Benitez said: "The best thing to take from this game is the three points. It's difficult to play two games in two days but if you win you know you can play better the next game.
"We have now won three Premiership games in a row and we want to make that four and our confidence will be better. I thought in the second half we were nervous and were thinking about what happened in the Portsmouth game.
"We scored a good goal from Sinama-Pongolle after a good pass from Xabi Alonso and could have scored more than one. Riise had a great shot that hit the bar and Gerrard had a chance at the end.
"We didn't play at the level we know we can but it's an important three points for us. Losing Steve Finnan was a blow because right back is not the position for Salif Diao and it is difficult for him."