Rivals write off Liverpool at their peril

Liverpool could move three points clear of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League tonight with victory over West Ham United, who may have eased the pressure on their new manager Gianfranco Zola with three points at Sunderland last week but have lost on their past seven visits to Anfield. Liverpool's lofty position, along with victories over United and Chelsea, appears to have provoked little alarm inside Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, publicly at least, with both camps assessing the title race as a customary two-way contest between Manchester and west London.

Chelsea's midfielder Michael Ballack was the latest to patronise Liverpool's prospects last week, claiming the Anfield mindset was more suited to the Champions League, while Sir Alex Ferguson heralded the Merseysiders' win at Stamford Bridge in October as merely a shot in the arm for United's hopes of a third successive title. Despite subdued displays against Fulham and in defeating Marseille in the Champions League, however, Benítez believes his team are well equipped to sustain their challenge this season.

"After two games without playing well, people are starting to say that we are looking a little bit nervous, but we are still close to the top of the table," the Liverpool manager said. "We have qualified for the next round of the Champions League, we are in a fantastic position in the league and we are playing really well. If you have some experience, you know that, if you want to be a contender, you have to think only about the next game. So it doesn't matter what they [Chelsea and United] say and it doesn't matter what people may think. I am not worried by what they say. It depends on the players and the team. We are at the top of the table and we know that, if we beat West Ham, we will be there at the top of the table for another week."

Liverpool will be without Torres tonight as the Spaniard recovers from his third hamstring injury of the season, and having coped without their record signing previously Benítez insists the loss should not hinder his team. The Liverpool manager added: "We have enough people up-front with Kuyt, Ngog, Keane and Babel. Gerrard is also scoring goals, so we can manage. Torres is an important player for us, so it will be different, but we have to think about solutions."