Liverpool‘s 2 – 1 victory over Wigan Athletic last night at Anfield came as a welcome relief for Red’s boss Rafael Benitez.

Young French striker David Ngog’s 10th-minute glancing header from Fabio Aurelio’s cross and Fernando Torres’ second-half scrambled effort proved enough to see off a Latics side, for whom Charles N’Zogbia scored an injury-time consolation.

It was only Liverpool’s fourth win in 16 matches and just their second at Anfield since September 26 but it will do much for the team’s shaky confidence.

Although Ngog impressed in the first half the crowd eagerly awaited the arrival of substitute Torres for his 100th appearance, which eventually came in the 64th minute. The striker duly delivered with his 61st goal for Liverpool to wrap up victory.

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England striker Jermaine Defoe scored five goals as Tottenham Hotspur beat Wigan Athletic 9 – 1 to go fourth on the English Premier League table.

Defoe stunned the hapless visitors with a mesmerising second-half blitz at White Hart Lane after Spurs had gone in 1-0 up at the break thanks to a ninth-minute Peter Crouch header.

After hitting the bar in the 34th minute, Defoe opened his account in the 51st and wasted no time in completing his hat-trick seven minutes later.

He then netted again in the 69th and completed his tally with a right-foot shot three minutes from time as Tottenham fans sang “we want ten”.

Aaron Lennon also struck in the 64th while shell-shocked Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland added to the goal tally in the 88th when a David Bentley shot rebounded off the angle, hit him on the back and went in.

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