FA PREMIER LEAGUE Liverpool 3 Blackburn Rvrs 1:ON A NORMAL Sunday Rafael Benitez would have been debating Alan Wiley's refereeing eccentricities but there was almost nothing ordinary about yesterday afternoon at Anfield.
Instead a palpably poisonous atmosphere permeating the stadium's stairwells and corridors ensured that the referee's erratic performance did not merit a mention as the Liverpool manager instead suffused his post-match talk with cryptic references to his warring paymasters and their apparent fixation with Jurgen Klinsmann.
Judging by his comments, the Spaniard must have been burning with anger and an uncertainty as to who, if anyone, he could trust as he paced his technical area but, for 90 minutes, no one could have guessed he was consumed by anything but football.
Keeping up appearances in a manner of which Hyacinth Bucket would whole-heartedly have approved, Benitez and his players duly rose above the bitter civil war dividing the club's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
The Champions League semi-finalists appeared commendably unaffected by the schism, with Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard offering their supposed seniors a lesson in the benefits of working in harmony.
Even so it took the inspired second-half substitution of Yossi Benayoun to spark Benitez's players towards a victory that leaves them looking increasingly secure in fourth place.
Before the interval, though, Liverpool had appeared in peril of being distracted by run-ins with the referee. It all began when Liverpool's captain tried to win a penalty in the most shameless fashion. After just about beating Brad Friedel to the ball in the area he elected to throw himself to the ground and, having craftily left one leg trailing, thereby ensured that Blackburn's goalkeeper could hardly avoid contact and accordingly seemed to bring him down. While Gerrard, somehow keeping a straight face, protested that he had not dived, Mark Hughes expressed horror at Wiley's failure to issue a yellow card.
Gerrard's scowls became darker when the referee declined to award a free-kick for Christopher Samba's blatant bodycheck on him just outside the area. Samba, meanwhile, was fortunate to escape a booking for a foul on the England midfielder, who was once again revelling in his deep-lying attacking brief behind Torres.
Gerrard's new role has seen Dirk Kuyt increasingly shunted to the right wing. Despite a phenomenal work rate Kuyt's finishing can leave much to be desired and he will rue a headed miss from six yards.
Benayoun's introduction had a catalytic effect and, having won possession from Roque Santa Cruz, he fed the impressive Lucas Leiva, leaving the Brazilian to play a one-two with Gerrard who concluded the move by bursting into the box and sidefooting beyond Friedel.
Lucas was also involved in the second goal, winning the ball before feeding Gerrard, who crossed for Torres to head his 30th goal of a glorious season.
The next goal belonged to Benitez's three substitutes, Benayoun and John Arne Riise combining to create a close-range chance stabbed home by Andriy Voronin.
There was still time for Santa Cruz to volley a fabulous consolation goal for Blackburn but, by then, Hughes's team were well beaten. Hughes felt his side might have had a penalty and seen Martin Skrtel sent off for hauling back Jason Roberts when the striker was clean through but he later had the grace to concede that this defeat was more about his side's defending than Wiley's decision making.
No Blackburn player will have been more disappointed than David Bentley. Reputedly much coveted by Benitez he struggled to make an impact and was uncharacteristically bland in central midfield.
How Benitez must wish his board were similarly benign.
Guardian Service
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