Liverpool,  who have slipped down the Betfred betting for the title after their poor run, boosted their chances of a top-four finish following their hard-fought 2-0 win over local rivals Everton on Sunday.

The Reds overcame their Merseyside neighbours thanks to a deflected strike from Javier Mascherano and a late Dirk Kuyt goal at Goodison Park to move them up to fifth in the Premier League.

Boss Rafa Benitez, who has come under criticism this season following the Reds’ elimination from the Champions League at the group stage, will hope the win can be a platform for further success.

The Spanish boss believes his side deserved the win for their hard work throughout the game, saying afterwards:
“It was a great victory – everybody is really pleased. Today we worked so hard – they were tough and pushing and we did our job in defence and we had to play counter-attack.”

Everton, meanwhile, remain in a poor position in 16th in the table, three points clear of the drop-zone after the loss but boss David Moyes took heart from what was a battling performance from his side.

“You have to earn your luck,” he said. “We worked really hard and I was hoping we’d earn that luck but we didn’t.

“It was disappointing but we also missed some chances.”