"I am really pleased with my players because we deserved to win," said Benitez.
"When we were playing 11 against 11 I thought we the better team and then when they went down to 10 we had more control and we had more opportunities.
"We got what we deserved when we scored near the end and we deserved to win. We were better than them.
"I think it was important for the team and also for him to see Fernando score.
"It's very important for the rest of the season and to see Fernando back with two goals was very important for us.
"It was a crucial win but every game is like this. For me it was a long race before this game and now it's the same.
"We are in a very good position and there is a long way to go."