Rodgers revelling in Reds’ revival

Brendan Rodgers has maintained that as long as there is hope he will be able to keep hold of his top Liverpool players and that feeling was not in short supply at Anfield last night.

After Raheem Sterling opened the scoring, the outstanding Luis Suarez added two more as Liverpool recorded consecutive Premier League victories for just the second time this season to move within seven points of the top four.

Suarez will never win over the opposition fans but few at Anfield care after the Uruguayan extended his tally of Premier League goals to 15 for the season, already the highest total since Fernando Torres scored 18 three years ago, in a victory that was as impressive as it was comfortable.

Steven Gerrard has returned to form, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson continue the process of starting to show why they cost so much money in 2011.

Daniel Sturridge’s arrival will not have United and City quaking but it is undoubtedly good news, as is the imminent departure of Joe Cole, although the €3.7 million Liverpool are paying him to ease the move to West Ham is another reminder of the follies that cannot be repeated and that restrict the pace of Rodgers’ rebuilding.

“You’ve got to give credit to the players, effort and the quality was phenomenal, a lot of tired players throughout the country but the intensity and condition and work they put in, when you marry that with the quality it was fantastic,” Rodgers said.

“I was talking to Harry Redknapp on Monday and he was saying (Suarez is) a Messi-type character. At the start of the season I was trying to give him a breather and he didn’t want it.

“One game a week is no good for him, he needs to be playing and you see the response you get from him.”

Downing was the first to threaten with a free-kick that was turned around the post by Simon Mignolet but the hosts pulled in front after 18 minutes thanks to a moment of incredible skill from Suarez.

The Uruguayan received a Gerrard header on his chest and hooked a lob with the perfect weight over the top for Sterling to surge clear and lift the ball over Mignolet.

Sunderland should have pulled level when Steven Fletcher guided a pass through for James McClean, only for the Republic of Ireland winger to thump just wide of goal.

That was punished when Suarez raced on to Gerrard’s header, staying on his feet when the linesman indicated he had been fouled by Carlos Cuellar, before drilling a shot through Mignolet.

The visitors were subdued but threatened once again when Adam Johnson bent a ball into the area and Pepe Reina made a fine flying save from Matt Kilgallon.

After the interval there was another wonderful flick from Suarez that should have seen Sterling add a third.

But six minutes into the second period, Suarez did the job himself.

This time there was a more conventional assist for Gerrard, who thumped a 60-yard pass from the right-back position for Suarez to collect the ball on his chest and burst through to score.

Rodgers has been baffled by the criticism that has been directed towards Gerrard and that was the eighth goal he has set up for the season, beating his combined tallies for the two previous campaigns.

Rodgers said: “People talking about him not being fit, he’s been phenomenal, his running even at the end.”

Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill admitted the better side won.

He said: “We had a couple of chances in the first half and had to take one of those and that would have given us a lift and a foothold. We gave away two poor goals and Liverpool deserved to win.’’

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Reina 7; Wisdom 7, Skrtel 7 (Carragher 73), Agger 7, Johnson 7; Lucas 7, Gerrard 8, Henderson 7 (Suso 67, 6); Sterling 7 (Allen 57, 6), Suarez 9, Downing 7.

SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): Mignolet 6; Gardner 5, Kilgallon 6, Cuellar 5, Rose 5 (Vaughan 73); Johnson 6, Larsson 6 (McFadden 62, 6), Colback 5, McClean 6; Sessegnon 5 (Campbell 46, 6), Fletcher 6.

Referee: Phil Dowd.