Spanish Plonker

It is a pity that Everton’s heroic display at Anfield, which earned them a magnificent draw and seriously diminished Liverpool’s already dwindling title hopes, should have been tarnished by Raffa Benitez’s ill-judged post-match remarks, in which he referred ungraciously to his neighbours and rivals as a “small club”.

Full marks to David Moyes for getting the tactics right and to his players for implementing them so splendidly – and none more so than the back four pairing of Weir and Yobo.

As for Benitez, it all seems to be sour grapes right now, after successive maulings by Arsenal and failure at home in the Merseyside derby. But he should count his blessings – because if Andrew Johnson had been a little more match sharp, the Reds would have lost.