"We knew that it could be a good partnership. One is good in the air the other one is quick. It was a good option for us today," said Benitez.
"I like to use all the players I have in my squad and for this game, we knew that we could play long balls to the strikers.
"But I don't think people are fair on Kuyt, he does a fantastic job for the team and the question is finding the balance between them. This game was good for Crouch and another game might be good for Kuyt.
"We used Crouch and Torres because we knew how Sunderland would mark in defence. They were both playing high, but Torres was sometimes playing between the lines."
