The pressure is off Rafael Benitez, for the moment, after he guided Liverpool to a derby day win at Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon.

The Reds crashed out of Europe in the week and a defeat at Everton would have been their sixth in the Premier League this season, which would surely have ended their slim title hopes.

But a deflected Javier Mascherano shot in the first half and a Dirk Kuyt goal in the second gave the Anfield men a 2-0 win, much to the delight of their Spanish boss.

"It was very difficult. We knew that it could be physical given the position of both teams and that they needed to win,” Benitez told Sky Sports News.

"We were working hard and had one or two chances and were maybe lucky with the deflection. But they were playing long balls and set-pieces and we were trying to defend and working very hard.

"The defenders were really good. Their full-backs and keeper were always kicking the ball long and it was difficult, but we knew it would be like that.

"We were playing counter-attack because we were under pressure all the time, but I think that we had two or three very good counter-attacks."

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