Suarez and Reds set for defining moment

Liverpool 4 West Brom 1

Not since Robbie Keane scored one of his five league goals for Liverpool with a fine half volley just before Christmas five years ago, has a trip to north London felt as significant for the Anfield side.

And when the sides trot out at the Emirates, it will never be clearer why Liverpool were so resolute in their efforts to prevent Suarez departing for Arsenal during an acrimonious summer.

Arsenal are top of the table and may not have signed Mesut Ozil if they had been successful in their move for Suarez but where would they be if they had managed to prise the Uruguayan away from Anfield?

And, for all Daniel Sturridge’s impressive work, where would Liverpool be heading?

Suarez’s obvious joy at his outstanding hat-trick at the weekend, taking his tally to six from five Premier League matches since returning from his ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, will do little to quell suspicions that he still sees himself moving on next summer at the latest.

Rodgers, who stands by his claim that joining Arsenal would have been a sideways move for Suarez, disagrees.

“No I wouldn’t say that. I think he, like ourselves, wants to be at the very highest level he can be and you can see by his performances that he deserves to be looking at that level.

“He is a wonderful player and you could see there that I wanted to give him a round of applause with the supporters at the end. He is building that relationship again and when he performs like that you can see that love for each other between the supporters and him.

“I just knew that once he was told and the decision was made that we wouldn’t sell I knew that it would be difficult for him initially but that he would get his head down and work. That is in his nature.

“We felt we had to make a stand and it is paying off and it is paying off for him as well because the team is getting better and that is something he wants to be a part of.”

Described as a magician by owner John Henry on Twitter and “amazing” by watching tennis player Caroline Wozniacki, Suarez’s performance was one of brilliance.

He poked through Jonas Olsson’s legs and prodded Liverpool ahead and from a stabbed Aly Cissokho cross that some would have hidden from, he guided a header into the top corner from the edge of the area.

The 26-year-old glanced in from Steven Gerrard’s free-kick to complete his hat-trick and, after James Morrison pulled one back from the spot, Sturridge produced a fine chip to add a fourth.

Jordan Henderson, who laughed off Alex Ferguson’s criticism of his running style, was lost for words in attempting to describe his team-mate, while West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill played well and conceded four.

“I would say he is unplayable,” Myhill said. “With all the troubles he’s had here he’s turned it around with unbelievable performances.”

LIVERPOOL (3-1-4-2): Mignolet 6; Toure 7, Skrtel 7, Sakho 6; Lucas 7; Johnson 7 (Kelly 62, 6), Gerrard 8 (Allen 86), Henderson 7, Cissokho 7; Sturridge 8, Suarez 9 (Alberto 89).

WEST BROM (4-5-1): Myhill 7; Jones 6, McAuley 7, Olsson 5, Ridgewell 5; Amaltifano 5 (Morrison 45, 6), Mulumbu 5, Yacob 5 (Brunt 68, 6), Anichebe 5; Sessegnon 6; Anelka 5 (Long 69, 6).

Referee: Jonathan Moss.