Carragher hails Liverpool great defensive efforts

Jubilant Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool are "getting back to our old selves" after they dug deep to secure a famous derby victory.

Despite playing almost an hour with 10 men, a 55th-minute header from Dirk Kuyt gave Rafael Benitez's side a hard-earned 1-0 win over Everton in a bad-tempered 213th Merseyside derby on Saturday.

Sotirios Kyrgiakos was dismissed for a two-footed lunge on Marouane Fellaini 11 minutes before the interval, with Steven Pienaar also seeing red deep in added time for a second bookable offence.

Liverpool were indebted to an excellent display from a defence that has now kept six clean sheets in the last seven games.

And Carragher, who started the game at right-back before moving to centre-back following the departure of Kyrgiakos, is convinced Liverpool's winter revival - 17 points from a possible 21 - has been a result of their rediscovered mean streak.

"Over the last four or five years defensively we've been as good as probably any team in the world," said the defender.

"You have to look at the overall record and defensively we've had a fantastic record under Rafa Benitez and we're showing that again now. At the start of the season we had a lot of people in and out and maybe we were playing a little bit different with two offensive full-backs.

"We're just getting back to our normal selves and hopefully we can keep that going.

"If you keep clean sheets you're going to win games because you only need to score one goal. That's what we said at half-time because we knew we weren't going to score two or three with 10 men.

"You know you might only get one off a set-piece and that's exactly what we did. It worked out perfect."

Saturday's derby had echoes of four years earlier, when Liverpool overcame the early sending-off of Steven Gerrard to beat their neighbours at Anfield.

And Carragher has hailed the strong team spirit that is helping Benitez's side transform their disappointing season, having now returned to the top four for the first time since October.

"It's a credit to the lads, all of us pulling together," said the veteran defender.

"We were in a similar situation a few years ago when Stevie got sent off a bit earlier and we still got the right result. I think doing it again is a big credit to everyone at the club and for the supporters for sticking behind us and dragging us across the line. If there's one thing you hope to never get accused of in a Merseyside derby, no matter what the result, it's that you lack fight and desire.

"Maybe 10 or 15 years ago that used to get thrown at Liverpool but it's not something that could get thrown at us in the last decade. We've done really well and for the likes of Stevie and myself the derby means a lot to us and right from the start you've got to make your presence felt and that's what we did."

Liverpool have now won five of the last six Merseyside league derbies and secured their fourth Premier League double over Everton.

And Carragher added: "It's always a great result because when you beat Everton there's always a little bit more attached to it.

"I think the circumstances made it a little bit better as well because we had to dig in and show a bit of character.

"It was always going to be a tough game 11 against 11 because Everton have been on a great run so to go down to 10 men for almost an hour and still get the win makes it extra special, but if you look at the league table it's still only three points."

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the views or position of Liverpool Football Club.