BR hails 'relentless' Reds after City win

The Reds clinched a vital 2-1 triumph after a thrilling encounter at Anfield against the reigning Barclays Premier League champions to move into fifth position in the standings.

They took the lead in emphatic style when Jordan Henderson, the captain in Steven Gerrard's absence, took matters into his own hands to curl a rasping effort beyond Joe Hart after 11 minutes.

City responded when Edin Dzeko pounced to slot beyond Simon Mignolet and level the scores; however, Liverpool were undeterred and they battled tooth and nail to retain the lead.

Then, with 15 minutes left on the clock, Coutinho scooped possession out on the left, manoeuvred inside onto his right foot and unleashed an unstoppable strike which nestled in the Kop net.

"It was a brilliant result and an equally brilliant performance," reflected Rodgers. "I thought we thoroughly deserved the victory.

"I thought the players were relentless today in their work and their intensity and we had some great quality in our football. It was very, very pleasing."

The victory came on the back of the Reds' Europa League exit at the hands of Besiktas at the Ataturk Stadium on Thursday night.

Rodgers' side fought for 120 minutes in Istanbul and were defeated in a penalty shootout before travelling back to Merseyside with limited time to prepare for City's visit.

"Some of you guys will have come to our game, travelling with the press on the journey with us," said the manager. "And I'm sure you felt first-hand what it was like, getting back at half past four in the morning and probably not getting home until about six o'clock.

"To then have to prepare yourself for a game against the champions is no mean feat. To play and perform like we did today, with that intensity and work and quality, you've got to take your hat off to [the players].

"How they performed was at a real top level. I've got nothing but admiration for them because their focus was good in the game. They worked the system very well. And as the game wore on, we created more chances. We restricted Manchester City to one shot on target.

"The momentum and the flow and rhythm were with us in the game. I felt in particular in the second half, we started brightly and played through the system well. The players are really making the system work for us with their quality and intelligence.

"When you add the intensity of our pressure, we didn't really give them a moment to settle. You have to applaud my players for that because they were relentless in how they pressed the ball.

"To keep a team of that quality to one shot on target, in a game that they would really want to win as much as us, says everything about the spirit, character and quality of my team."

Liverpool now clamber further up the league table, moving ahead of Southampton in the standings after the Saints were defeated by West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

The Reds sit two points behind third-placed Manchester United and journalists pressed Rodgers as to whether he could look further up the table, to City themselves, who are seven points better off than the Reds.

"The focus is only on Burnley now," was the Northern Irishman's response. "I've sat here for most of the first part of the season and it was a difficult time for the team.

"We never get too carried away, we just have to concentrate on the next game and focus on our performance level - and, like last season, we'll see if we can finish as high as we possibly can.

"I've said it leading into this game and I'll repeat it again, if we can get into the top four this season, it'll be a better achievement than what we did last season because of our starting position at the beginning of this year, and the new players and the adaptation they needed to have.

"We've just got to keep collating the points, keep the performance level but there are still a lot of games to go."