Rafa focuses on positives

Benitez: Takes positives

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Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez says there are many positives to take out of the defeat by Arsenal.

The Reds went down 2-1 to Arsenal's young guns at the Emirates Stadium in a match that created a number of chances with flowing football played by both teams.

Emiliano Insua scored a sublime half-volley for the visitors to cancel out an earlier strike from Fran Merida, but Nicklas Bendtner sealed the win for Arsenal in the second half.

Benitez was happy with the performance of his team, with a number of first-team players left out of the starting line-up, and praised both teams' style of play.

"We have to be disappointed because we have lost but we have also shown some quality and I think it was a good game with chances for both teams," he told Sky Sports.

"Both teams were attacking, they were creating chances, and that is good for the fans. But I'm disappointed for us because we have lost."

Asked whether Liverpool will now lose the feel-good factor after their weekend win over Manchester United, Benitez said: "No I don't think so. When you change players, they show energy, they show passion, and also we play well so there are many positive things."

The Spaniard brought on Alberto Aquilani with 15 minutes to go in the second half for the Italian midfielder's first-team debut, and Benitez was happy with his run-out.

"I think that he showed quality," he added. "He's a player that has quality, his match fitness is something that he can only improve playing games so we will see.

"You can see today that he did two or three good passes, in training you can see the same."