Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez was full of praise for Yossi Benayoun after the midfielder's goal proved enough in their 1-0 win at Wigan.

It was the Israel international's first league goal for the Reds since his £5 million move from West Ham in the summer.

Benayoun had come on as a 56th-minute replacement, and Benitez said: "I brought him here for these kind of games.

"When you are trying to find a solution, you need players of creativity and quality, and Yossi gives us that.

"I am not saying he will start every game on the bench, it's just that in this instance I wanted to do different things.

"Yossi played the other night (in the Carling Cup against Reading) and I needed fresh legs, so I started with (Jermaine) Pennant.

"We created some chances and you need to take them if you want an open game.

"Because we didn't we needed to bring on players with different skills and Yossi was good, it was perfect."