Rafa: We have to keep going

Rafa Benitez urged his players to remain calm in their quest for glory after they fell to a third league defeat of the season against frontrunners Chelsea.

The Reds are now six points off top spot after goals from Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda settled a tight encounter at Stamford Bridge.
 
Asked by journalists where the 2-0 defeat left his championship hopes, Benitez said: "Our target has to be the next game. They asked me in some interviews about three defeats this year, but it's important to keep calm, keep working hard to improve.
 
"We have to focus on the next game, get three points and see what happens.
 
"This year the top sides will lose points against other teams, so we just have to try to win every week.
 
"We will try to win against Sunderland and see. It's a long race and we have to think about the next game, that's it."
 
Asked if he had to convince his players to keep calm, Benitez quipped: "It's more difficult to convince the press of this than my players!"
 
Though disappointed with the scoreline, Benitez took heart from the performance of his side in a difficult arena.
 
"The performance wasn't bad against a good team. We worked hard and had some good play," he said.
 
"I was really pleased for 90 per cent of the game but you have to do almost everything perfectly to win here.
 
"Defensively we were good enough. We defended much better. They didn't have many chances, which means we were defending better, and we didn't have many chances, which means they are a good team.
 
"When you make a mistake against a good team, you pay for it. We lost the ball and they scored.
 
"The game was open after the goal. We had some chances but you have to take your chances if you want to change the situation.
 
"I cannot blame any one of the players because they were working really hard. You have to be pleased with the team effort and disappointed with the result."
 
Quizzed on whether his side should have created more chances, Benitez responded: "We played against Chelsea. Do you expect any team to play here and have 20 attempts? I don't think so.
 
"We had some chances but we couldn't score because their defenders are good defenders."
 
Meanwhile, Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti dismissed a question about any damage done to Liverpool's title hopes.
 
"I think the end of the championship is a long way off and Liverpool have the quality to have a very good season," he said.