'Stevie added extra quality at the end'

Having started Saturday's clash with West Bromwich Albion in his now regular holding midfield berth, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard concluded the fixture in a more advanced position – buoying Brendan Rodgers with a late rush of stellar creativity.

For the majority of this calendar year, the No.8 has been operating from a deeper region in the team, co-ordinating attacks with his impeccable passing and offering assurance to the younger players in front of him.

The introduction of Lucas Leiva for the final quarter-hour of a 2-1 victory over the Baggies at Anfield brought an opportunity for Gerrard to move forward, though, and the transition was typically seamless.

Dovetailing encouragingly with Mario Balotelli, his short-range distribution suddenly asked new questions of the visiting defence, and all despite the exertions in a week that started with a Merseyside derby and included a Champions League trip to Switzerland.

"You could see his quality and his ability to combine with Balotelli straight away," Rodgers reflected on the skipper's impact in the final third, once three points had been safely secured for the home side.

"Steven is a player who makes the game look simple and Mario knows he is playing with one of the greats of the game. Mario is a guy who needs certain types of passes and Steven is the sort of player who can provide them.

"He definitely added something to our game in that position, though I feel he has been outstanding in the deeper position too. It was refreshing to see the cleverness and brightness he brought, and that was his third tough game in a week."

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