A difficult game admits Rafa

A single Steven Gerrard goal was enough to give the Reds all three points but after the game Rafael Benitez admitted it was a difficult game and Liverpool had to work hard for the win.

"Before the game we had a lot of strikers and defenders but only two central midfielders fit in Steven Gerrard and Bolo Zenden so we had to make some changes tactically and work very hard," said Benitez.

"We didn't find the space we needed in the first half and Manchester City worked hard in defence and were aggressive in midfield, but in the second half we had more space and more possibilities and Steven scored an excellent goal.

"It's important for Steven to score goals because it gives him more confidence. He is playing well now but I think and he knows he can play much better because he is a player with a lot of quality and is really important for us."