Benitez has his eye on top four spot
The inspirational captain will play an essential role in his side’s busy festive programme, which could go a long way towards securing a place back in next season’s Champions League.
Boss Rafael Benitez relished the chance to take Gerrard off with half an hour remaining with his job well and truly done.
Gerrard set up John Arne Riise’s 17th minute opener with an inch-perfect lob and rattled home Liverpool’s third in the 55th minute.
In between, Florent Sinama Pongolle volleyed his first Premiership goal of the season against the rock-bottom Baggies, who stood next to no chance after Cosmin Contra’s 39th minute dismissal.
Shot-happy Riise grabbed his second with six minutes to go, when he blasted home a rising effort from Xabi Alonso’s cross to take his season’s tally to four.
And there was still time for substitute Luis Garcia to finish off Riise’s cross with two minutes left to round off a commanding display.
Only Russell Hoult’s first-half penalty save was a bright spot for the beleaguered Baggies after Contra handled Antonio Nunez’s goal-bound header, earning him a red card and the Reds a spot-kick.
Hoult saved well from Milan Baros, but his boss Bryan Robson was still left searching for his first win after seven matches in charge.
Afterwards, Benitez hailed his side’s second away win in the Premiership as a major confidence boost in their fight for another top four finish. And the happy Spaniard said he hoped that taking the same approach towards the new year would play a decisive role in his side’s season.
Benitez said: “We have two games at home coming up and if we have the same mentality in those games we can talk about more points.
“It is important for our confidence because we want to reduce the gap within the top four and we have a lot of games in a row now.
“But we only think about the next game. It is not important to see the end, it is important to see next week.”
Benitez paid special tribute to his two-goal hero John Arne Riise and said his form was indicative of his side’s growing belief. “He played really well and scored two goals and it is important when he plays as a winger that we get in the box and shoot,” he said.
“It is a happy Christmas for ourselves and our supporters. Sometimes it is difficult to play against 10 men but we played a good, wide game and we are very happy,” Riise added.
Albion boss Bryan Robson said he hoped the hectic schedule could help his shell-shocked side, who remain five points adrift of safety.
Robson was taking his players north last night to prepare for tomorrow’s game with Manchester City.
Robson said: “I think it is the best situation where we can focus straight away on Manchester City and get out on the pitch and turn it around.
“What we need now is a victory to give us a bit of confidence because that is very low at the moment.”
Robson admitted it was a case of making the same mistakes after the previous 4-0 thrashing at Birmingham.
He has now gone seven games without a win since taking over from Gary Megson “We keep having lapses defensively and teams are not working too hard to score against us,” he admitted.
“I thought we matched Liverpool in the first half and made some situations ourselves, but once (Cosmin) Contra got sent off Liverpool just had too much for us.
“You can prepare the players as best you can and you keep trying to find out why you concede bad goals early on in a game.
“At the moment we are making it very difficult for ourselves.”
: Hoult, Scimeca, Gaardsoe, Purse, Clement, Koumas, Johnson (Gera 45), Greening, Contra, Horsfield, Earnshaw (Hulse 72).
: Dudek, Finnan (Warnock 70), Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Nunez, Gerrard (Alonso 62), Hamann, Riise, Sinama Pongolle, Baros (Luis Garcia 66).
: R Styles (Hampshire).
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