RAFA: WE WANT THREE POINTS

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Rafael Benitez is hoping his side can take confidence from Tuesday's Carling Cup win at Reading and end a run of two consecutive draws in the Premier League with a win at Wigan.  
The Reds boss was pleased with the 4-2 victory at the Madejski Stadium and is now eager to see his team reproduce that form at the JJB Stadium.
  
"For us it is important to win every game," said Benitez.
  
"In the cup competitions you want to win so you can progress and in the league it is important because you want to stay near the top of the table.
  
"We know after last season Wigan will want try to improve and they also know it is important to win.
  
"I am not thinking too much about the previous draws, only about winning every game to get three points."
  
The Latics have failed to win in their last five matches and although they will once again be without former Reds striker Emile Heskey, Benitez is expecting a stern test.
  
"They have good players and if you analyse their squad they have other players who can cause problems," he said.
  
"It is going to be tough, just like every Premier League game is tough."

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Sami Hyypia has warned his teammates they must get back to winning ways against Wigan on Saturday – or risk losing too much ground on Manchester United and Arsenal.  
Two draws on the trot have seen Rafa Benitez's side drop four points behind league leaders Arsenal despite an unbeaten start to the season.
Hyypia told Liverpoolfc.tv: "It is very important we get back to winning ways in the league after a couple of draws. We haven't been beaten in the league yet but if you have too many draws it's not so good.
  
"It's important not to lose too much ground on Arsenal, and Manchester United have been playing well recently too."
  
The big Finn, who is about to turn 34, also confessed his disappointed that he'll not go head to head with Emile Heskey at the JJB.
  
The England striker is recovering from a broken metatarsal.
  
Hyypia said: "It's unfortunate that we can't play against Emile but I'm sure Marcus Bent and Antoine Sibierski will give us a hard game."

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Peter Crouch has paid tribute to strike-partner Fernando Torres for the way he has settled into life in England.  
Six goals before the end of September have ensured the Spaniard is already a firm favourite on the Kop. And Crouch revealed the new boy is adapting just as well off the pitch.
  
He said: "Fernando speaks a bit of English, though he's not confident enough to do interviews yet. But in the dressing room he's got a bit about him and it's always good to see a player trying to adapt and learn the language. He's a good lad. The Spanish lads are helping him settle in.
  
"He was magnificent at Reading. The thing about Fernando is that he's a top-class player but he works so hard for the team. You can see that. The manager obviously likes all the players to work hard and the strikers to track back - he does that extremely well, as well as his more obvious qualities.
  
"His goals were fantastically taken and it was a superb all-round performance.
  
"He's a strong lad and he proved that he can certainly cope with the physical side. He comes from a different way of playing - Spanish football is different to English football - but he's an extremely strong physical player. He has pace and attributes to help him cope with that. I'm sure he's going to be a force this year.
  
"I enjoy playing with a player with such blistering pace as Fernando. I'll hold the ball up and get in the box, he can run onto the loose balls and get in behind defences. I certainly think we complement each other. Fernando can win things in the air as well but the fact that he is pacy and reads the flicks helps him get in behind."
  
Liverpool are unbeaten in 10 games so far this season, a consistency which Crouch believes is now approaching that of Man United and Chelsea.
  
"We want to be as consistent as we can," he said. "Chelsea and Manchester United have proved how consistent you have to be to get anywhere near winning the league and we need to turn some of those draws into wins now.
  
"Ten unbeaten is a good start for us. It could have been even better but we need to get that winning mentality that the other two had last year and I believe we are getting that.
  
"We've certainly got strength in depth. The manager has a lot of players at his disposal. We are going to challenge on all fronts this year. I really believe that.
  
"The players the manager has brought in seem to have settled straight away and we've got off to a good start. Sometimes it can take a while to bed in but they've come in and are really firing. That's good for the squad and good for the team."

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Steven Gerrard believes he is on the verge of hitting top form having finally recovered from his toe injury.  
The Reds skipper suffered a break in the Champions League qualifier in Toulouse five weeks ago and, after playing through the pain barrier in two matches with England during the Euro 2008 qualifiers, he insists he is now ready to lead Liverpool's Premier League charge.
  
"I'm feeling a lot better now," said Gerrard. "The last three or four days, I've been totally pain-free from my toe.
  
"I've struggled during the last two or three games and have been getting a lot of pain from it.
  
"But I've been training every session and can feel my sharpness coming back, so I think my top form is only around the corner."