Liverpool vs. Fulham: 6 Things We Learned in Big Reds Win

Liverpool got themselves back to winning ways with a thumping 4-0 win over Fulham to erase the poor loss to Aston Villa from their memory banks in a game that brought a lot of positives for manager Brendan Rodgers and his side.

Having lost ground on the top four with last week's defeat, it was imperative that Liverpool take maximum points this time out, and they made the perfect start when Martin Skrtel put them ahead early on.

The Reds added three further strikes without reply and kept an encouraging clean sheet for the first time in three matches.

The win lifts Liverpool up to eighth in the Premier League table and will give the club renewed belief that they can challenge for the Champions League spots if they add to their squad further, with the news that Daniel Sturridge is set to sign early next month.

Here are six things we learned in the game.

Stewart Downing: Wahey!

One year and five months into his Liverpool career, Stewart Downing has had a huge impact on a Premier League match against good quality opposition.

First time? Maybe not quite, but certainly he hasn't affected a league game to this extent before while wearing the Red of Liverpool.

One goal, one assist—both firsts in the league as a Red—and an all-around superb performance caused his manager to be effusive in his praise for the winger.

Speaking to the official Liverpool website, Brendan Rodgers said:

"

I thought Stewart was brilliant today, in every aspect of the game. His goal today was a fantastic strike and he combines very well with Glen Johnson out on the right side because he clears space for Glen to run into. Stewart's movement is really intelligent and his pass for Steven's goal was superb.

"

It wasn't just this game that has pleased the boss, though, but Downing's overall attitude recently:

"

I spoke to Stewart about six or seven weeks ago and we had an honest conversation about where he was at. And I think his reaction from that moment has been outstanding. If he keeps playing like that, he'll be going nowhere - he'll be staying in the team and that's what it's about.

"

Downing's big challenge now of course will be to maintain this level of performance and continue to affect league games in a positive way ahead of reinforcements joining the club in January.

Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard Back on the Scoresheet

After a run of games without a goal for Liverpool's top scorer, Luis Suarez was back on the scoresheet with the final strike of the match for the Reds against Fulham.

Suarez rarely has a poor game for Liverpool but will still come off the pitch disappointed if he doesn't contribute to the victory—he certainly couldn't be accused of that in this match, as he was a constant worry for the Fulham back line.

The Uruguayan's goal came near the end of the match when the points were already won, but it is important for him to be back in goalscoring form heading into the busiest part of the season so far.

Steven Gerrard also hit the back of the net—his second goal in a week hints at a return to the captain having a telling impact in the final third of the pitch after a relatively quiet season so far.

The No. 8 also claimed two assists and had an all-around excellent match where he was instrumental in the buildup play. That will be as encouraging for his manager as his recent goals have been.

Liverpool have needed to share the goals around a little more this season, so it was pleasing for Brendan Rodgers to see four different players finding the target against the Cottagers.

Joe Allen and Raheem Sterling "Rested" as Expected

Brendan Rodgers made a couple of changes to his team as expected, with Raheem Sterling and Joe Allen dropping out of the starting 11 for the first time since the opening day of the season in the case of the wide forward and for the first time at all for the midfielder.

Suso and Jonjo Shelvey got their chances in attack and midfield respectively and contributed significantly to the impressive performance from the Reds.

Allen and Sterling both made late entrances in the game so were hardly handed an extended time off, but Rodgers has spoken about the mental strain on both as much as the physical one, and in that regard, entering the game at several goals to the good, both players were afforded a more relaxing time on the pitch.

While the duo will remain important players over the coming weeks, it will do the boss plenty of good to see he can recall other players to the team and still get the desired level of quality.

Jamie Carragher: How Many More Games Before He Calls It a Day?

Jamie Carragher made a late entrance as a replacement for Lucas, clocking up his 717th appearance for the Reds in the process.

The veteran defender has been a bit-part player this season, appearing mostly in the Europa League as cover for Daniel Agger, and he intimated this week that this season could end up being his last as a professional.

Seb Coates has patiently been waiting for his chance as Liverpool's fourth defender and Martin Kelly and Andre Wisdom present further options in the centre when available, so Brendan Rodgers is not short of cover.

More important than Carragher's on-pitch influence these days, though, is his professional standing in the club as the most experienced player; with so many young players making up the Liverpool team, he has an important part to play for the remainder of the campaign in trying to help the Reds make the top four.

Whether or not this is his last season is yet to be determined, but Carragher would certainly love one last crack at playing in Europe's elite competition, and the need for a bigger squad if Liverpool do achieve a top-four place might be the deciding factor in whether he is awarded a new contract.

Five Points off the Top Three

Despite the disappointing result last week against Aston Villa, the win picked up by Liverpool Saturday leaves them just five points off a Champions League place.

Indeed, the close proximity of teams around the top end of the pitch means that the Reds are only five points off third place.

Chelsea have two games in hand after their FIFA Club World Cup exploits so will be expected to reclaim one of those top spots, but Liverpool will be feeling positive once more regardless, since they are so close to their eventual aim despite not having hit the heights all season.

Liverpool finish the calendar year off with back-to-back away matches against Stoke City and Queens Park Rangers, both tricky games for different reasons.

If the Reds can remain unbeaten going into January when potential reinforcements should arrive, they will have every reason to think they can mount a good challenge over the second half of the season for fourth place.

Lucas Leiva Continues His Return to Form and Fitness

In amongst all the goals and attacking excitement, the performance of Liverpool's holding midfielder Lucas Leiva should not be overlooked.

Having worked his way back to fitness after more than a year out with two injuries, Lucas has been a regular in the Reds side over the past month, gradually building up his match resistance and strength.

Against Fulham, he was afforded a lot of space in midfield on the ball to dictate play, but he also fulfilled his defensive duties with aplomb, ensuring that Fulham never managed to get a foothold in the game or mount any sustained attacks themselves.

Lucas managed to put in a match-high seven tackles during the game as well as a further three interceptions. His passing was hugely impressive and consistent too; nobody made more passes during the game than Lucas (77 made, 70 completed), and he had the highest completion rate from the Reds midfield (91 percent completed).

Another big step for the Brazilian towards his top form.

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