The Anfield chief, however, wants his players to grasp the opportunity at home to Portsmouth on Wednesday to strengthen their lead at the top while trying desperately to keep the lid on the rapidly-growing expectation among the club's fans.

Benitez, who will again be without hamstring casualty Fernando Torres said: "It is a crucial week for us.

"We are at the top for the first time and everybody is waiting for our reaction, to see whether we can we handle it.

"So we must concentrate even more now. We must not slip up or lose our focus.

"We are in a fantastic position and we will try to stay there as long as we can.

"The key for me is that the team is working together, all of them helping and motivating their team-mates. That is a massive difference.

"It is good to have confidence, but there is a long way to go. I do not want to hear people saying 'we can do this or that.' Forget it. I want them to go out and do it.

"Keeping a lid on expectation is difficult. The fans want to see the team at the top and they badly want the title, so it is difficult to keep our people calm.

"We know we have the responsibility to give the same message to everyone, the fans in particular."

Benitez understands the desire among Liverpool fans for a title triumph after an 18-year famine since they last lifted the English crown.

But he said: "We are top, and we are pleased to be there. But we also have a clear understanding and vision about the future, and we know there are a lot more games to go.

"The team has confidence and is playing well, but we dare not allow our thoughts to stray too far beyond Portsmouth next.

"But there is a massive difference between this season and previous seasons. There is a character and quality about our team, and I cannot hide this.

"Everything is very positive but we know how difficult it is to win titles so we just must keep going."

Sunday's 1-0 win at Chelsea, ending the west Londoners' 86-game unbeaten home league run, has seen Liverpool's title odds slashed and a realisation that this Benitez side has the makings of champions.

The manner of the Stamford Bridge victory underlines that. Liverpool's controlled, defensive display never bordered on panic as Chelsea failed to mount a significant bombardment in the closing stages.

That differs from when Manchester United were leading 1-0 there in September, but eventually cracked under sustained pressure.

Benitez said: "We played particularly well at Chelsea in the second half, we had more confidence and more options on the counter attack.

"They also were nervous, they had been unbeaten at home in the league for a long time and they were trying to go forward too quickly, and they made mistakes.

"That made it easier for us because we were well organised, working so hard, and we were able to control them.

"We know that if we want to stay at the top we must keep on winning the next games, if we do not then people will say that all we did at Chelsea is wasted.

"If you want to stay at the top then you cannot barely afford to lose any game.

"As in previous seasons, the top sides are winning and winning and winning. This has been the situation in the four years I have been here.

"Each season you know you have to win virtually every game. The big teams lose very few.

"And we find that every team that comes to Anfield plays defensively, deep and it is very difficult to break them down. But that is the Premier League."

Liverpool are unbeaten in 15 games, and have lost just two of 58 home league games. Benitez added: "If you want to be a contender, you need character and quality.

"Now we are showing we have enough quality and great character after coming back from behind in five games to win. And now we have won at Chelsea and beaten Everton and Manchester United.

"We have the two main ingredients that I feel are needed to make a genuine challenge."

Liverpool will run into their former striker Peter Crouch on Wednesday, the England man leaving Anfield in the summer because of his frustration at spending so much time on the bench.

Benitez said: "Peter is a fantastic lad, we signed him and wanted to keep him. But we couldn't, he wanted to play more. I still wish him every success and hope he scores many goals for England, but not for Portsmouth this week!

"I am sure he will come here with that extra motivation, I would be surprised if he felt any different playing again at Anfield.

"He did well here, the fans liked him, and we know he will be dangerous."