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Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez admitted the 2-1 victory over Wigan mattered more than the performance on an emotional night at Anfield.

With the club celebrating the 50th anniversary of legendary boss Bill Shanklys first game in charge, a host of former stars were paraded at half-time.

But having stumbled through the last two months Benitez said three points was the only thing his side had to worry about.

Young French striker David Ngogs 10th-minute glancing header from Fabio Aurelios cross and Fernando Torres second-half scrambled effort proved enough to see off the Latics, for whom Charles NZogbia scored an injury-time consolation.

The victory lifts Liverpool back up to sixth, although they are still five points adrift of the Champions League places. It was only their fourth win in 16 matches and just their second at Anfield since September 26 but it will do much for the teams shaky confidence.

It was very important to win, to get three points, with a lot of positives, said Benitez. It does not matter if we couldnt score more goals and be more relaxed in the second half but, at the end of the day, three points is key.

We needed to get these three points and be ready for the next game. We are thinking about one game at a time so now Portsmouth (on Saturday) is the target.

Benitez explained he held back Torres for his 100th appearance until the second half as the striker is still feeling the effects of having missed six matches since the start of November.

I wanted to keep him back because he was really tired after the last game (Sundays defeat to Arsenal).

I told him I wanted to protect him and it would be good for me to play him at the end and he was good too. I think he will be ready for Portsmouth.

Torres goal helped settle Liverpools nerves and Benitez admitted confidence was still fragile.

We had some chances - Yossi Benayoun had one, Ngog had one - and if you score the second goal everything changes, added the manager.

The main thing for us now is talking about winning games in a row, starting at Portsmouth.

Wigan manager Roberto Martinezs side have now won only won two of their last 10 matches and are just two points clear of the relegation zone, having conceded the most goals in the Premier League with 17 in their last four away games.

The Latics boss felt that had substitute Jason Scotland, who has yet to score in the Premier League since his summer transfer, not blasted a close-range volley against the crossbar five minutes before Torres scored the result could have been different.

I have mixed feelings. The first goal is really soft for our standards, it was a lapse in concentration, he said.

When you come to places like Anfield if you do that you are going to make things very difficult for yourself.

After that I was pleased with the reaction and slowly we created a few chances.

The key moment is when Jason Scotland hit the crossbar. If that had gone in it would have been a completely different game as you could see the anxiety around the ground.

We gave them a little bit too much respect and space in spells and the concentration was not what it should be.
Liverpool got their chances and took them; we got ours and didnt.

Long-serving Werder Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf has extended his contract by a further two years until June 2012.

Werder manager Klaus Allofs said Monday Schaaf has proven over many years that he is a very important factor in our success with his ability to improve teams and players.

The 48-year-old has been Bremen coach since May 1999. The club won the Bundesliga and German Cup double in 2004.

Last season, Bremen won the cup again and made it to the final of the UEFA Cup. It is currently fourth in the Bundesliga.

Hertha Berlin is desperate to boost its troubled season by securing one of the final nine spots in the next round of the Europa League this week.

Berlin is six points adrift at the bottom of the Bundesliga standings and seven short of safety after 15 winless matches in the German league.

But coach Friedhelm Funkels team salvaged a last-minute 2-2 draw on Friday against Bundesliga leader Bayer Leverkusen and could get another useful boost to morale when it hosts Sporting Lisbon in one of 24 games in this weeks final round of group matches.

Hertha needs only to avoid defeat against the already qualified Group D leaders to advance to the next round ahead of Heerenveen, which hosts Ventspils.

But Sporting Lisbon wants a victory to ease pressure at home. The Lions have managed just four victories in 13 games for its worst start to a Portuguese championship campaign in 42 years.

Ajax, Hamburg, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Sporting, AS Roma, Galatasaray, Red Bull Salzburg, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Benfica, Everton, Shakhtar Donetsk, PSV Eindhoven, Werder Bremen and Athletic Bilbao have already clinched their places in the round of 32.

Sparta Prague and FC Copenhagen go head to head in another of Wednesdays matches to decide which of them will advance from Group K alongside PSV.

Sparta will miss central defender Tomas Repka through suspension and playmaker Patrik Berger is out because of a long-term knee injury, but another central defender, Roman Hubnik, has recovered from an instep injury and should be available.

We were a group outsider at the beginning, Sparta coach Josef Chovanec said. Now, were fighting to advance. Its still open. It has to be clear from the start that we want a win.

Two former Sparta players, defender Zdenek Pospech and attacking midfielder Libor Sionko, both Czech internationals, play for Copenhagen now.

Its good to play in the Czech Republic but not a decisive match, Pospech said.

Fulham needs to win at FC Basel to move ahead of the Swiss side and qualify from Group E with Roma, while Panathathinaikos and Dinamo Bucharest meet in Greece to decide which of them finishes runner-up to Group F winner Galatasaray.

With Group L already settled in favor of Werder Bremen and Athletic Bilbao, that leaves Brugge and Toulouse going head to head in Belgium to see which advances behind Shakhtar in Group J.

The Ukrainian club, which won the UEFA Cup last season before it was revamped as the Europa League, is at Partizan Belgrade. The Serbian club has been eliminated without a point.

There are another 12 games Thursday, although the teams qualifying from Groups C, G and I have already been decided.

Dutch league leader FC Twente has to win at Steaua Bucharest to qualify ahead of unheralded Moldovan side Sherriff in second place from Group H. The two teams drew 0-0 when they met in Enschede.

Coach Steve McClarens team staged a second-half comeback Saturday to maintain its unbeaten start to the league season with a 3-1 win over NAC Breda.

We cant allow ourselves to play crazy matches like this, McClaren said. Were happy with the three points, but know we have to do better.

Sherriff needs to better Twentes result when it plays Fenerbahce.

Ajax has a virtually full-strength squad as it goes for the point against Anderlecht it needs to win Group A, with only midfielder Gabri and defender Thimothee Atouba out.

Ajax beat NEC Nijmegen 3-0 in the Dutch league on Friday night to stay in third place and take its goal tally to a league-high 53 for the season - 10 more than Twente.

Anderlecht needs a point to guarantee second place ahead of Dinamo Zagreb, which hosts Timisoara.

Group B remains wide open, with Valencia, Lille and Genoa all vying for a place in the next round.

Only Slavia Prague with three points is eliminated. Lille on seven points shares the second place with Genoa, while Valencia leads with nine points.

Unfortunately, weve got nothing to lose, Slavia defender Matej Krajcik said. We can be relaxed and enjoy the match. Our opponent needs a win, it will be much tougher for them.

Former European champions Juventus, Liverpool and Marseille are among the eight clubs to drop into the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League groups.

Wolfsburg, Atletico Madrid, Rubin Kazan, Unirea Urziceni and Standard Liege are the other Champions League sides in Fridays draw in Nyon, Switzerland.

Chelsea keeper Petr Cech has declared his surprise after his side were booed off by some fans after their 3-3 draw with Everton on Saturday.

With Manchester United later losing against Aston Villa the result actually saw the Blues extend their Premier League lead to three points, but a section of the clubs support were clearly unhappy with some poor defending from set-pieces.

Cech, though, was left non-plussed by their reaction.

He said: I was surprised because this was our first draw at home this season. Look at the games we have played here in the cups, in the Champions League, in the Premier League, all with clean sheets.

We have beaten Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham when they were second - we beat them all.

I was really surprised to hear that - which means I didnt understand it.

Ryan Giggs declared himself totally shocked to have joined genuine legends as winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Giggs, the most decorated player in English football history with a record 11th Premier League winners medal, beat Formula One champion and bookies favourite Jenson Button to the 2009 award, while world heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis finished third.

The 36-year-old Manchester United winger said: The names of genuine legends of world sport are on this trophy. I never dreamed I would win it.

I was honestly surprised just to be on the list of nominees.

I have been lucky enough to win a lot of things in my career, playing with great players and under the greatest manager that ever lived, and playing for the greatest club.

This is up there with all of that. I grew up watching this TV programme and to see all the people who have won it and to be up there with them, its unbelievable.

Giggs is the first footballer to win the award since David Beckham in 2001, and the Welshman is to hold discussions with manager Sir Alex Ferguson about a new contract when his current deal expires at the end of the season.

I might have to put this trophy on the table - if Im struggling! added Giggs.

It was the first I had heard of it the other day so I was quite pleased.

My contract ends at the end of the year but hopefully there will be another year after that.

Giggs gained 29.4% of a public vote on the night - 151,842 people voted for him. The other votes were: Button 96,770; Ennis 80,469; cyclist Mark Cavendish 55,960; gymnast Beth Tweddle 38,907; world diving champion Tom Daley 36,929; tennis star Andy Murray 19,936; England cricket captain Andrew Strauss 17,237; world heavyweight boxing champion David Haye 13,916; world triple jump champion Phillips Idowu 4,507.

Arsene Wenger says he can still frighten his players into turning defeat into victory as Arsenal maintained their title challenge at Anfield.

The Arsenal chief launched a furious broadside at his team at half-time, with a vibrant Liverpool 1-0 ahead in this crucial Premier League battle.

Gunners captain Cesc Fabregas revealed Wenger was so angry he told them they didnt deserve to wear the shirt.

That was enough to galvanise Arsenal into a comeback that secured a 2-1 victory to send them back to third place in the table, six points behind leaders Chelsea with a game in hand.

Dirk Kuyt had given Liverpool a deserved lead at the break, and it probably should have been two had referee Howard Webb awarded a penalty when William Gallas floored Steven Gerrard.

But after the interval a Glen Johnson own goal changed the course of the game and Andrey Arshavin rammed home a stunning winner.

Wengers fury, though, was the catalyst to Arsenals recovery.

He said: I will not explain what I said at half-time (to my players). I will only say that Liverpool dominated the first half and Arsenal dominated the second period.

Liverpool played at a pace above us and won all the 50-50s in the first period, and at half-time a score of just 1-0 down was good for us.

I never speak about what I say at half-time. You respond to what you believe your team needs. I try to be composed. I was quite composed.

But it is good that after 13 years as manager I can still surprise the players like that.

He added: Liverpool played very well and we played with our handbrake on through fear. The fear of not winning big games, because we lost against Chelsea and Manchester United.

We brought that fear into the game. Once we had nothing to lose in the second period we played without that fear and we controlled the game.

We were lucky with our first goal, but the fear was in Liverpools camp in the second half and we scored an outstanding goal.

From then on Liverpools pace dropped and we were not really under any threat for the final 45 minutes.

For us, we are back into contention following the results from Saturday. We are in a good position with a game in hand and mentally it was a massive game for us.

With what happened on Saturday (to our rivals) we knew we needed to win at Anfield. We did that, now it is down to consistency.

The team who wins this title will be the one who is the most consistent, and nobody has done that yet.

It is more than a three horse race, there is Aston Villa, Manchester City and Spurs. There is a long way to go.

Chelsea will drop points, they have done so already and they will do so again.

Everyone will do that. There are so many good teams, like Liverpool. They have Torres and Gerrard back, Aquilani will get fitter and many teams will drop points at Anfield.

They played in the first half with an impressive level of performance. We now have to show consistency and character to continue in this vein.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was angry referee Webb denied his side a penalty in that dominant first period.

He said: It would have been so much different had we been awarded that penalty (when Gallas tripped Gerrard).

It does not matter whether the ball has gone away from the player, it is still a penalty if you foul him and bring him down.

These decisions can make a massive difference.

He added: We paid for not making the most of our first-half dominance. It is hard to explain after we were on top of them so much.

(Fernando) Torres had a great chance, we were denied a clear penalty when Gerrard was brought down and then everything changes when we give away an own goal at the beginning of the second period.

Everything changed. Our confidence was low, we were conceding possession and they were controlling the game all the time.

It was difficult to explain after we were playing so well. But the players have suffered so many problems this season, it is hard to keep their heads up when they suffer yet another one like the own goal.

But we have to bounce back, we must show character and play against Wigan on Wednesday the way we did in the first half against Arsenal.

Tottenhams hopes of pushing for a Champions League spot were dealt a blow as Kevin Doyle struck to give Wolves a 1-0 win at White Hart Lane.

Harry Redknapps men drew their previous two Premier League games and this defeat had the hallmarks of Stokes smash-and-grab performance in October.

Mick McCarthys side defended heroicly to hold onto their lead, earning them a fourth league win of the season and boosting their ambitions of survival this season - suddenly facing Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool before the end of the month is less daunting.

Redknapps men scored nine in their previous home game, against Wigan, but Wolves ripped up the formbook with their opener from a move that started with Tom Huddlestone fouling Karl Henry on the right flank.

Nenad Milijas swung over the cross and Doyle got in front of Michael Dawson to get the merest touches past Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.

Replays suggested a slight flick from Doyles head - and the goal would have been disallowed if the indirect free-kick went straight in. Spurs defenders, in any case, were pointing fingers at each rather than referee Stuart Attwell, famous for awarding a phantom goal at Watford last season.

Inevitably after such an early goal, Wolves had to withstand pressure, although Spurs chances straight after the opener were not of the clear-cut variety. It was down to Jody Craddock and Christophe Berra to throw themselves at everything Spurs could throw at them.

Robbie Keane, playing against the club he started his career at, attempted to get Spurs back in the game but when he had sight of goal from Niko Kranjcars through ball, Craddock leant on him enough for Marcus Hahnemann to claim.

Jermain Defoe fired a long-range effort straight at Hahnemann, then Keane got even closer when his finish went just over after Wilson Palacios pass slipped through the Wolves defence.

Wolves hard-working display was epitomised by Henry, although he earned a booking for two fouls on Tom Huddlestone within a minute of each other.

Aaron Lennon had a quiet game by his standards and when he did have a shot Stephen Ward bravely got his body in the way.

Before the break Keane headed onto the roof of the net and Defoe failed to get purchase on his finish after Vedran Corluka found him the penalty area.

Huddlestone also had a chance, going to ground after a Craddock challenge but managing to get a shot away from close range, which went wide.

Just like the first half, Wolves started well in the second. Doyle turned provider three minutes after the restart but Gomes was equal to Sylvan Ebanks-Blakes angled shot.

Luka Modric, on his return from a fractured fibula suffered in August, was only meant to given 20 minutes action but he was introduced just before the hour mark, such was Spurs urgency.

Redknapp did not have David Bentley to call upon as the midfielder was left out of the matchday squad following a training ground friendly in the week when he was accused of lacking effort.

Jermaine Jenas and Roman Pavlyuchenko were not included either but Peter Crouch was among the substitutes and came on with Modric, as Keane and Palacios made way.

Crouch headed over the crossbar from Kranjcars corner in the move after he came off the bench.

Wolves were also forced into a change as David Edwards slipped awkwardly on the slick turf - and he returned from the dressing room with an ice-pack on his ankle.

Kranjcar stabbed wide before kicking the post in frustration, then he was replaced by Giovani dos Santos, who had recovered from a long-term ankle injury.

Huddlestone forced Hahnemann into a fine stop before the end but Wolves held on for their first victory on Spurs turf since 1973.

Chelseas suicidal defending from set-pieces threatens to wreck their title ambitions after they were held to a 3-3 draw at home by Everton.

The Blues have now conceded 10 goals in their last four games and all three Everton strikes arrived courtesy of a Chelsea defence that looked clueless at free-kicks and throw-ins.

Everton became the first team this season to leave Stamford Bridge with any reward but Chelsea should have put this game beyond the Toffees long before half-time.

The Blues are now just three points clear of Manchester United who take on Aston Villa in the evening kick-off game.

Everton took a shock 12th minute lead when a Louis Saha header off a Leighton Baines free-kick hit the post and rebounded into the net off the back of Petr Cech.

But Chelsea hit back and goals from Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka put the Blues in front only for substitute Ayegbeni Yakubu to pounce from a throw-in to level the scores in first-half injury time.

Drogba restored Chelseas lead but another blunder from a free-kick allowed Drogbas attempted clearance to bounce off the back of Saha to make it 3-3.

Chelsea almost took the lead in the fourth minute when Michael Ballack put Didier Drogba clear of the Everton defence but the Ivory Coast strikers effort was just wide of the far post.

But Everton hit back four minutes later when Jo unleashed 25-yard drive that Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech did well to turn away for a corner.

And the Toffees went in front in the 12th minute when the home side were again caught out from a set-piece.

Baines sent the free-kick into the penalty area and although Saha headed the ball on to the post, it rebounded off the back of Cech and into the net for an own goal.

It was only the second goal Chelsea had conceded in the Barclays Premier League this season.

Not since the opening day, when Hulls Stephen Hunt scored, had any opposing domestic side found the net.

It was the perfect tonic for an Everton side that has won just once in their last nine league games.

But Chelsea were level in the 17th minute with a simply worked goal.

Ricardo Carvalho broke forward and evaded a number of challenges before supplying a superb pass for Frank Lampard.

The England international tapped the ball into the path of Drogba who hit a first-time shot into the roof of the net for his 17th goal in all competitions this season.

Anelka then put Chelsea in front in the 23rd minute when Everton failed to clear Lampards corner and Anelka collected Carvalhos neat pass and fired into the roof of the net from close range.

Everton striker Jo was forced to hobble off with an ankle injury in stoppage time and replacement,

Yakubu, shocked Chelsea with an equaliser seconds later.

Terry failed to clear a throw-in and when the ball bounced off Carvalho, the Everton striker pounced.

After Wednesdays 2-2 draw with APOEL in midweek, coach Carlo Ancelotti called for his players to play with the same intensity for 90 minutes.

But Chelsea once again stopped playing when they had Everton on the ropes and the visitors had punished them again with Yakubus equaliser some five minutes into first-half injury time.

Ancelotti resisted making any changes at half-time and began the second period in a positive fashion.

And in the 58th minute their pressure paid off when Branislav Ivanovic crossed for Drogba to score his 18th of the season.

The Ivory Coast striker fired home from six yards at the far post after Evertons defence failed to intercept the cross.

But astonishing Chelsea again committed defensive suicide in the 63rd minute with yet another set-piece blunder.

It was a comical affair as Heitinga sent over a free-kick into the Chelsea penalty area.

Drogba, helping out in a defensive role, headed the ball into the back of the leaping Saha and it bounced back over Cech and into the empty net to make it 3-3.

Ballack showed Chelsea could almost be as deadly from set-pieces when he forced Howard into a fine save with a 25-yard free-kick in the 74th minute.

But despite the home sides pressure, including another Ballack effort that flew just wide, they could not find a breakthrough and the doubts are growing over Chelseas title credentials under Ancelotti.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti would like to avoid former club AC Milan in the knockout round of the Champions League.

A match against former rival Inter Milan wouldnt be ideal, either.

Obviously if we draw Milan it would be very emotional, Ancelotti said in an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday.

Ancelotti spent five years at Milan as a player and eight as a coach, winning two European titles in both roles. In his first season with Chelsea, Ancelotti said he still talks to his successor at Milan, Leonardo, regularly.

I confess that I would prefer to avoid a face-to-face with Leo. But if it happens, no problem, Ancelotti said. Football is full of these situations. It already happened to Kaka, who faced Milan with Real Madrid in the group phase.

Having won its group, Chelsea also has a chance of being drawn to face Inter on Friday.

The only problem if we get Inter is that on technical terms its a great team, Ancelotti said. I think that of all the second-place teams, its the strongest.

Ancelotti added that Chelsea doesnt need to purchase any new players in the upcoming transfer window, despite four players leaving for the African Cup of Nations in January - Didier Drogba, John Obi Mikel, Solomon Kalou and Michael Essien.

Younger players could fill the absences.

Im satisfied with the squad I have, Ancelotti said. Ive got some very promising kids - like (Fabio) Borini and (Gael) Kakuta.

Results from the 16th round of the Bundesliga, the German first-division football league (home team listed first).

Fridays Game

Hertha Berlin 2, Bayer Leverkusen 2

Saturdays Games

Hoffenheim vs. Eintracht Frankfurt

Bochum vs. Bayern Munich

Borussia Moenchengladbach vs. Hannover

Freiburg vs. Cologne

Nuremberg vs. Hamburg

Werder Bremen vs. Schalke

Sundays Games

Mainz vs. Stuttgart

Wolfsburg vs. Borussia Dortmund

Friday, Dec. 18

Schalke vs. Mainz

Saturday, Dec. 19

Bayern Munich vs. Hertha Berlin

Borussia Dortmund vs. Freiburg

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Borussia Moenchengladbach

Hannover vs. Bochum

Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Wolfsburg

Stuttgart vs. Hoffenheim

Sunday, Dec. 20

Hamburg vs. Werder Bremen

Cologne vs. Nuremberg