Wigan 0 Liverpool 4: Liverpool Canter To Victory

A blistering Luis Suarez hat-trick saw Liverpool dismiss Wigan with the ruthless efficiency on display against Swansea and Zenit. 

Wigan with QPR having won away to Southampton earlier in the day had a glorious chance within the first 40 seconds to open the scoring.  Kone, failed to anticipate Carragher missing the cross and volleyed tamely into Reina’s arms.

The 3-0 score line at half-time could quite easily have been different with Pepe Reina pulling of sharp saves to deny Boyce and Di Santo proving the Madrid born keeper is back to his world class best.

Liverpool supporters over the years are used to Reina setting up goals with his goal kicks and the first goal was no different.  A long punt found Countinho on the left and the young Brazilian left Boyce trailing with a drop of the shoulder before delivering an inch perfect cross for the unchallenged Downing to head home for his second goal for the Reds.

The second a brilliant move, was born out of South America.   Coutinho picking up the ball on the left deep in his own half, playing a one two with Gerrard before driving relentlessly toward the area, before cutting back inside the defender to deliver an exquisite rapier like pass to Suarez who faking to shoot, left Al Habsi on his haunches, before dispatching the ball with the coolness that has become his trademark.

Wigan’s disarray was there for all to see with Boyce and McArthur having to parted by team mates after a backpass was very nearly capitalise on by Suarez.

Suarez soon increased Wigan’s agony after being brought down outside the area.  His free-kick took a huge deflection of Shaun Maloney before going in off the post past a scrabbling Habsi.

Wigan came out pressing and passing a lot better without fashioning out any clear cut chances.

Glen Johnson as he has done so often, picked the ball up, unleashing one his trademark runs, surging past three players before sending Suarez in to hit a shot with the outside of his boot through Al Habsi legs for his second hat-trick of the season.

Liverpool sat back and invited Wigan to break them down conceding possession.  The home team still had only one clear cut chance with Scharner's header superbly turned away by Reina at full stretch.

Jordan Henderson, who replaced the impressive Coutinho, almost added a fifth when his header was cleared of the line.

Kop-Post Man of the Match: Luis Suarez – The Uruguayan International was quite simply superb from start to finish and is now the Premiership’s leading marksman on 21 goals.  His goals suggest he is now an all-round striker scoring goals inside the box and thundering free-kicks from outside, whereas is in his first season you wouldn’t have wanted him anywhere near a free-kick after some poor efforts.

His link-up play with Gerrard has always been excellent, but already his relationship with Coutinho has taken on exciting dimensions, as the ex-Inter Milan winger has vision and the ability to play on the same page as Suarez.  His cross for Downing was excellent and is something which has been missing from Liverpool wingers this season and the ball through for Suarez first was stunning.

Critical Eye:   Really pleasing to see Stewart Downing getting in there to score the goal with the instinct of a striker.  But, once again, his final ball from wide positions was very disappointing and the irony of ironies was that the cross for his goal was the type quality we expect/want from him.

I find it difficult to fathom that after going up 4-0 that substitutions benefiting the squad in the long run weren’t forth coming.  Coates and to a lesser degree Suso are in need of confidence boost and what better way to do so when the game is already sown up.  Assaidi also showed recently that he deserves a shot in the limelight.

Manager’s Comments: "He is absolutely incredible. Forget his quality - you talk about his hunger and desire. He trains every single day of his life. He never wants to opt out of training and have an easy day or a rest.

"And then every time he comes out onto the pitch he gives stunning performances and gives his maximum.

"A brilliant hat-trick for him and a great day for the team, because this is a difficult place to come. To play like that and get the goals and the clean sheet was terrific for us."

"There was a real focus and concentration in our game today. We've got performance goals that we want to finish the season with and it will give us a real good base going forward.

"We've played well a lot of this season. What's set us behind has been individual errors and mistakes. The good thing about today is I could see the real work the players are putting in. The graft they're doing on the training field is being taken into the games.

"They're now very accustomed to how we ask them to play. To press as a team, high up the pitch, and then when to drop into a block.

"They controlled the game. All four goals were built from behind and we finished it off with great goals."

Team: 25 Reina, 2 Johnson, 3 Enrique, 5 Agger, 23 Carragher, 8 Gerrard, 10 Coutinho (Henderson – 70 mins), 19 Downing, 21 Lucas, 24 Allen, 7 Suarez

Subs: 42 Gulacsi, 16 Coates, 47 Wisdom, 14 Henderson, 33 Shelvey, 11 Assaidi, 30 Suso

Referee: Martin Atkinson

Attendance: 20,804