Liverpool player ratings

Given 6.
Little to do really. A couple of shows of petulance when corners were wrongly awarded revealed his own lack of confidence when it comes to dealing with set plays and balls in the air at the moment. Not my choice for stand in captain.

Zabaleta 8.
Commitment personified as ever. Always the slight worry he will produce the odd rash moment in a game, but didn't put a foot wrong here.

Kompany 7.
Continues to stake his place as the club's best defender. Although a little lucky with a challenge on Benayoun in the dieing minutes.

Lescott 8.
Another defender looking like a different player under Mancini. An assured performance and even looks to marshall the defence to good effect.

Bridge 6.
Maxi Rodriguez posed little threat to him and was rarely troubled.

Barry 7.
Not bossing the midfield like at the beginning of the season but this performance showed another improvement on recent weeks. Combined with De Jong to keep best-mate Gerrard very quiet.

De Jong 8.
Vital in the battle in midfield. Some outstanding tackles and would have him over Mascherano everyday.

Wright-Phillips 5.
Shaun is a confidence player and he looks short on it at the moment. However, it isn't helping him at all playing on the left where he has little to offer.

Johnson 7.
Am excited about Johnson and for about an hour he looked a threat. Things didn't always work for him in the second half, but the fact that Benitez often threw two men on him is tribute to the talent this lad has. Would also benefit from staying on the left.

Ireland 5.
It is not happening for him at the moment. Restored to his favourite position and where he was previously so effective, he did nothing to suggest he should keep his spot there. Perhaps his own overtraining regimes have sapped him of last season's energy but he is playing like the Ireland of before at the moment - extremely talented but off the pace. Never tries the simple ball.

Adebayor 8.
Did everything he could do with very little help. Was refreshing to see him working hard, holding the ball up, challenging in the air, staying in central positions - all the things that have been missing from his performances at times. Am a big fan of him when he is in this type of form, if only he had Tevez to profit from his hold-up play.


Substitutes:

Bellamy 6.
Looked a threat in the time he had on, will be important in the coming week.

Ibrahim.
Liked the look of him against Scunthorpe, but perhaps not the right option at that time of the game.