LONDON (AFP) Wayne Rooney insists his League Cup final winner against Aston Villa proves he can cope with the pressure of spearheading Manchester Uniteds treble bid. Rooney found himself in the unusual position of being a spectator at the start of Sundays clash at Wembley after United manager Sir Alex Ferguson opted to rest the England forward to allow him time to recover from a stomach bug and a knee injury. The 24-year-old admitted he was disappointed to have been left out, but not even injury or illness can hold back such a ferocious competitor as Rooney for long. When Michael Owen pulled up with a hamstring injury late in the first half, Rooney entered the fray and gave a vibrant display capped by the 74th minute header that ensured United would win the trophy for the third time in five years. It was his 28th goal of the season and just the latest in a long line of match-winning displays as United come to rely on the forward more and more. And, with the League Cup safely back in the Old Trafford trophy room, Rooney and company now turn their attention to retaining the Premier League title and avenging last seasons Champions League final defeat. Every game from here to the end of the season will be vital but Rooney has no doubts he can cope with the strain of leading United down the home straight. I dont feel any burden to do well. To be honest, Ive probably had a lot of pressure since I was 16, Rooney said. Its something you get used to and try to deal with in your own way. Its not something Im concerned about. Burnout doesnt worry me. I had a good rest here, so hopefully I will play the next few games. After spending much of last season playing out on the left wing to allow Cristiano Ronaldo free rein to roam in central areas, Rooney has been restored to the forward line following the Portuguese stars move to Real Madrid. Not only has he enjoyed a more prolific season as a result, but he has also added aerial prowess to his arsenal and his last five goals have all been headers. Its down to good wing-play, he said. The deliveries have been a lot better this season and Ive managed to get myself in the box in good positions, Rooney said. But I havent set myself a goal target. Cristiano got 42 goals in a season but I want to contribute to us winning medals. As if scoring the winner in a Wembley final wasnt reason enough to break out the champagne, Rooney could also afford a smile at Chelseas defeat to Manchester City on Saturday. United are now just one point behind the Premier League leaders, with Arsenal a further two points adrift, setting up the prospect of a dramatic end to the season. Its really tight. Any one of the three teams could still win the league. I suppose for the neutral its a great league to follow. As a player we know we have to be consistent over our last 10 games. Rooney had little time to celebrate Uniteds triumph as he headed off to Englands training base for tests on his knee before Wednesdays friendly with Egypt at Wembley. He may not be fit to feature in the game, but he has no intention of dwelling on the recent scandal caused by John Terrys affair with the former partner of England team-mate Wayne Bridge. We will concentrate on the football and nothing else, Rooney said. Its no different to me and Im sure for a lot of the other players. Torres keeps Liverpools Champions League push alive Fernando Torres marked his first English Premier League start of 2010 by hitting the winner as Liverpool triumphed 2-1 in a bruising encounter with Blackburn at Anfield on Sunday. Torres has endured an injury-interrupted season but the Spain striker made a telling contribution as Rafa Benitezs side maintained their push to qualify for next seasons Champions League. Keith Andrews scored a shock equaliser for Rovers from the penalty spot to cancel out Steven Gerrards 10th goal of the season before Torres struck in the 44th minute - his 13th Premier League goal of the season - to leave Liverpool sixth in the table, one point behind Tottenham and Manchester City. The pressure on Benitezs side to win had been increased by Tottenhams 2-1 victory over Liverpools city rivals Everton earlier in the day. Not even the presence of Torres could inspire his team-mates in the opening exchanges as Blackburn shot out of the blocks, the mid-table visitors going close to opening the scoring four times alone in the first 15 minutes. Liverpool had recorded clean sheets in six of their previous seven outings but with Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano acting as emergency right-back and both Martin Skrtel and Sotirios Kyrgiakos unavailable, the back four looked anything but solid. The home teams sluggish start was typified in the 16th minute when Lucas was caught in possession by Morten Gamst Pedersen, who threaded a dangerous pass to Mikola Kalinic inside the Liverpool penalty area. But Liverpool fans breathed a sigh of relief after the Croatian striker was unable to find the target from an acute angle before Gerrard broke the deadlock with his sides first real attack. The England midfielder took his goal tally for the season into double figures after a clever move involving Dirk Kuyt and Yossi Benayoun. Gerrard lifted the atmosphere at a subdued Anfield with a neat finish after gliding past Christopher Samba. Liverpools 4-0 win in this fixture last year was overshadowed when both managers became embroiled in a spat after Sam Allardyce took exception to a Benitez hand gesture he interpreted as signalling that the game was all over when Liverpool had taken a 2-0 lead. Benitez tried to clarify the issue by claiming that he was jokingly telling his players not to listen to him after they had ignored his orders and gone on to score. Allardyces anger still simmers, though, and ahead of this game he declared that Liverpools recent run of hard-fought results had been achieved with the same uncompromising style Benitez had shown last year. But the only hand gestures coming from Benitez this time were borne out of frustration as Liverpool struggled to build on their lead and found themselves back on level terms five minutes before half-time. Liverpool had been threatening to press the self-destruct button all afternoon when defender Jamie Carragher needlessly handled inside his own area which allowed Andrews to equalise from the penalty spot. But Blackburn have established a reputation as notorious poor travellers this season and they found themselves behind again in the 44th minute, Torres sliding in to connect with Maxi Rodruguezs low cross into the six-yard area. It was one setback too many for Blackburn to come back from, the visitors finishing a crunching game with five players booked. Steven Nzonzi was fortunate not to be shown a straight red card after shoving Lucas to the floor in the 50th minute while El Hadji Diouf, who was later booked, became embroiled in a heated exchange with former team-mate Gerrard after Kalinic had gone down too easily for Liverpools liking in the penalty area.