to Lyon, which left their Champions League chances hanging by a thread.

But buoyed by the return of Fernando Torres, Liverpool reacted like a wounded beast, tearing into United with unstinting energy and aggression. The champions that day couldn't handle the pace, so determined were the home side to get a result.

Thinking about it, the situation isn't too dissimilar now going into Sunday's showdown with Arsenal. Torres returns to a team who, once again, have their backs firmly pressed against the wall. The football world awaits Liverpool's response.

It doesn't take a genius, therefore, to work out Benítez's likely game plan. Because if the Spaniard's players go about their work in similar fashion to the United duel, if they set the same kind of frantic tempo and pile into tackles with equal force, it will be interesting to see how Arsenal cope.

Arsenal, after all, face issues of their own. If the recent mauling by Chelsea wasn't painful enough, it reinforced the notion that Arsène Wenger's diminutive technicians tend to struggle when confronted by talented players who also bring a physical presence to proceedings.

Without Robin van Persie and Abou Diaby, this Arsenal side are handicapped in an important area, one that Liverpool will surely attempt to expose.

John Aldridge: Liverpool FC Must Cut Out Errors In Order To Rescue Season

I hope Wednesday’s defeat to Fiorentina acts as a wake-up call because it’s time everyone realised just how desperate the situation is that we find ourselves in.

To be out of the Champions League and out of the Premier League title race before Christmas is a real kick in the teeth.

It’s unbelievable and now it’s’ game on’ with the battle for fourth place. We’re playing catch-up and it makes Sunday’s clash with Arsenal at Anfield very juicy.

People are saying it’s a must-win for Liverpool. I wouldn’t go as far as that but it’s certainly a game we cannot afford to lose.

I know we had Reina, Carragher and Johnson missing but Fiorentina were without seven first teamers. It just shows the depth they have is better than ours.

On the balance of play we probably deserved a draw, but we were undone by another late goal.

It was the third time that’s happened in our group and those lapses have cost us dearly.

You’ve got to learn from your mistakes, but we just haven’t done that this season.

At one point the Italians had a corner which was chipped to the edge of the box for one of their lads to volley.

Nobody in red bothered to close him down so they did it again.

You’ve got to deal with things like that but nobody seems to take responsibility.

When things are going wrong defensively you need to sort it out on the training ground, but I’d question whether that’s happening. It seems to me things are just being swept under the carpet.

The players should be angry at what’s going on and they should be determined to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

We can’t keep on making those kind of errors and expect to achieve anything.

Arsenal have got the best young players in the league, but they lack a bit of experience and we have to capitalise on that.

The big positive the other night was the return of Fernando Torres. He looked very sharp and it was great to see him back.

If he can stay fit then there’s every chance we’ll finish in the top four.

Alberto Aquilani did okay against Fiorentina and getting 75 minutes under his belt will do him the world of good.

He showed some good touches and vision, and did well going forward.

However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back on the bench on Sunday.

I think Lucas will come back into the centre of midfield.

Rafa clearly has a lot of faith in him and the Brazilian, who has played every league game, seems to have become his first name on the team sheet this season.

The fact is the manager seems to like central midfielders with defensive qualities.

Rafa - Debt Had To Be Managed

Rafa Benitez has revealed that playing a part in helping to reduce Liverpool's debt burden was one of the most important issues he had to manage over the summer.

Liverpool's financial situation has been cited as a reason for the team's lacklustre first half to this season, with Benitez not given the funds to strengthen his squad.

He was only able to bring in Glen Johnson and Alberto Aquilani over the summer as he sought to aid the club's owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks by balancing the books with the sales of the likes of Xabi Alonso.

And Benitez insists it was vital that he understood the economic situation at Anfield in order to prevent the Reds suffering the same fate which has befallen Leeds United in recent times.

"I don't see Liverpool in the same way as Leeds," said Benitez.

"One of the priorities this year was to reduce the debt, so the club is working very hard to do this and I think that our position will be much better. We were doing a very good job this year trying to reduce the debt.

"It was one of the most important things that we had to manage. Along with football issues we had to manage them together.

"When I signed my five-year contract [in March] we knew that we had to work together so we will try to do the best for the club.

"Sometimes you can do it and still perform on the pitch and sometimes you have to wait a little bit. Sometimes you have to think about the big picture and the future of the club and that means you have to do your best on both sides.

"I think that we have to accept our situation and then try to do the best in the conditions that we have.

"Can we improve with these conditions? I think so, but it is a question of time."

Aquilani Gets Masch Backing

Javier Mascherano admits he is growing tired of talk that Liverpool are missing Xabi Alonso and has given his full backing to Alberto Aquilani to shine at Anfield.

Alonso joined Real Madrid in the summer in a £30million move that saw the Reds use two thirds of that sum to purchase Roma's midfield maestro Aquilani.

But the 25-year-old Italian international has been an injured bystander with a troublesome ankle problem as his new team has suffered an indifferent start to the season both domestically and in Europe.

Aquilani's delayed start to his career in England has fuelled opinion that the Reds' poor form, which has seen them crash out of the UEFA Champions League, is largely due to the absence of their former Spanish pass-master.

But Mascherano, who formed a formidable partnership with Alonso in Liverpool's engine room last season, has called for an end to such views and has seen enough of the Reds' summer signing to suggest he will be a hit with the Kop and could be in line to show his talents against Arsenal on Sunday.

"We have to forget Alonso," said the Argentinian captain, who is in talks with boss Rafa Benitez about a new deal at the club. "You cannot find two players doing the same things in the world.

"Aquilani will give us everything he can and if he is fit he will be really good for us.

"Now little by little he'll increase his confidence and learn about English football, because it's totally different, but I think he will be really good for Liverpool."

Mascherano is aware that when Aquilani gains full fitness, the competition for places in midfield will increase.

Brazilian youngster Lucas seems the most likely player to give way, but Mascherano said: "I always have to fight for a place with my team-mates.

"As a player, when you have competition it's really good for everyone. You have to fight for recognition and everyone tries to work hard so that is good for the team."

Aquilani made his full debut for Liverpool in Wednesday's Champions League defeat by Fiorentina in a deeper role, with Steven Gerrard acting as the main support for Fernando Torres.

Mascherano was used, as usual, in a holding midfield role but it is believed that, in time, Aquilani will play further forward, with Gerrard in a deeper role.

Mascherano's own improved form has pleased Benitez, but the combative ball-winner insists he is solely focused on maintaining his best level.

He said: "I am trying to do my best, but others will have to decide if I am in my best form.

"I don't like to talk about me. The manager has to talk about me, the media have to talk about me, but I just try to do my best.

"But I am very relaxed at the moment because I am happy and trying my best."

Rafael Benitez Hoping To Halt Liverpool's Poor Premier League Form With A Win Over Arsenal

In the week Liverpool's Champions League elimination was made formal, following their 2-1 defeat by Fiorentina, Reds' boss Rafael Benitez has declared that the club will be taking their season one game at a time, beginning with their Anfield clash with Arsenal on Sunday.

The Merseysiders will be looking to halt a run of underwhelming domestic form that has seen them slip further and further away from the Premier League pace-setters, but Benitez is praying his side can begin bridging the gap by getting the better of Arsene Wenger's Gunners.

"As a manager you always know you have to work hard to win games, if you are not winning games it's difficult, but it's part of the job," Benitez told journalists at a pre-match press conference.

"I am just thinking about Arsenal," he said. "We have to play against Arsenal, try to win… then think about Wigan, think about Portsmouth, and carry on."

He continued: "Every game can be important until the end of the season. We start with this one, they are [near the] top of the table. If we win we'll be closer to the top four."

When asked how he and the club handle the vitriolic criticism levelled against Liverpool in recent weeks, he jested: "I switch off the volume of the Sky!"

On how managers handle the negative press, he added: "All the managers at top sides have to perform, there is a different situation at different clubs though.

"Arsene Wenger is a fantastic manager and people expect him to win trophies but he knows how difficult it is to do that."

Mascherano Calls For Consistency

Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano believes the team must use Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash at home to Arsenal as an opportunity to rebuild their battered reputation.

An early exit from the Champions League - for the first time since manager Rafael Benitez took over in 2004 - and stuttering domestic form have had some critics writing off the club.

Former captain and manager Graeme Souness said he feared the club could go into "meltdown" if they did not secure Champions League football at the end of this season.

Mascherano admits the team have done "bad things" this season but stressed the players had to start putting things right against the Gunners.

The Argentina captain said: "The confidence is not here at the moment but we have a big game on Sunday to show ourselves, to show the fans and to show everyone that Liverpool still has a good team that can fight for something.

"It's not must-win on Sunday but it's really important. It's not just about the three points, it's about the situation.

"We couldn't play as well as we could (earlier in the season). Some players were not in top form, now maybe we are back in form, and some players were injured - which makes it difficult when you can't play the same team for two or three games."

Consistency is now the key for Liverpool and a good run over the festive period - they are only four points behind third-placed Arsenal - could stabilise their season.

"It's difficult because we cannot win two or three games in a row at the moment," he said.

"We won against Manchester United and then we lost (at Fulham). We couldn't continue winning but we have to start from now.

"It is a great chance for us. All of us want to win and to get the confidence. We want to play like we can play.

"We have to show to everyone that Liverpool is still a big team and can play against anyone."

Mascherano said he felt they could prove their detractors wrong by winning a trophy this season.

Despite their Champions League exit Liverpool now drop into the Europa League, although their poor form means they will be unseeded, and they have the FA Cup to look forward to next month.

"We finished the Champions League in a bad way this season and we are sad," added the Argentina captain.

"We have to do the right things in the Premier League and the Europa League.

"The Europa League is not the same as the Champions League but it is still a competition so we have to try to win it because all of us know when we play for Liverpool it is a big club with a great history.

"The talk now is that it is a bad season for Liverpool but things can change.

"Maybe in May we will be talking about Liverpool winning something."

Aquilani Wants To Face Arsenal

Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani has told boss Rafa Benitez that he has no concerns over his fitness as he hopes to keep his first-team place against Arsenal.

The Italy international played 86 minutes of the Reds' defeat to Fiorentina in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday in his maiden starting XI appearance.

Aquilani's full debut has been significantly delayed since his £20million summer move from Roma as he has been rehabilitating from an ankle operation.

But the 25-year-old, who has a reputation in Italy for being prone to injury, is ready to remain in Benitez's first XI plans for Sunday's vital Anfield clash with Arsenal.

He said in the Liverpool Daily Post: "I feel good. I'm really happy to have come through my first game.

"My ankle is better, fully healed and there weren't any problems after basically a year without playing it's great to have played so many minutes, because it means I can have more faith that I'm fully fit again.

"There's no fear at all that it might flare up again, I know it's better, so I'm not worried at all about that. I just feel really happy to have played again. It's really important for me to have played, because the more I play, the better I'll get and the fitter I'll be."

He added: "I need to play, play, play because I'm in a new team, and I need games now. My ankle is fine now, I feel good, and now I need to work hard in training for my body. I really hope I can play against Arsenal."

Aquilani is also confident Liverpool can turn around their fortunes this season, despite having been dumped out of the Champions League and sitting off the pace in the Premier League.

Rafa Benitez Must Find Cure To Liverpool FC's Ills

Given the grief the Champions League has inflicted on his team during the last few months, Rafael Benitez would be forgiven for wondering if it was worth the hassle of attempting to qualify for next season’s competition.

From a plethora of last-minute goals, an inability to hold onto leads, a lengthy injury list, a shot-shy attack and players losing form, Liverpool’s mental and physical shortcomings have been laid bare for the whole of the Continent to analyse.

But while their European rivals will have been lapping up the malaise at Anfield, Benitez is still struggling to find a cure for his team’s ills.

Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to Fiorentina with an experimental line-up mattered little in terms of points and prizes, but it was a significant dent to Liverpool’s fragile morale that they had slowly started to rebuild with a six-match unbeaten run.

Liverpool have set a number of landmarks during Benitez’s tenure, both good and bad, and this was another negative, the first time they had lost successive European home games after the almost identikit loss to Lyon in October.

Let’s be honest. Neither Fiorentina nor Lyon, effective but uninspiring teams, will be anywhere near Madrid when the European Cup is lifted in May.

But that both ousted Liverpool from the competition with a game to spare says everything about how underwhelming their Champions League campaign truly was.

Not that the overall campaign has been any better, with Benitez’s side out of the Carling Cup and having won only three of their last 14 games to slump to seventh in the Premier League table, four points off the top four.

Of course, qualification for next season’s Champions League is the very least Liverpool would have expected back in August, and that has now assumed priority for the remainder of the campaign.

Now, the good news. Alberto Aquilani’s long-awaited full debut on Wednesday has allayed any fears over his long-term fitness, although it will clearly take time for the Italian to get up to speed with the English game.

Steven Gerrard continues to regain his form and match sharpness, while the sight of Fernando Torres back on the pitch for the first time in more than a month – and withstanding a buffeting from the Italian defence – will have offered similar encouragement.

The injury problems of Gerrard and Torres have undoubtedly hampered Liverpool’s efforts this season, and it’s notable none of the miserly five goals they netted in Group E were scored by either player.

And Gerrard admits: “Torres’ return is massive for me, massive for everyone. He’s the main man, he’s our top scorer and we need him back firing.

“If that happens I’m sure we’ll move back up the league and get in them top four places.

“Without a doubt that has to be the main aim this season. It’s obviously important for the club, and having played in the Champions League for such a long time, it’s very important.

“We’ll be right up for the Arsenal game on Sunday. If we can get three points there and then take that into the Wigan game, we can turn a corner.

“If we get back to our full-strength team, and we get people fit, we’re confident we are good enough to finish in the top four.”

Liverpool, of course, already knew before Wednesday’s defeat that they would be plying their trade in the Europa League in the New Year.

The likes of Juventus and Benfica could lie in wait, while the Anfield outfit could also meet neighbours Everton later in the competition – a prospect Gerrard would relish.

We’ll take it very seriously,” he says. “We’ve got to try to win a trophy this year. The FA Cup and the Europa League are our two best chances of that.

“There are some good teams in there. It would be very nice if we were to come up against Everton! We’ll have to see what the draw gives us.”

Despite the tubthumping from the likes of Gerrard and his team-mates, Benitez will put all thoughts of the Europa League on hold in a bid to reignite Liverpool’s stuttering Premier League form, starting at home to Arsenal on Sunday.

“We will take it (the Europa League) seriously, but for us the main thing is to progress in the Premier League,” says the Anfield manager. “To be in the top four.

“We do not play in the Europa League until February, so we will have plenty of time to concentrate on the Premier League. Another European competition is later.

“What has happened to us in the Champions League, the misfortunes, will be an experience the players will remember and it will give them strength and more determination to improve over the rest of the season.

“I would expect a different approach on Sunday against Arsenal.”

Rafa Hits Back At Souness

Rafa Benitez has hit back at Graeme Souness after comments made by the former Liverpool manager that the club are on the verge of "meltdown".

Wednesday's Sky Sports studio panel of Souness and Jurgen Klinsmann were critical of the Reds after they succumbed to another late sucker punch in the UEFA Champions League which saw them lose 2-1 to Fiorentina.

Souness, who managed the club in the early 1990s, revealed his fear that his former club could capitulate should they fail to qualify for next year's European competition.

But Benitez, who came close to leaving the club when American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks spoke to Klinsmann about the possibility of taking over from the Spaniard, was unfazed by the Scot's comments.

"I switch off the volume of Sky," Benitez joked to Sky Sports News. "I think they both have a fantastic record as a manager so the fans they know really well what they say.

"The club we have to win, we have a responsibility, we have to concentrate on our job and that's it. If someone talks too much then that's their problem but the fans know the records they have both as a manager is fantastic."

Fernando Torres, who Souness fears will leave the club if they do not clinch Champions League football next term, conceded earlier on Friday that he thought Liverpool were out of the title race.

But Benitez was not yet ready to give up on hopes that the Reds can end their 20-year wait for the domestic crown ahead of Sunday's clash with Arsenal, which can be seen live on Sky Sports.

"I am just thinking about Arsenal," the Spanish tactician added. "We have to play against Arsenal, try to win, think about Wigan, think about Portsmouth and carry on."

The weekend clash, which resulted in a 4-4 thriller last season, could see Liverpool go within one point of the Gunners should they claim maximum points.

But Benitez was quick to play down the significance of the Anfield showdown, claiming every game from now until the end of the season is vital to the Reds' quest for a top-four finish.

Of Sunday's game: "I think it's important but every game can be important to the end of the season.

"We have to start with this one because they are at the top of the table so if we can win we will be closer and we'll have better chances to finish in the top four."

Alberto Aquilani Says Liverpool Gloom Makes It 'Difficult' To Shine

Following defeat to Fiorentina on Wednesday, Liverpool's supporters could at least take heart from the performance of Alberto Aquilani in what was his first start for the club. But the player himself has expressed worry about how smoothly he will integrate into the team, claiming their current malaise has made it "difficult" for him to impress immediately.

The midfielder completed 76 minutes of the 2-1 loss to La Viola – a result that saw Liverpool complete an abrupt and abysmal Champions League campaign with just seven points – and showed with his passing in particular that he could well be a worthy replacement for Xabi Alonso.

The ankle injury that has delayed the 25-year-old's progress since arriving from Roma in August for £20m has now all but cleared, but Aquilani believes a lack of confidence and momentum among his new team-mates means it will still be some time before he is performing at his very best.

"It is a difficult time for me because we are in a difficult place at the moment," said Aquilani. "That makes it harder for any player to start with a new side."

Those are hardly the words Anfield regulars will want to hear. They have placed great hope in Aquilani's arrival into the first-team rescuing Liverpool's season, starting with the visit of Arsenal on Sunday.

Such has been Rafael Benítez's cautious use of the Italy international that he may not even start the weekend fixture – prior to Wednesday, he had been restricted to three substitute appearances – but Aquilani is confident that he will eventually maintain a regular role in Liverpool's midfield and that the team can get out of their current rut.

The loss to Fiorentina, which was secured through an injury time goal from Alberto Gilardino, means Benítez's side has now won just two of their past seven fixtures in all competitions.

"This is not the season I was expecting when I signed for the club, that's true" Aquilani said. "I was expecting to play in the Champions League and to find ourselves competing for trophies. But it is a long season and I'm really happy to have come through my first game. It's great to have finally got on to the pitch with players like Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres and there's no fear that it [his ankle] will flare up again. I know it's better, so I'm not worried at all about that.

"I have plenty of reasons then to be positive about where the team is going. We have a lot of things to improve on but we also have all the ability we need to get better. With the players we have available to us, we can only get better. I don't have any doubts about that at all.

Javier Mascherano Drops Barcelona Hint After Rejecting Liverpool Contract Extension

Publicly tracked by Barcelona in the summer transfer window, Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano has incited new transfer talk after rejecting a contract extension with Premier League side Liverpool as reported by Sky Sports.

After expressing interest during the summer to play for the Blaugrana alongside countryman Lionel Messi, the price tag placed on Mascherano proved to be too high for Barca's tastes.

But with the recent development in the midfielder's contract talks with Liverpool, Barcelona sports daily SPORT seems convinced that the scene is set for a move to the Camp Nou in the near future.

The Argentine international still has 18 months left on his current contract and was evasive when questioned about the transfer rumours, simply saying: "I want to continue giving my best to help the team recover its form."