BENITEZ EAGER FOR DERBY SUCCESS

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Rafael Benitez is relishing the challenge of trying to guide his side back to winning ways during this afternoon's Merseyside derby.  
With just one victory from the last four league matches, the Reds are desperate for points as well as local bragging rights when they take on Everton at Goodison Park this afternoon.
  
Benitez admits his side have dropped below their usual standards of late but he insists there's no better place to rediscover the winning habit than at the home of their city rivals.
  
"We haven't been playing well in the last few games," he said. "This kind of game, a derby, is a good game to have when you are in a situation like this. Normally a derby is a different type of game, one when if you aren't playing well you can win and things can become more okay. It's a good moment for us to play the derby.
  
"The derby would be a big game to win because of the psychological effect it would have. It's hard to explain why we haven't been playing as well as we have before, people have different ideas, but if we win a game like the derby it will give us more confidence and maybe we can start playing well again.
  
"We know it will be a tough game. I don't know yet whether Everton can challenge for the top four. You need to see how powerful they are over the season, in my opinion there are four or five teams that can be close to the top four."
  
He added: "We are still unbeaten in the league, so if you look at the big picture then we are not in a bad position. Everything can change if we win one or two games.
  
"For us, the derby is a very important game. We want three points from our nearest rivals and for our confidence it will be important.
  
"I've been here three years, so I know how important this game is. But at the end of the day, if you said to me whether I preferred to lose this game and win the Premier League, then I'd say yes, I'd prefer to win the Premier League and maybe to lose the game.
  
"I'm sure if you asked our supporters, they would all say the same. But we can't decide it like that. So I prefer to win the game now, then see what happens in the future.
  
"And if you said to me that we'd win the title with victory at Goodison rather than a victory elsewhere, I'd say I prefer these three points.
  
"It's important that we win this game, especially for our supporters, but the most important thing is having more points than the team that is second in the table by the end of the season."