He admits their Champions League hopes will not be easy against a swash-buckling Napoli side headed by brilliant striker Cavani.

AVB said: “He is an amazing player and is their main man. But they have a strong front three with Hamsik, Cavani and Lavezzi. They are all a danger.

“But, to be fair, their strength is in the collective spirit. They have an inner belief in each other.”

Despite the visitors’ best efforts, fair and foul, Andy Carroll refused to be shackled, Steven Gerrard was his usual rampaging self and Luis Suarez, after all that recent controversy, edged further towards top form.

It was the trio’s first start together and the timing was perfect given Liverpool will look to secure their first trophy since 2006 when they take on Cardiff in the Carling Cup final at Wembley next Sunday.

“”The three of them are fantastic footballers and they played really well today,” said Dalglish. ”

“The more any team gets iconic players like they are on the pitch the better chance they have of being successful.

“But we have got more than three players.

“The fact we have done as well as we have and that was the first time the three of them have started a match tells you how well the other boys have done.

“We will stand and be counted as a squad and I don’t think we have done too badly this year.”

Despite the visitors’ best efforts, fair and foul, Andy Carroll refused to be shackled, Steven Gerrard was his usual rampaging self and Luis Suarez, after all that recent controversy, edged further towards top form.

It was the trio’s first start together and the timing was perfect given Liverpool will look to secure their first trophy since 2006 when they take on Cardiff in the Carling Cup final at Wembley next Sunday.

“”The three of them are fantastic footballers and they played really well today,” said Dalglish. ”

“The more any team gets iconic players like they are on the pitch the better chance they have of being successful.

“But we have got more than three players.

“The fact we have done as well as we have and that was the first time the three of them have started a match tells you how well the other boys have done.

“We will stand and be counted as a squad and I don’t think we have done too badly this year.”

Great rivals Tottenham are 10 points ahead in third place and will hope to do the double over Arsenal when they travel to Emirates Stadium next Sunday after winning 2-1 at White Hart Lane in October.

Asked about another trophyless season, Wenger said: “The competition is very hard in England. I do not want to speak too much about that. We can speak a long time about that one day.

“At the moment we have to forget all that and focus on our next game and try to win it. We have won our last away game in the Premier League so let’s win our next one at home.”

The Mirror says City are ready to make a £35million bid for Gaitan.

The Argentina international is also on Manchester United’s radar, but City are hoping to beat their local – and title – rivals to his signature by simply out-bidding them.

“City officials are understood to have contacted their Benfica counterparts this week and made clear their desire to sign the 23-year-old attacking midfielder. ”

Gaitan is viewed as one of the most exciting and dynamic young players in the world, and impressed in Benfica’s Champions League encounters with United earlier this season.

City had him watched in a recent Portuguese League Cup game against Maritimo, and football administrator Brian Marwood is understood to have begun the process of trying to formalise a deal with Benfica.

Redknapp has now admitted he has discussed the prospect of adding Hazard to his squad and any deal would be a coup for Spurs given the level of interest in the schemer.

“Hazard is a player that we have spoken about,” said Redknapp.

“He is a player who is definitely on our list.

“We spoke about him a few weeks ago. We started talking about possibly getting him in then.”

Rooney used his Twitter account to taunt Yaya and brother Kolo about the defeat to Zambia.

And after immediately hitting his powerful stride when he returned to the City team that won 2-1 at Porto in the Europa League on Thursday night, the younger Toure wants to make the Manchester United striker pay for the insult.

Toure said: “If Rooney thought Ivory Coast losing was funny then that’s up to him. I like Rooney. He is a great player.

““He will know a lot of the Ivory Coast players like me, Kolo, (Cheick) Tiote and (Didier) Drogba so he’ll have an opinion. ”

“I think many people believed Ivory Coast would win. Even my friends said to me that they thought it was impossible that we would lose. All I can say is that losing in the African Nations has made my determination to win the Premier League even bigger.

“Hopefully at the end of the ­season it will be me laughing and not Rooney. That would be good.”

The Sunday Mirror says Wenger is sitting on an incredible transfer fund.

Wenger has been ­criticised for failing to buy big and replace big name sales. Samir Nasri fetched around £22m when he moved to Manchester City while Arsenal ­collected £35m from Barcelona’s ­recruitment of Cesc Fabregas.