'Hunting possession helped us dominate'
Jordan Henderson believes Saturday's scintillating 5-1 victory over Arsenal was brought about by Liverpool's sheer determination to wrestle the ball back off their opponents.
For all the poise and pace the Reds showed in possession, Henderson insists their intensity and willingness to press without the ball was crucial on a memorable afternoon at Anfield.
With Liverpool leading 1-0 thanks to Martin Skrtel's opener, Brendan Rodgers could be seen animated on the sidelines, imploring his players to stifle the Gunners in the middle of the park.
His instructions were heeded unerringly as the visitors were limited to sporadic possession and the rate of turnover in Liverpool's favour during the first half was, at times, staggering.
Henderson helped drive that charge for the ball from midfield alongside the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling, who were relentless in their pressure and then incisive when it mattered.
If Rodgers' vision for a fluctuating, ruthless Liverpool attack was there for all to see on Saturday, then so too was his ethos of harrying the opposition and retaining the play immediately.
"There was a lot of energy, we hunted the ball back and there was a great appetite for the game," Henderson told Liverpoolfc.com.
"We started really well in the game. We set off on a really good footing with the goals and we just kept wanting more and more. We pressed really well and I think everyone is delighted with that performance.
"A big part of our game is the intensity and it's about getting the ball back quickly when we lose it. I felt as though we did that well today, especially in the first half. We won it back and a couple of our goals came from that. So that's pleasing."
Liverpool's fifth goal was Raheem Sterling's second of the afternoon - his sixth of the season.
The 19-year-old was operating near to the peak of his powers as he drove at Arsenal from the first whistle, tapping in one goal at the Anfield Road end and driving another in front of the Kop.
It was a performance which saw him scoop man of the match awards from a variety of sources and drew high praise from his manager afterwards.
"He's a great player," insisted Henderson. "Defensively he works really hard for the team and going the other way he's fantastic. Scoring goals is important for any forward player and he's adding that to his game, which is brilliant.
"I think he's got every chance of going to the World Cup in the summer. He's still a young lad, but at the same time, he's mature enough and if you look at his performances, he's one of the stand-out players of the season for me.
"The way he's played in the last few weeks has been unbelievable. I'm sure the manager [Roy Hodgson] will be keeping a close eye on him."