Brendan Rodgers should be applauded for piecing together a system that proved too much for the champions to cope with on Sunday, according to Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher.

The Reds lined up in their now standard 3-4-3 formation when Manchester City arrived at Anfield with strong intentions of ending a lengthy unbeaten league run for Rodgers' charges.

They had not suffered a Barclays Premier League defeat since mid-December against Manchester United at Old Trafford, where the manager first unleashed a different set-up.

Its efficacy has been considerable ever since, drastically altering the course of Liverpool's season and proving fundamental to results such as the 2-1 victory over City yesterday.

After goals from Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho claimed three points, Carragher commented: "Every manager puts the praise on their players and rightly so.

"But the job Brendan Rodgers has done is outstanding because there were five new players in that team who came in the summer.

"There were questions asked early on. People may say they took time to settle in and now they are showing their real form.

"He's found a system that suits these players that originally wasn't the blueprint of how the team was going to go forward.

"He's found a way of getting the best out of players now that wasn't originally the way they wanted to work. Credit to the manager.

"He deserves all the praise now because it's not just that Liverpool are playing well and winning, they have devised a way of playing that the champions couldn't handle."