Liverpool Player Ratings v. Tottenham

Liverpool went into White Hart Lane without Steven Gerrard or Daniel Sturridge, but still won 5-0 behind supreme performances from Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling, Jordan Henderson, and yes, John Flanagan. If Tottenham entered the match with any semblance of self belief, they left with only blushes and serious questions about where they're at as a club.

STARTING XI:

Mignolet - 5 - On the bright side, Mignolet kept a clean sheet. However, Tottenham never really tested him, and his dribbling adventures left us exposed a few times.

Johnson - 6 - Johnson was solid, balancing his attacking and defensive duties well.

Sakho - 7 - Sakho is starting to settle in at the club, and he's become an absolute rock in the back. He nearly scored a second half header, but the ball hit the post.

Skrtel - 6 - I wanted to see Agger alongside Sakho, but Rodgers decided to stick with Skrtel. He wasn't amazing, and Agger might have been better, but then again you can't really complain much about a clean sheet in which Tottenham couldn't even muster a shot on target.

Flanagan - 8 - Flanno found himself streaking wide open into the box with a looping cross swerving towards him. In stride, he slammed a volley off the top of the crossbar and into the net for his first ever Liverpool goal. Flanno duly celebrated with tremendous passion in front of the traveling fans. Besides the goal, Flanno was very good, keeping Aaron Lennon in check throughout the match.

Lucas - 6 - I've seen vastly different opinions on how Lucas played, with some seeing him as great and others viewing him as quite poor. As I watched the game, I rarely noticed him, and when I did, it was usually because he was making a poor challenge. However, I think that the magic of Lucas sometimes comes from what isn't seen, as his 94% passing accuracy and blanketing of the Liverpool back line complimented the Reds' flourishing midfield well.

Allen - 7 - Expected to fill in for Steven Gerrard, Allen was quietly effective. He passed the ball with 90% accuracy, making sure not to carelessly turn the ball over. Additionally, he won the ball back numerous times and held his own against Tottenham's midfield.

Henderson - 9 - Asked to be a string puller, Hendo put in a masterclass effort that showed how he can ping the ball around the pitch with accuracy and vision if he has the confidence to do so. He poked the ball through to Suarez for the first goal, scored the second on a rebound, and had a hockey assist on the third.

Sterling - 9 - If Sterling goes on to become a world class footballer, this game will be looked at as a key moment in his development. He seemed to grow before our eyes as his exciting many traits came together, heightened by his immense confidence. He showed pace, dribbling skill, motivation to track back, and passing ability. Deservedly, he got himself a goal in the 89th minute, finishing coolly to cap off the 5-0 victory. This performance builds upon a fine display against West Ham, and Sterling is certainly vindicating his manager's faith.

Coutinho - 7 - Coutinho hit the woodwork on a volley and played well, but not brilliantly. There's probably one more gear he can raise his game to as he fully recovers from injury.

Suarez - 10 - There aren't any more words left to describe this guy. He's on pace to have arguably the greatest season in Premier League history, so make sure to enjoy every one of his magical moments before they become nostalgic Youtube clips.

SUBS:

Alberto - 8 - Alberto played excellently in his time off the bench, garnering an assist with a perfectly weighted over the top pass to Suarez, who chipped Hugo Lloris.

Moses - N/A - Not enough time for Moses to do anything.