Rafa praises Alonso

Alonso has bounced back from a Summer of transfer speculation to give some of his best performances in a Red shirt. After another man of the match display against Chelsea at the weekend Rafa Benitez praised the midfielder.

"He is showing the quality he has. We've always talked about a good player and a good professional. It's the same with Crouch. These are players I signed because they are good players," said the boss about his countryman.

"Now he is showing character and quality, and the competition for places is good for the squad and the team.

"He is playing well. When the team is playing well, each player normally plays well. You could talk about Gerrard improving or Riera or Mascherano."