Rafael Benitez fumes as Liverpool’s title dream fades

Liverpool suffer their fourth defeat the season after Darren Bent’s strike takes a deflection of a large red beach ball. Darren Bent’s early winner deceived Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina when it struck a large red beach ball on its way into goal. The inflatable, which had appeared on the pitch in front of Reina’s goal, carried a Liverpool crest.

The goalkeeper was furious and dashed out of goal to remonstrate with a referee’s assistant, but the goal stood. Under the laws of the game, it should have been disallowed, and a dropped ball given, but presumably the referee, Mike Jones, didn’t spot the offending obstacle.

Rafa Benitez, appeared philosophical about the incident. “It was a special situation but we didn’t play well. The goal changed the game but we made some mistakes and gave the ball away. After this they played well on the counter-attack. When we had our chances, we didn’t take them.”

“These things can happen in a lot of games. It’s a bad situation for us that the [beach] ball was in the middle and was influential but again I will say we didn’t play well- that’s the main thing for me. We had some players who we knew could be a little bit tired, and then conceding after five minutes it was even more difficult. We have to do better if we want to win these kind of games.”

When asked if he thought the goal should have been allowed, he said: “It’s a very technical question but it could be because it could have been a goal anyway.”

Rafa Benitez was cleared on two of three charges of improper conduct by the FA that arose following Liverpool’s defeat at White Hart Lane on the opening weekend of the season. Rafa had criticized referee Phil Dowd’s performance during the opening clash.