Benitez challenges stars to bounce back

LONDON: Rafael Benitez has challenged his Liverpool stars to prove their 2-1 defeat at Tottenham was only a blip by getting their title challenge back on track against Stoke tomorrow.

Benitez's side slumped to an opening weekend loss on Sunday that left the Liverpool manager raging over referee Phil Dowd's decision to deny the Reds two late penalties.

Dowd ruled that Tottenham defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto had done nothing wrong when he barged into Andriy Voronin and then appeared to handle Fernando Torres's cross.