Benitez had decided only hours before kick-off to risk starting with the striker, a gamble that paid off as Liverpool moved within four points of champions United.

And the Anfield manager said: “There wasn't a big difference (between the two teams). In games like this it is always the small details that make the difference. Today we had some chances, they had one or two chances but I think that we were on top of them from the beginning.

“Everyone was doing his job and when Torres scored his goal it made the difference.

“The team was working hard as a team and the fans were supporting the team from the first minute until the very last one like they always do and this made a difference also.”

Liverpool shrugged off the absence of Gerrard to record their third successive win over United, and Benitez added: “I have said before, our players are good players so when people talk about our squad I always say the same thing - if you have four or five players injured and these are players that if they are fit they can be a problem for anyone then the rest of the team will support them.

“For me the difference is that the team was working so hard that it was easier for the forwards.

“I am sure that we have a good team and I think that if we can keep the momentum then we can win some games in a row. We have to believe that we can do it on Wednesday (against Arsenal) and then that we can continue against Fulham.”

Benitez was also pleased with the performance of his defence, which kept a first clean sheet in the league for six weeks.

“I think that it is important to score, important to win but also to do it in this way with the team defending well,” he said.

“We had to defend a lot of set-pieces at the end, too many, and we defended them well so I am really pleased for Pepe and also for the defenders.”