New Delhi: Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has declared that the Premier League is more difficult to win than Spain's La Liga, insisting that a team must be 'almost perfect' to succeed in England.
Benitez won two league titles with Valencia, and the expectations were high when he replaced the sacked Gerard Houllier at Liverpool in 2004.
The Spaniard is yet to transfer his Mestalla success to Anfield, at least on the domestic front. A Champions League triumph in 2005 - and another final appearance two years later - has not overshadowed the fact that the Reds are still waiting for their first Premier League crown.
Various excuses have been voiced on Benitez's behalf, the most prevalent being that he inherited an ordinary squad which, more than four years later, he is still in the process of rebuilding.
But Rafa offers a far simpler reason. "The Premier League is harder to win than La Liga," he said in the Daily Mail. "Here you have a lot of clubs with big money. In Spain you have Barcelona and Real Madrid.
"Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal will not lose too many games and always you can say one of them is making mistakes. But three at the same time? It is very difficult.
"You can talk about maybe needing 95 points, which was Chelsea one year, or 92 maybe 87. You cannot lose too many games if you want to reach that points total. That is the reason why it is more difficult."
However, after well over a decade without so much as a hint of a genuine tilt for the title, Liverpool finally look like a team capable of ending one of the most famous droughts in English football.
Sunday's victory over Chelsea caused many doubters to sit up and take notice. The Merseysiders have struggled against 'Big Four' opposition in recent years, but they now boast wins over last season's top two.
Some are tipping Liverpool to stumble against Portsmouth this evening, but Benitez and his men are determined to remain at the top of the table.
"It is funny because, before the Chelsea game, people were saying Liverpool must win against the top sides," Rafa added. "Now it is 'maybe you will lose against the small teams'. You have to concentrate on each game."
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