Cardiff vs. Liverpool: Reaction from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers praised the contribution of Luis Suarez, who scored a hat-trick as Liverpool overcame Cardiff City 6-3 in Wales on Saturday.
Liverpool were behind twice in the first half, but their quality showed through and they managed to keep their Premier League title hopes firmly on track.
The Uruguayan striker continued his extraordinary run by equaling Robbie Fowler's 28-goal league record for Liverpool, contributing three goals to add to a Martin Skrtel double and another goal from Daniel Sturridge.
And Rodgers was keen to highlight his contribution, as reported by Gareth Roberts of BBC Sport:
"[Suarez's] determination, his desire, his will is at such a big level. He is a world-class player who is enjoying his football, and long may it continue.
The mental resilience is how we've grown over the past 18 months, and that confidence to know we can get back in the game.
You look at our imagination and creativity today. I think the crowd felt that every time we were in their half, we could score. We've got footballers, technicians, who can open up a game for us.
"
Liverpool are very much still in the title race and responded to Chelsea's 6-0 drubbing of Arsenal earlier in the day to keep pace with the west London side.
They are four points off Chelsea in second place and have a game in hand on Jose Mourinho's side.
And they still have Chelsea to come to Anfield in late April.
With Suarez in this kind of form, Rodgers will be confident that his side can really challenge for the biggest prize in English football.
Meanwhile, Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was impressed with his side's performance, especially in the first half, as reported on BBC Sport:
"We had them exactly where we wanted.
We tested them defensively and we scored some fantastic goals, and maybe we conceded two poor goals. Liverpool didn't have a lot in the first half, chances wise.
[Suarez] is a top, top striker. He is on the move all the time. But for long periods, I thought we dealt well with him, especially in the first half.
"
Nobody was expecting Cardiff to get anything from the game, but their first-half performance—including goals from Jordan Mutch and Fraizer Campbell—had some people wondering.
However, despite a second from Mutch late on, they were pegged back, and in the second half, Liverpool were out of sight.
Cardiff are now in deep trouble of being relegated as they sit second-bottom and are three points from safety as well as having a vastly inferior goal difference to those above them.
With West Brom and Crystal Palace to take on in their next two games, Cardiff will have to take six points if they want to be in with a chance of staying up.
