Rate it!

36 votes

Reaction from around the Premier League, with Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez saying that the pressure is all on Manchester United and Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp revealing the tragic reason for Wilson Palacios's absence.

West Ham 0-3 Liverpool

Giianfranco Zola: "I don't think (David Di Michele looked for (a penalty). The referee booked him, but he just lost his legs and lost his balance. I don't think it was a simulation. What can i say, Di Michele doesn't get many goals, but he is a key player for us. I don't think on the pitch there was a big difference. In the first half we probably played better than them, the quality of the passing was good."

Rafael Benitez: "We needed to get three points and put them under pressure, and now we will be cheering and supporting Manchester City. It's a derby and if they make a mistake they will be feeling the pressure. Manchester City are a difficult team to play against. If you have Torres and Gerrard on the pitch, it's a massive difference."

"The other team are always thinking 'who will score - Gerrard or Torres?'. It's more difficult for them."

Everton 0-0 Tottenham

Harry Redknapp: "The lad (Palacios) heard from his family at about one in the morning what had happened (his brother in Honduras is believed to have been killed) and his brothers I believe have identified the body. But he sat around the hotel lobby with his case packed until 7am because he didn't want to wake me. I'm amazed with him. But we organised for him to be driven back to London so he could get a flight home. Things like that bring everything into focus. I believe the boy had been kidnapped and a ransom had been paid but he had not been released."

Everton assistant manager Steve Round: "It was difficult at the start because we were not expecting them to play that system. But once we got to grips with the situation, we were in control and particularly in the second half we should have won it. They only had one decent chance in that period when Jermain Defoe shot wide after a really good turn."

West Bromwich Albion 3-1 Wigan Athletic

Tony Mowbray: "I can't do anything about anyone else's results. I've got to look after our own and keep going. We have to believe and keep going. Our home form has been all right all season, we've won a fair few games. I think the great credit for this team is they are still trying to play their football and still be brave enough to play it."

Steve Bruce: "I think that is the third time in a row now their goalkeeper was man of the match. Is is bad attacking or sloppiness in front of goal? We've played the last three games like that, although not so much in the first half when we played some excellent stuff and should have been out of sight. But if you don't take the chances at this level then ultimately you get punished."

Hull City 1-2 Stoke City

Phil Brown: "The most difficult part of the job is trying to maintain self belief. We have still got two games to go and all eyes will be on the game on Monday night. No doubt we want a draw from that game so it remains in our hands. It is a must-win game (against Bolton) at the Reebok Stadium and we have got to get something from both remaining games."

Tony Pulis: "It means everything and to prove a lot of people wrong is nice. I worked very hard in my career as a player and as a coach, I always get up and try to do my best and that is what we have all tried to do this year. The players have been smashing in every game we have played. I'm absolutely delighted. It's been a tough season for us but we have kept going."

Bolton 0-0 Sunderland

Gary Megson on Marton Fulop's late save from Gary Cahill: "It was a magnificent save. I could not see him getting across and getting his fingertips to it. We need to add flair and punch. We have only used 18 players this season, one of whom (Kevin Nolan) was sold in January. We will do our best with the finance available because we must have more numbers to choose from."

Ricky Sbragia on Monday's Newcastle-Middlesbrough game: "I am not going to watch it. I would prefer to be down at the pub rather than pulling my hair out watching it myself. When Newcastle played Portsmouth a couple of weeks ago, I got a text from a friend at 10.20pm telling me it was a draw. Hopefully I will get the same text again."

Blackburn 2-0 Portsmouth

Sam Allardyce: "I am going to enjoy tonight and hope the players do so as well. You have got to give them credit. We have chalked up 27 points from 19 games - that's half a season - since I have been here. That shows you how well we have done as we had taken only 13 points from the previous 17. The players have been magnificent. They are committed and want to play in the best league in the world."

Paul Hart on David James's blunder: "These things happen. You look at the performances he has put in in the last two and a half months - they have been unbelievable. It was certainly our worst performance since February. We have been creating a lot of chances recently but not finishing them off. It was a timely reminder in this division you cannot take your foot off the pedal."

Fulham 3-1 Aston Villa

Roy Hodgson: "We didn't get Diomansy (Kamara) back from the cruciate injury he sustained until February, so he has done exceptionally well to recover as quickly as he has. He sustained the injury in a World Cup qualifier last June and those injuries take a minimum of six months and often nine months. He has been used as a substitute since we got him back but this was his first start.

Martin O'Neill: "In the second half I thought we were very poor. Going forward I thought we were excellent in the first half and could easily have gone in at half-time in front. But the overall picture was not so rosy in the second half. We conceded an early goal and never really got going. The second half was disappointing, we never tested their goalkeeper. We didn't play well enough in the second half and Fulham deserved to win on their performance."

Eurosport