Rafael Benitez: We must beat West Ham

By Ian Winrow
Last Updated: 7:56am GMT 03/03/2008

Rafael Benitez has targeted Wednesday's visit by West Ham United to Anfield as the moment when Liverpool can wrest control in the battle for fourth position from one side of Stanley Park to the other, away from near neighbours Everton.
Liverpool's Champions League second round second leg tie against Inter Milan has been shifted back a week to March 11, and, in its place, the visit of the East London side marks a crucial Premier League game in hand, frequently identified by Benitez as being responsible for Liverpool's exclusion from the top four.
Win and Liverpool will go above their closest rivals on goal difference with 10 league games remaining and deliver a timely psychological blow ahead Everton's visit for the second Merseyside derby of the season on March 30.
Anything less, however, will blow a hole in the Liverpool manager's claim that, after the humiliating FA Cup exit at the hands of Barnsley and a run of indifferent league form, his side are back on course for a fourth-placed finish and an extended run in the Champions League.
Yesterday's comfortable victory over a Bolton side struggling on the fringe of the bottom three was Liverpool's third in succession, bolstering Benitez's belief his side are now returning to form.
"Every win is important but especially now when we are so close and fighting for the fourth position, it's important to put the other teams under pressure, and with the game in hand we have, it depends on us," Benitez said. "You don't have to look at the table everyday to know what the situation is.
"If we can beat West Ham then we will go into the remaining games with confidence. We want to play in the Champions League and it was really important to continue winning and put in a good performance to give us more confidence."
Benitez's faith in his side has been reinforced by the imminent return of defender Daniel Agger. While the Dane was not fully fit, Sami Hyypia, 34, fully justified his manager's decision to offer him a new, one-year contract.