Boost for Blackburn

It is not easy to recover from a 6-2 hammering. The margin of defeat forces you to into stark reappraisal and threatens to undermine confidence, both individually and collectively. And when the team you next face is Liverpool it could hardly be much worse.

But Blackburn Rovers rose from the embarrassment of being soundly beaten by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium to secure a precious morale boosting win at Ewood Park which was full of grit and determination and inspired by brilliant performances from two veterans – Tugay in midfield and Friedel in goal.

After a dull first half in which Liverpool created, and spurned, the better chances, the winner came in the 48th minute when Pedersen’s fizzing low cross was expertly finished by Benni McCarthy. And it was no less than Mark Hughes’ side deserved.