The Premier League title challenge cannot be repaired at a stroke but at least morale can be massaged. Goals from David Ngog and Yossi Benayoun were an eloquent retort to those who have condemned the lack of strength in Benítez's squad these past few days and confirmed, as the manager had demanded, that Liverpool will not go quietly from the pursuit of Manchester United if nothing else.
There was a funereal air to Anfield but victory over Ricky Sbragia's well-marshalled Sunderland team ensured there will be no drawn-out inquests in the week leading up to their defining Champions League second leg against Real Madrid.
Benítez had demanded an instant reaction to Saturday's miserable defeat at Middlesbrough, to appease a despondent home crowd as much as to illustrate the character in his squad but Liverpool almost succumbed to the worst possible start when Kenwyne Jones slipped through their defence with Sunderland's first attack. Only three minutes were on the clock when Jones collected Tal Ben-Haim's pass and skipped around Martin Skrtel as the Slovakian dived into a challenge. There was little conviction in the Sunderland striker even as he raced clear towards the Kop, however, and a weak finish enabled Jose Reina to grant Liverpool a valuable reprieve. Sunderland's reaction — with heads in hands on the pitch and on the bench — told of a critical opportunity squandered.
For the second successive game Liverpool fielded a surprising defensive line-up. Javier Mascherano began where he finished unconvincingly at The Riverside, at right-back, with Skrtel restored to his natural central role alongside Jamie Carragher and Emiliano Insua recalled to give Liverpool a pair of Argentinean full-backs.
David Ngog was handed his first Premier League start as Benítez sought to inject some potency into a Liverpool attack that presented none on Teesside. With Fernando Torres absent again with an ankle injury and his return against Real Madrid next week still in doubt, the pace and movement of the French youngster brought some improvement in that respect at least.
The league debutant almost capitalised on a scramble inside the Sunderland area as Liverpool gradually forced the visitors on to the defensive, while Dirk Kuyt drew the first save of the game from Marton Fulop with a low shot from the edge of the area. The Sunderland keeper also produced an excellent save when Albert Riera's shot appeared destined for his bottom corner courtesy of a deflection off Grant Leadbitter.
Mascherano's energy up and down the right flank compensated for his occasional drift out of position at right back, and a powerful drive from the midfielder flew narrowly over as Fulop bravely elected to watch the effort pass by. As so often with Liverpool, however, their forays forward appeared based more on hope than any orchestrated purpose, and they have now scored only seven first-half goals in their last 15 league games at Anfield. Not a statistic that suggests they are about to discover the instant ruthless streak that Benítez has called for.
A furious Arsène Wenger had accused Sbragia and Sunderland of being disinterested in playing football in the recent goalless draw at The Emirates. The charge could not be levelled at the visitors here, but the defensive discipline that served them so well in north London also differed and one incisive Liverpool break altered Anfield's anxious mind-set just seven minutes after the restart.
Riera, whose form has dipped of late, performed a winger's duties to perfection when he slipped outside Ben-Haim and chipped an inviting cross towards the back of the Sunderland area. Arriving unmarked was Steven Gerrard, the last man to leave unattended in that situation, and an intelligent header back across Fulop enabled Ngog to mark his full league debut with his first league goal for Liverpool.
The breakthrough was an obvious release to a Liverpool side under interrogation since Saturday and the former PSG striker had a pivotal role in sealing victory 13 minutes later. A skied clearance off Danny Collins fell to Ngog inside the area who attempted an overhead kick that should have been comfortable for a keeper in Fulop's form. Remarkably, Fulop spilled the ball at the feet of Benayoun and the hero of the Bernabeu made no mistake in front of a gaping Kop goal.
