Brendan Rodgers returns to Liverpool under pressure after a shock 4-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.
Things may get worse for the former Liverpool boss at Anfield, where he has not won as an opposition manager in four attempts.
However, as Liverpool manager Rodgers oversaw a number of memorable Anfield victories and ahead of his return Merseysportlive remembers his best.
- Liverpool 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur 2013
Rodgers’ first season on Merseyside was a turbulent one in which the club won just nine home league games.
Their flaws and potential were both on display as they edged a chaotic game with Spurs.
Luis Suarez opened the scoring after 21 minutes when he poked his 29th goal of the season past Hugo Lloris.
A shaky Liverpool defence struggled to cope with PFA Player of the Year Gareth Bale and the Welshman’s deliveries twice set up Jan Vertonghen to give Spurs the lead.
A Lloris mistake gifted Stewart Downing a simple equaliser and rare goal after 65 minutes.
Captain Steven Gerrard sealed a much-needed win from the spot by with eight minutes remaining after Benoît Assou-Ekotto fouled Suarez.
- Liverpool 1-0 Manchester United 2013
Rodgers’ only home win against Liverpool’s bitter rivals came in September 2013 when United travelled to Anfield for the first time in the post Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Liverpool were without the suspended Suarez but had started the season with back to back 1-0 wins against Stoke and Aston Villa.
The trend continued in a cagey game at Anfield and the only goal of the game came from Daniel Sturridge’s head in the fourth minute.
Daniel Agger headed Gerrard’s corner goalward allowing Sturridge to flick the ball past David de Gea.
It was the first win in a league double over United.
- Liverpool 4-0 Everton 2014
By January 2014 Rodgers’ Liverpool were gathering momentum, with the SAS partnership of Suarez and Sturridge terrorising Premier League defences.
Liverpool dominated throughout, and Gerrard broke the deadlock after 21 minutes when he met Suarez’s corner with a bullet header.
14 minutes later the score was 3-0 after Sturridge bagged two goals in two minutes.
He ruthlessly dispatched his first after a precise through ball by Phillipe Coutinho before lobbing a helpless Tim Howard.
Sturridge missed a chance for a Merseyside derby hat-trick from the penalty spot, but Suarez sealed the reds’ biggest win over the blues since 1982 in the 50th minute, after running unopposed from the halfway line.
- Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City 2014
Liverpool went into the game against their title rivals knowing a win would put them four games away from a first league title in 24 years.
The reds began strongest, spurred on by the Anfield crowd, and were ahead just six minutes in after Raheem Sterling sat down Joe Hart and finished into an empty net.
Martin Skrtel doubled the lead 20 minutes later, flicking Gerrard’s near post corner past Hart for his seventh goal of the campaign.
City regained control in the second half and were level after two goals in five minutes. David Silva grabbed the first before Glen Johnson poked the ball into his own goal.
The game was headed towards a stalemate with 12 minutes to go until Vincent Kompany sliced his clearance into the path of Coutinho.
The Brazilian slammed the ball into the bottom corner to seal the win.
City would go on to win the league, but it was a victory which gave Liverpool supporters belief for the first time in years.
- Liverpool 5-1 Arsenal
Arsenal arrived at Anfield top of the table but were blown away by Liverpool’s best 20 minutes of football under Rodgers.
Skrtel opened the scoring in the first minute by converting Gerrard’s free kick from close range before doubling his tally 9 minutes later with an unstoppable header.
In the 16th minute a rapid counter attack that started with Jordan Henderson dispossessing Mesut Ozil ended with Sterling making it 3-0 with a simple finish.
Four minutes later Sturridge completed the blitz, coolly finishing past Wojciech Szczesny for four.
Sterling grabbed a second-half fifth before Mikel Arteta netted a consolation in a game where a rampant Liverpool demonstrated their attacking potential under Rodgers.
(Featured image, credit to Zweifussler – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Kop,_Anfield_(3).jpg)
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