For the first four months of the season, Liverpool have successfully juggled their ambitions on the domestic and European fronts and, with the Champions League in cold storage until late February, Rafael Benítez wants his team to use the break to strengthen their challenge for a first league title since 1990.

Liverpool lead Chelsea by one point at the top of the Barclays Premier League table, with Manchester United a further five points adrift, and, while Benítez has been eager to play down their prospects so far, he believes that his team have an opportunity to step up their title challenge before the Champions League resumes on February 24.

A more emotional manager may be preoccupied by the Champions League first knockout draw a week today - in which his team could be paired with Real Madrid, the club that have frequently courted him, or Inter Milan, coached by José Mourinho, his fierce adversary - but yesterday he was thinking only of the opportunity presented by the break from European football.

“We now have almost three months to concentrate on the Premier League and the FA Cup,” Benítez said yesterday. “We would want to go back into Europe next year still top of the table. We have qualified for the next stage in Europe, we are top of the Premier League and now we can concentrate on domestic considerations. We do not want to give up top spot. If we are still there when we start up again in Europe, the chances of a really good season will be obvious.”

With a home match against Hull City tomorrow afternoon, Liverpool have the opportunity to be four points clear at the top of the table by the time Chelsea take on West Ham United at Stamford Bridge the next day, but this is precisely the kind of fixture in which Benítez's team have often been found wanting this season.

Goalless draws at home to Stoke City, Fulham and West Ham have raised doubts about whether Liverpool have the ability to go the distance in the title campaign, but Benítez is eager for them to underline their credentials against Hull before turning their minds to their next fixtures, away to Arsenal, at home to Bolton Wanderers and away to Newcastle United in the league and a trip to to Preston North End in a tricky FA Cup third-round tie.

It will be interesting to see whether Benítez opts to use the January transfer window to strengthen his squad, as he has traditionally done. He is far happier with his squad this season - and suggested last week that there was no cause to sign a new centre forward, despite Fernando Torres's persistent hamstring problem - but, with Jermaine Pennant likely to leave the club and doubts over the future of Andrea Dossena, who has struggled at left back since his arrival from Udinese for about £7million last summer, changes are possible.

Benítez must hope that his hand is not forced by the continuing uncertainty over the future of Daniel Agger. The Denmark defender has still to agree an extension to his contract, which expires at the end of next season, and is evidently being touted around Europe's top clubs by third parties in case Liverpool decide to sell him.

What is more confusing is the extent of the interest shown by Real and AC Milan. Just as José Ángel Sánchez, the Real financial director, backtracked in October from quotes in which he appeared to express an interest in signing the 24-year-old, so Milan denied yesterday that Adriano Galliani, their vice-president, had stated that “we have of course noticed the problems that Agger and Liverpool have on agreeing a new contract”.

Liverpool are confident that Agger will sign a new long-term deal, but his agent, Per Steffensen, continues to cast doubt. “I don't know if he will stay,” Steffensen said. “It's not only up to Daniel. He has said that he is happy at Liverpool, but there are always two parties.”