Rafa - We should have won

Benitez: Wanted win

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Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez insists his side should have beaten Birmingham.

The Reds grabbed a 2-2 draw with Birmingham, courtesy of a highly controversial penalty as David Ngog appeared to dive under Lee Carsley's challenge.

Earlier Ngog had volleyed Liverpool ahead, only for Christian Benitez and Cameron Jerome to put Birmingham ahead at the break.

Benitez did concede that the late penalty maybe should not have been given - but he insisted a point was the least that Liverpool deserved.

"I think it is difficult to explain [why we didn't win], we had some many chances, plenty of possession," he told ESPN.

"But in the end we are talking about the penalty - whether it was or not, maybe it wasn't, but we deserved to win as we had some many opportunities.

"I was talking to him and he said maybe it wasn't a penalty, but anyway I would say that with 74 per cent of possession in the first half and how many attempts it is unbelievable that we are talking about a draw in this game."

Benitez avoided questioning about whether Liverpool's title hopes were gone, with The Reds now sitting 11 points adrift of leaders Chelsea.

"We have to be ready for the next game, that is it," he stated.

"Playing as well as today and showing he character we did, you could see the belief of the players and that is the message. The message for everyone here is that we are working very hard and things will change."