LIVERPOOL....... SUNDERLAND... 3 0
Suarez shows Sturridge who’ll lead the line
LUIS SUAREZ continued ti d hi his sparkling kli run of form as Liverpool brushed aside Sunderland at Anfield. The Uruguayan (left) created the opener for Raheem Sterling and then grabbed a brace.
BRENDAN Rodgers has faced accusations of being overreliant on Luis Suarez, but there is little evidence of it bothering him unduly. He will keep relying on Suarez, and, it seems fair to assume, the Liverpool striker will keep delivering.
New signing Daniel Sturridge was a spectator at Anfield last night, as Suarez provided the most compelling argument for there being only one candidate for the lone striking role if Rodgers sticks to his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
Even at £12million, it won’t be Sturridge. The former Chelsea forward marked his Anfield arrival by confirming he saw himself as an out-and-out central striker, rather than on the wing, where he made his sporadic appearances for the Stamford Bridge club.
Diplomatically, he added that he will happily play wherever Rodgers wants him to, which is just as well. On the evidence that just keeps flowing from Suarez’s boots, the best hope of a starting place for Sturridge has to be on either side of the advanced midfield three.
No- one is going to displace Suarez, who has been lauded for carrying the scoring burden almost by himself but again demonstrated he can create goals as well.
Add the twists and turns that, given his low centre of gravity, make him every defender’s nightmare, and the end product is one of the most complete strikers to grace the Barclays Premier League for years and surely a frontrunner for either, if not both, player of the year awards.
Stewart Downing had already brought the best out of Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet when Suarez seemed to take exception to anyone else stealing the limelight and proceeded to make or take all three Liverpool goals.
Downing might have expected to be shunted to left back, in place of the injured Jose Enrique, but found himself retained on the left of midfield in a vote of confidence from Rodgers that should have left him feeling distinctly more optimistic about having a place in the Liverpool manager’s long-term plans.
It hasn’t always looked that way, but a recent surge in form has prompted a rethink over the former Aston Villa winger, who looked eager to repay his manager’s show of faith with a 12th-minute free kick that brought a flying one-handed save from Mignolet. It was all Suarez from then on. His vision catches opponents out time and again, and Sunderland had no answer when he spotted Raheem Sterling in space and released him with a precise through ball.
So immaculately measured was it, that Sterling was able to let it bounce in front of him and take a look up to gauge the pace of Mignolet’s advance from his line before calmly lobbing the ball over him and into an empty net.
By the end, Sunderland had been steamrolled by Liverpool’s Suarezinspired power and purpose, but they had their moments in the first half, not least when James McClean and Seb Larsson missed clear-cut openings.
McClean’s, in the 22nd minute, would have been an equaliser, after a passing move involving Steven Fletcher and Stephane Sessegnon ended with the winger looking up and finding he had only Pepe Reina to beat. A touch of composure was all that was needed but he dragged the chance wide.
Suarez showed McClean how to finish four minutes later, with a goal that was almost as much a personal triumph for referee Phil Dowd. A clear foul by Carlos Cuellar knocked Suarez off his stride and had the nearby linesman flagging furiously for a free kick. Dowd was about to award one, but, sensing Suarez was winning the battle to stay on his feet, waved play on and saw it turn into the best possible advantage, as Liverpool’s leading marksman drilled an angled shot beyond Mignolet.
Still Sunderland weren’t out of it, though they must have feared the worst after Larsson shot feebly at Reina in the 31st minute.
The outcome was effectively settled when Suarez claimed his 18th goal of the season, just moments after sending Sterling clear once more. Sterling wasted the opportunity but there was little prospect of Suarez following suit after being picked out by a spectacular Steven Gerrard through-ball from inside his own half.
It was brought under control with one touch, just inside the area, and despatched past Mignolet with another, as Suarez overtook his tally for the whole of last season, with the current campaign still four months from completion.
The perfect finale was denied him in the 69th minute, after he brilliantly controlled a pass with the outside of his boot but had his shot blocked by Mignolet. No matter. He’d laid claim to all three points, if not all three goals, and could reflect on further evidence that the Rodgers masterplan is taking shape.