Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has placed Luis Suarez in the same class as Barcelona’s Lionel Messi following the Uruguay international’s match-winning display against Sunderland.

After setting up Raheem Sterling’s opener, the 25-year-old put two goals past the Black Cats on Wednesday night to seal all three points for the Merseyside outfit.

And Rodgers was liberal in his praise for the striker, suggesting that he can maintain his form through playing as many as three games a week, such is his talent.

“Luis was sensational [against Sunderland],” he told the Daily Mirror. “His cleverness in finding space is incredible.

“He’s a striker that has to play two or three times a week to be on top of his game – one game a week is no good to him. He needs to be playing.

“And you see the response you get from him. His work has never dropped. Like Messi he is a real team player and trains every day.

“He is never in the treatment room and then he comes out and performs. As the ball moves he finds the spaces. He’s a wonderful talent, and it will be fantastic to see him develop here.”

QPR boss Harry Redknapp also echoed Rodgers’ comparison to Argentina international Messi after the London outfit’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool on December 30.

“I was talking with Harry Redknapp after our game at QPR,” Rodgers explained. “He said Luis is a Messi-type character,”

Adamant that a challenge for Champions League football is still possible, Rodgers has admitted a good run of results could build up enough momentum to propel the club into the prestigious top four come the campaign’s end.

“I believe the second half of the season we can up the tempo and kick on as we have always hoped to do.” he continued. “You could see it in our performance tonight [against Sunderland], we have the capacity to do that. It’s about consistency from now, and I hope we can get that.

“We were disappointed with the performance against Stoke, but six goals and two clean sheets is the perfect reaction to that, and it’s nine points from 12 over the difficult Christmas period.”

TACTICAL ANALYSIS
By Jack Gaughan at Anfield

Daniel Sturridge’s opening gambit as a Liverpool player revealed as much about the character of the £12 million signing as the self-awareness he may require to become an Anfield success.

“I see myself as a striker. I think I perform best there because my attributes, I believe, are used best as a central striker,” he revealed. “But I have played on the wing and have learned a lot doing so. I’d never refuse to play in that position and I’ve never demanded to play up front, either.”

The potential for trouble, seemingly, has already reared its head.

Brendan Rodgers’ philosophy – for want of a better word – deems that Luis Suarez operates through the middle, ably aided by an attacking trio behind him. In that sense, Sturridge’s almost certain inclusion on the right-hand side makes the Reds eminently more dangerous in the final third and adds a greater goal threat.

Stewart Downing scored his first Premier League goal for the club against Fulham just before Christmas, but despite his upturn in form, will undoubtedly be out of the Melwood doors quicker than you can say “he’s even managed an assist” when a suitable offer comes in from elsewhere.

He was impressive in the win over Sunderland, but did not come up against much and Rodgers will still be looking for a more consistent performer with added flair.

“He made his name at Manchester City and was one of the top young strikers in European football. You make a move as a young player and it’s always going to be difficult, because he is a goalscorer, and the only spell he’s had was at Bolton. When he plays games he scores goals,” Rodgers said of his new signing.

“He gives us power, presence and mobility at the top end of the field. He knows he has to perform if he wants to play at one of the biggest clubs in the world. If he wants to stay at the big level, this is probably his last chance. I’ve got every faith that over his time here he’ll prove a real hit.”

And so, with Sturridge likely to be joined by Blackpool’s Tom Ince, Rodgers looks set to rejig his three in behind Suarez, an area of the pitch so crucial to the way in which he wants to play. With the right mix in there, Liverpool can start to truly believe that the top four is within their reach, and may actually muster the performances required to achieve that.

As for Sturridge, he seems to have already resigned himself to the idea of compromising his position as a central striker to enhance his career. It is admirable in a way – the 23-year-old harbours real international ambitions and realised that they would not reliably be achieved had he stayed in the comfortable, but ultimately gameless, surroundings of Cobham and Stamford Bridge.

The attacker’s best Premier League moments came when he was afforded the freedom to express himself by Owen Coyle at Bolton Wanderers. There is a gross misconception that Sturridge was played as a central striker throughout his 12-game spell at the Reebok Stadium. The eight goals he notched in that time effectively kept the Trotters in the division. He did that while working with the likes of Kevin Davies: now he has Suarez.

The way in which he uses his low centre of gravity to unnerve and move defenders is something Liverpool have missed in recent years – that ability to jink away from his man and change the tempo of proceedings is an asset which could prove to be worth every penny of the £12 million shelled out.

Any success will obviously hinge on the relationship with Suarez. Both are inherently greedy individuals – no bad thing when you are a striker hungry for goals – but they will need to forge a partnership within the three quickly to hit the ground running. With the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City to come in the next few weeks, that might be trickier than expected.

Becoming selfless players for the good of the continued progression of the team could very well happen and they have to be interchangeable to fashion the amount of chances required.

There is another big bonus of having one more front man at the club for Rodgers: it gives him the ability to have a Plan B. Sturridge can now be used as a second striker in a 4-4-2 if Liverpool are chasing the game, which is something they have not been able to do. That could be masqueraded as Rodgers’ stubbornness not to change, but will become clear soon as they search for goals late in games.

One thing is for sure: the advantages of having Sturridge outweigh the problems which could arise. Liverpool supporters ought to be happy with their new purchase, signalling a possible happy January ahead.

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Manchester United duo Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez both star in this week’s XI after grabbing a double each in Tuesday’s 4-0 victory over Wigan.

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez also features after he bagged his 14th and 15th Premier League goals of the season in the 3-0 win over Sunderland, and he is joined by team-mate Steven Gerrard, who played a key role in both the Uruguayan’s strikes.

QPR’s shock 1-0 away victory over Chelsea means there are places for both Shaun Wright-Phillips and Julio Cesar in our TOTW. The wideman grabbed the only goal of the game to snatch all three points, while the Brazilian goalkeeper was on hand to make a number of key saves.

Everton left-back Leighton Baines makes his sixth appearance in our side this year after his stunning 30-yard free kick helped the Toffees come from behind to defeat Newcastle 2-1. Tottenham’s Aaron Lennon also makes the cut following the 3-1 victory over Reading.

Gaston Ramirez is included after Southampton’s 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal, while West Ham defensive duo Winston Reid and Guy Demel round off our XI.

Sergio Aguero and Romelu Lukaku are both unfortunate to miss out after scoring for Manchester City and West Brom respectively, while Manchester United full-backs Rafael and Patrice Evra also just fail to make the grade.