Benayoun steps off the bench to boost Benitez's tilt at title

The Liverpool manager was facing the flak as his side laboured towards what would have been a third consecutive goalless draw in the Premier League.

But having been accused of blundering for rotating Fernando Torres in recent weeks, there was no arguing over his decision to send Benayoun on for Fabio Aurelio just before the hour.

The Israel midfielder turned Titus Bramble inside out before dispatching a left-footed winner after 75 minutes.

While Wigan could bemoan having a "goal" mysteriously chalked off for offside and missing a sitter in added time, Benitez was able to take the credit after a fortnight in which his side had been held by Portsmouth and Birmingham.

He said: "This is the type of match we signed Benayoun for. He's a creative player and has good match intelligence. He knew what to do when he came on."

Bramble was left dumbfounded as Benayoun collected a pass from Jermaine Pennant and produced an exquisite drag-back away from the defender. Then, as the Wigan player lunged in, Benayoun pushed the ball forward and shot home from 16 yards despite Chris Kirkland getting a leg to the ball.

It left Liverpool four rather than six points behind leaders Arsenal, and the normally cautious Benitez said: "We're in a good position, much better than last season."

Wigan boss Chris Hutchings could hardly believe his bad luck but said: "Liverpool have so many quality players, you can't lose concentration for a minute.

"Rafa is criticised for rotating but they keep getting results so I don't know why people knock it."

Hutchings' benevolent mood might have been different had he seen the television replays which showed Marcus Bent onside when he shot home early in the second half. The flag was raised because Julius Aghahowa was in an offside position, but he was running back and not interfering with play.

The Nigerian's dismal day continued when he screwed an injury-time header wide from three yards after Jason Koumas had done brilliantly to cross.

Torres, who had started the previous two Premier League games on the bench, was the dominant figure of the first half.

His first chance, set up by Dirk Kuyt, was fired against the legs of Kirkland with the ball then ricocheting back off the striker's knee to roll wide.

Two minutes later, the Spain striker launched himself into a trademark scissors kick from Arveloa Arbeloa's cross. Kirkland was flat-footed but the ball flashed inches wide.

Kuyt had a glorious chance to score his first Premier League goal of the season but his shot from 12 yards was blocked by Josip Skoko.

Wigan, without injured strikers Emile Heskey and Antoine Sibierski, gave it a go at the end and Liverpool keeper Jose Reina saved smartly from Koumas.

Hutchings said: "It's always best to put teams under pressure at home. Having said that, you have to be careful or you can end up getting your bottom spanked."

Benitez left with a joke, saying: "I had to bring some players off because we have a match on Wednesday — and you know I sometimes like to rotate."

WIGAN (4-4-2): Kirkland; Melchiot, Boyce, Bramble, Kilbane; Scharner (Taylor 82min), Brown, Skoko, Koumas; Bent, Agahowa. Subs (not used): Pollitt, Hall, Granqvist, Olembe. Booked: Brown, Melchiot.

LIVERPOOL (4-4-2): Reina; Arbeloa, Hyypia, Carragher, Aurelio (Benayoun 56); Pennant (Voronin 82), Mascherano, Gerrard, Riise; Torres (Sissoko 89), Kuyt. Subs (not used): Itandje, Finnan. Booked: Mascherano.

Referee: M Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear).

Yossi Benayoun ended Liverpool's mini crisis as Wigan suffered a 17th defeat in 17 matches against the Barclays Premier League's fabled 'big four'.

Liverpool had endured goalless draws in their previous two league games, sparking much criticism of boss Rafael Benitez's rotation policy.

In the end it was substitute Benayoun, a £5million buy from West Ham in the summer, who netted a 75th minute winner for his first league goal for the Reds.

From Wigan's perspective, it was another brave yet fruitless performance against one of the big boys as they have still to take a point off of Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United since they were promoted to the top flight in 2005.

At least this was a dramatic improvement on the corresponding fixture last season when they were 4-0 down at the interval.

On that occasion they were torn apart from the opening whistle, primarily due to the pace of former striker Craig Bellamy to which the Latics could find no answer.

There was no Bellamy this time around - sold to West Ham in the summer - but instead there was Fernando Torres, the club record £26million replacement.

There had been a great debate surrounding Torres in the build-up to this encounter due to Benitez's continual rotation of his stars.

Torres had sat on the bench for the previous two league matches in which Liverpool had failed to score at Portsmouth and at home to Birmingham.

Benitez then handed the Spain international a start in the midweek Carling Cup tie at Reading, and he responded with a hat-trick.

That prompted speculation as to whether Benitez should play the 23-year-old from the off against Wigan, and he ultimately opted to pair him with Dirk Kuyt.

He had Liverpool's three best chances in an opening 45 minutes in which goalkeeper Jose Reina was a virtual spectator.

That was due to Wigan being deprived of their two first-choice strikers, with Antoine Sibierski a late withdrawal with a hamstring problem, joining Emile Heskey on the sidelines.

That led to boss Chris Hutchings handing Julius Aghahowa his first start this season alongside Marcus Bent, and the lack of cohesion and understanding between the duo was alarming.

Appreciably, after Wigan had started brightly, Liverpool edged into the game with every minute that passed and after Jermaine Pennant and John Arne Riise had shots blocked, Torres took over.

His first effort in the 25th minute was scuffed after Kuyt had delightfully cushioned a downward header to a Pennant cross into his path, giving Kirkland a comfortable take.

His second on the half hour came after a woeful error from life-long Reds fan Jason Koumas who sprayed a pass along the halfway line directly to Kuyt.

The Holland forward immediately set Torres clear, and after outpacing Emmerson Boyce, he stabbed a shot goalwards that was blocked at point-blank range by Kirkland.

Wigan were then fortunate as the ricochet sprang off the Spaniard and rebounded inches past the left-hand post.

The spectacular followed from Torres two minutes later with a scissor kick that was just wide after rising to meet a right-wing ball from Alvaro Arbeloa, with Wigan's defence nowhere.

But then after the break Torres went missing as Wigan played with a fierce determination to their game, in particular with Titus Bramble an immense presence in defence.

Bent did have the ball in the net in the 50th minute, but it was controversially ruled out, stifling his delight.

Aghahowa, running back when the ball was played in by Josip Skoko, was offside, but not Bent who was three yards on when the cross was delivered.

Koumas forced Reina into his only meaningful save of the game five minutes later, before a combination of Kirkland and Skoko denied Kuyt soon after.

As the game started to swing from end to end, an ungainly flick from Paul Scharner as he beat Reina to a Koumas ball over the top finished agonisingly wide.

Then after Gerrard had screamed a 25-yard drive narrowly past the right-hand post, the Reds finally broke the deadlock 15 minutes from time.

Benayoun, on for Fabio Aurelio in the 56th minute, had plenty of work to do in picking up the ball a few yards outside the Wigan area.

But with an innocuous flick he gave himself time and space before beating Kirkland with a low shot.

Wigan, though, should have taken a point, only for Aghahowa to bury a six-yard header to a Koumas cross inches wide in the first of three minutes of injury time.