Liverpool 2 Aston Villa 2

LIVERPOOL captain Steven Gerrard admitted the ongoing problems off the pitch are affecting the team after his side scraped a 2-2 draw at home to Aston Villa.

Peter Crouch rescued a Barclays Premier League point with a late goal at Anfield last night.

Crouch hooked in right footed from ten yards in the the 88th minute to avert a disastrous result for under-fire manager Rafael Benitez.

Yossi Benayoun gave the Reds a 19th-minute lead but Marlon Harewood (69) and a Fabio Aurelio own goal (72) threatened to win it for Villa.

Gerrard said: eeWe should win all of our home games, with the squad wefve got. Wefre disappointed with the draw but credit to Villa, they maybe deserved a point.

eeItfs certainly not good enough. Wefll keep going, it (the title race) is not over until it is over. But itfs certainly not good enough.ff Asked about whether the speculation concerning the future of the clubfs ownership and Benitezfs position is having an effect, Gerrard said: eeItfs not just this week, itfs been going on for some time and itfs certainly not helping the players.

eeIfve got to be careful what I say about the situation but itfs certainly not helping the team.

eeWe know whatfs going on, but as players youfve got a job to do on the pitch and you try to put whatfs going on off the pitch to the back of your mind. But sometimes itfs impossible, when it is every day.ff Gerrard was not himself last night as a draw meant Liverpool slipped 14 points behind Manchester United and Arsenal.

Everton have moved to keep reward two of their homegrown stars by signing Tony Hibbert and Leon Osman on new longterm contracts.

The two 26-year-olds have signed deals that will keep them at Goodison Park until 2012.

Both players have spent their entire careers at Goodison, with Hibbert and Osman coming through the clubfs Academy as part of the same youth side.

Both have played key roles in Evertonfs impressive form this season and, between them, have made 329 first team appearances for the Blues. Hibbert will figure in tomorrowfs Carling Cup semi-final second leg at home to Chelsea, while Osman is close to a return after recovering from a broken foot.