An injury-time goal from Yossi Benayoun gave Liverpool a 1-0 win
at Fulham and took them to the top of the Premier League.
It looked as though the Reds were going to pay for missed chances
until the Israel international midfielder blasted a right-footed
shot past Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.
The win put Rafael Benitez's men two points clear at the top of the
table - although second-placed Manchester United have two games in
hand.
Four times Liverpool hit the woodwork. Through Fernando Torres and
Xabi Alonso. And Andrea Dossena twice. They played some magical
football, too, but try as they might they struggled to breach the
iron curtain Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has draped around Craven
Cottage this season.
Much is made of the importance of confidence in football and
Liverpool have been stacking that commodity like beans in Tesco
this past month.
They had scored 11 goals and conceded just one in their last three
league games, a period which had also seen them dispatch Real
Madrid from the Champions League.
Another huge Champions League encounter, a quarter-final against
Chelsea, loomed on Wednesday and on other days Benitez might have
had one eye on that match.
Not this day. Benitez fielded arguably one of his strongest sides,
with the possible exception of midfielder Javier Mascherano who was
left on the substitutes' bench.
And in that first 45 minutes, in particular, they looked world
beaters.
Rarely can a side have dominated a football match quite so
dramatically and gone in at half-time goalless.
Benitez's men began as if they were under orders to get the
business end of the match over as quickly as possible so as to give
their star performers a breather. In truth, Fulham should have been
buried.
First, Dossena strode into space in the penalty area and his
left-foot shot was tipped over the bar by Schwarzer.
From Gerrard's resulting corner Martin Skrtel thundered in another
left-foot shot which flicked the head of Dossena before clipping
the Fulham crossbar and bouncing to safety.
Schwarzer also produced a superb left-handed block to deny Torres
when the red tide was threatening to overwhelm Fulham.
Alonso, outside the area, unleashed a thunderous right-foot volley
which crashed against the Fulham crossbar.
Then it was Torres' turn after wonderful interplay with Gerrard had
sliced open the Fulham defence, only demonstrating the threat of
arguably the best striking partnership in world football right
now.
Unfortunately, the Spain striker's angled shot come back off the
post.
Incredibly, two minutes later the woodwork was trembling again.
Gerrard again was the provider, swinging in a right-wing cross
which Dossena threw himself at only to see his header come back off
Schwarzer's bar.
Liverpool could have been excused for wondering if this was not to
be their day in the week Benitez picked up the manager-of-the-month
award.
Perhaps it was the organisation and imagination of manager Roy
Hodgson, who has done wonders at Craven Cottage this past 18
months.
But in the 65th minute Benitez, seeing the possibility of crucial
points being squandered, threw on Ryan Babel in place of
Dossena.
And then Benayoun entered the fray for Kuyt to steal the headlines
and more importantly for his side, the points.
Gerrard hails the Yossi effect
Steven Gerrard hailed Yossi Benayoun's ''fantastic'' late winner
after Liverpool went top of the Premier League by beating
Fulham.
And Reds captain Gerrard insists the goal could prove crucial in
the title race, with Liverpool, favourites Manchester United and
Chelsea still jostling for the league trophy.
Gerrard said: ''It's a massive three points. We knew before the
game that a defeat or a draw was no good for us.
''It was important we put some pressure on United.
''It was a massive performance and I thought it was thoroughly
deserved.
''I know the goal came late but we hit the woodwork four or five
times.''
Gerrard added: ''There were times towards the end when I thought it
was not going to be our day.
''But Yossi popped up with a fantastic strike and I thought it was
the least we deserved.
''He pops up with important goals. That goal could be big for
us.''
Liverpool edged two points ahead of United, who play Aston Villa
tomorrow and will still have a game in hand after that match.
''We'll see how Manchester United do,'' said Gerrard. ''I'm sure
United will want to go and beat Aston Villa but we're hoping Villa
can do us a favour and take something at Old Trafford.
''We need to let United know they're in a title fight right through
to the end. The only way we can do that is to keep winning big
games.''
Gerrard has no doubt who the title favourites are.
''Still United,'' he said. ''They've still got the game in hand and
they play tomorrow so United are still favourites.''
Benayoun had missed an easier chance before making amends with his
excellent late finish.
He agreed with Gerrard that United remain the most likely
champions.
''We have a good chance,'' Benayoun said, ''but it's still in
favour of Man United.''
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is looking for Villa to shock
United tomorrow and extend the Red Devils' losing sequence in the
Premier League to three matches.
Benitez said: ''Hopefully tomorrow they can make a mistake and we
can stay at the top of the table.''
