RAFA: ARBELOA HAS FOLLOWED DIRK'S LEAD

Jimmy Rice 12 March 2007 Rafa Benitez today praised the instant impact of January signing Alvaro Arbeloa, claiming the Spaniard has settled into the club with the same ease as Dirk Kuyt.

The full-back was thrust into action in both Barca ties, playing out of position on the left to subdue Lionel Messi. His contribution has been somewhat overlooked in some quarters – but not by Benitez. "It's never easy for a new player to settle immediately and it's even more difficult if someone comes from another country and doesn't speak the language," said the Liverpool boss. "It is always a sign of quality if someone can come into the side and play well straight away. We saw this earlier in the season with Kuyt, who did well as soon as he joined us. "Now Arbeloa has joined the club and played at a good level against Barcelona. That will help his confidence as he looks to improve even more at Liverpool." Next up for the Reds is a trip to Villa Park on Sunday, and Benitez is determined Premiership focus isn't lost as the Champions League hots up. "We will use the break to give the players a few days off, but we're not going away this time," he said. "Now it's important for us to think about the next game at Aston Villa."