Liverpool send message of intent

SOCCER:IT LASTED four years and eight months but Liverpool were last night celebrating bringing an end to Chelsea's 86-game unbeaten league record at Stamford Bridge after Xabi Alonso's deflected first-half goal sent Rafael Benitez' side three points clear at the top of the table. Benitez stopped short of making title predictions afterwards but was entitled to say the victory "sends out a massive message" to the Premier League.

"To win here and stay top of the table unbeaten is a massive message for the other teams," declared Benitez. "It was a massive game and to come here with the mentality we had and with the players showing the character they did, it was a big boost for the rest of the season.

"We have belief, we have quality and we have shown by coming from behind in other games this season, that we have character. At least this is enough to be top of the table for now.

"But we need three points in our next game against Portsmouth if we are going to keep this mentality. We can go to any stadium and win games. Today, against a very good team, a very offensive team, we showed we were thinking about winning.

"The players know what to do and it is difficult for the opposition to create chances. Chelsea had some chances but their final pass was not the best on occasions.

"They didn't have too many chances. My players were really good and all credit to them. When you have players with quality and they work so hard, you have a winning team.

"But we have to come down and start thinking about Portsmouth. We knew it was important to beat Manchester United but then we drew with Stoke."

Having taken the lead in the opening 10 minutes, Liverpool frustrated Chelsea to the extent that Luiz Felipe Scolari criticised his players for resorting to a long-ball approach. Ashley Cole and Deco might have brought parity during the final stages but there were few moments of panic as Liverpool held on to become the first side to win here in the league since Arsenal in February 2004.

"I think everybody was talking about the statistics against the top sides before," said Benitez, referring to Liverpool's failure to win an away game against one of the other top-four clubs during his reign. "We needed a win here to improve. We were coming here unbeaten and they were unbeaten for a long time so it was a massive game, and to come here and show the character the players showed today was a big boost for the rest of the season.

"I think [the win] means that we have the belief, that we have the mentality we need against the top sides," continued the manager, who hailed the "quality" his players had demonstrated to overcome a Chelsea side who had not tasted defeat under Scolari. "To win here was a really big thing for everybody, and so to win here sends a massive message to the other teams of what we can do."

Scolari was magnanimous in defeat, the Chelsea manager admitting, "Liverpool were better in the game," and acknowledging that Benitez got his tactics spot-on as the Spaniard set up his side to surrender possession in wide areas and encourage crosses into a penalty area where the visitors enjoyed a height advantage.

"We didn't expect the result, but need to understand that Liverpool are a very good team," Scolari said. "Benitez is intelligent. He knows and I know that we don't have a two-metre centre-forward, so they gave us space, but when we crossed they have players who are very good at winning the ball.

"I don't like to lose, but if we lose we need to touch the ball, not put the ball in the box every time. We were running out of time and the players did not have the confidence to pass the ball. I tried to tell them to play but they didn't listen."

Scolari, who hopes to have Joe Cole available for the visit to Hull City on Wednesday, shrugged off the ending of Chelsea's unbeaten home record. "If we lose any place it's the same, three points," he said.

"I saw my players try to do their best and I don't ask for more than that. Tomorrow we will have a meeting with the players and we need to think about Hull on Wednesday. This game is finished.

"The players are sad, but it is normal. But it is only one game. I didn't want my players to play high balls."