Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez believes the BPL title will be won with fewer points this season than last year.

Benitez claims the competition throughout the Barclays Premier League is getting tougher by the week and that, he feels, is down to fellow managers raising the bar and making it tougher for the big clubs.

United won their second successive title with a total of 87 points and Benitez does not think that figure will be beaten in May, and he told Liverpoolfc.tv: "It could be that it takes fewer points to win the title because you can lose games you expect to win. This could be the situation at the end of the season."

He added: "There is not much of a points difference between a lot of teams. That means everyone can beat everyone.

"The managers are working better and the players understand the game more. Players know how to play against you in every game. That makes it more difficult."