Liverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League against Wigan - again away from home. It seems that last year’s Achilles heel has been well healed, as Rafa Benitez’s men have now won three out of four matches.

Considering that Liverpool won only six out of 18 matches last season, this is quite an encouraging feat. The travelling sickness is at the moment well taken care of, the mode of transport to away grounds probably doing the trick.

This was, however, the hardest-fought win of the season. Admittedly, some tough decisions going against Liverpool earlier this season were rather evened out at the JJB Stadium. Twice they benefited from the vague and ambiguous interpretation of the offside rule. Firstly in the first half when Jamie Carragher tripped Julius Aghahowa, only for another Wigan player to be lurking in the penalty area in an offside position. Thus Carra was let off. Then, in the second half, Marcus Bent volleyed past Pepe Reina but again a team-mate was offside.

'This was the hardest-fought win of the season. Admittedly, some tough decisions going against Liverpool earlier this season were rather evened out at the JJB Stadium'

For the first time this season, a substitute made the difference between a disappointing draw and a priceless three points. When Liverpool were forcing themselves aggressively over Wigan, it was the silky and sleek-fresh Yossi Benayoun, a replacement for Fabio Aurelio some 20 minutes earlier, who did it.

Javier Mascherano won a ball in midfield and his pass to Jermaine Pennant was threaded through to the Israeli. With his back to goal, Yossi accepted the ball, back-heeled it while turning himself, lost his defender, and wrong-footed Titus Bramble. In the next split-second he sent Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland the wrong way and coolly placed the ball into the net. If that wasn’t poetry in motion, it was definitely a sonnet.

If the league is our bread and butter, and Liverpool were suffering a goal-scoring famine, Benayoun produced a jar full of marmalade to be enjoyed thoroughly. Fernando Torres did his bit earlier to end all this hunger, including a spectacular scissor-kick from an Alvaro Arbeloa cross. Rafa kept his cards very close to his chest after the Spanish striker's hat-trick earlier the week and tried to seed doubts in everyone’s mind as to whether Torres would start. Eventually common sense prevailed, and once again El Nino shot fear into opposing defenders' legs, frayed their nerves and was surrounded by them whenever he received the ball.