Indignant Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez accused Chelsea winger Arjen Robben of histrionics and said he would appeal against keeper Pepe Reina's dismissal for shoving the Dutchman during their league clash on Sunday.
Reina clumsily challenged forward Eidur Gudjohnsen in the closing minutes of the game, with Chelsea 2-0 up. During the melee that followed he pushed Robben in the face and the winger slumped dramatically to the ground.
Referee Alan Wiley showed the Spanish goalkeeper a red card.
With heavy sarcasm Benitez said: "I'm in a hurry now because I think I should get down to the hospital. Maybe Robben will be three weeks in hospital. Maybe he has his neck broken, I don't know."
Benitez said Reina had done wrong in raising a hand to the winger but added: "What kind of professional can you be if against another professional you leave the other player not able to play for three games?"
The clash, the ninth between the teams since Benitez and Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho took over a season and a half ago, was always likely to be tense with third-placed Liverpool desperate to close the gap on the champions.
The result effectively killed off their bid, dropping them 21 points behind Chelsea, who have lost only once this season. Manchester United in second are 15 points adrift.
Benitez could not be induced by reporters to admit Chelsea, who added a second through Hernan Crespo in the second half, are now out of reach.
"If you watched the first half, maybe you would not know who was top of the league," he countered.
Liverpool, whose one win in the nine came in the semi-final of the Champions League last May, a fact that still haunts Chelsea, looked strong until Chelsea's first goal poached by defender William Gallas against the run of play.
A delighted Mourinho would not be drawn into the red card argument. "I am very happy. Why should I comment on what Rafa Benitez said," he said.
The game he said "proved we are the best in the country."
Mourinho said his side had responded well to three draws in a row -- a mini slump in their terms -- and now needed only eight more wins to clinch their second title in a row.
"The important thing is to be champions again and in this moment we are in a very good position."
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