Four bright spots from the win against United to take into the easiest part of the season

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by Peirce Eldredge (@arisekingbrenny)

With a win over their biggest rivals, Liverpool have so many bright spots from the game to take away including Daniel Sturridge continuing his goal scoring streak, the defence still yet to concede a goal in the Premier league this season, Jordan Henderson building confidence and playing very impressively, and the resurgence of Martin Skrtel.

First we’ll talk about Daniel Sturridge but I mean, what is there to say? This lad has been the best striker in the league so far this season, he has shown impressive movement, good passes, and that strikers instinct only the best have. He can’t stop scoring goals and he claims he isn’t even fully recovered from his injury yet! With Sturridge leading the lines and Suarez and Coutinho supporting him there is no telling how many goals he could score this season, perhaps 20 maybe even 25 who knows. All I know is that if he can continue this for Liverpool will have two of the very best strikers in England and maybe even Europe. Liverpool have kept three clean sheets in a row now so far this Premier league season and Liverpool are bound to concede a goal sometime, right? Obviously they can’t keep it up forever they are bound to let one in this season as all teams do, but for now three clean sheets in three games should give Simon Mignolet and the entire defence a huge boost.

It seemed that United may have been the team to crack Liverpool’s defence, and they almost did with some good chances that were missed or saved by Mignolet, most notably an absolute screamer from Nani late in the game, yet Liverpool still have not had the ball hit the back of their own net in the Premier league this season. Jordan Henderson just seems to get better and better every single time he steps on the pitch. You could see in the United game his bubbling energy, his good passing, his non stop pressing leading to errors by the United defence, one of which resulting in a corner and eventually the game winning goal. You could also see this erch to help the team anyway possible way he could, tracking back or pushing forward he was there to help. He is finally showing why he was bought for such a large fee as he is a true team player who also has quite a bit of skill and loads of potential. He is definitely one for the future and also one for the present as well. Now I think the best talking point and best outcome other than the win, was Martin Skrtel and his impressive display showing that he is still a top class centre back, who on his day can be one of the best in the league.

Now Skrtel had only started two Premier league matches since the beginning of January so many were unsure if Skrtel would be able to step up in Kolo Toures absence against United in a critical game for both teams. The result could not have been better. While he was somewhat slow and caught out by the likes of Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck occasionally, that would be expected for a guy who has barely played for the last six months. Otherwise Skrtel was making tackles and clearances throughout the whole game and really showing what he’s worth to Brendan Rodgers.

Now Liverpool, who a few days ago were short on defensive players seem to have perhaps too many now with the arrivals of Mamadou Sakho and Tiago Ilori, the resurgence of Skrtel and the recoveries of Kolo Toure and Martin Kelly. Now Brendan Rodgers must try to get young Andre Wisdom out on loan somewhere so he can get first team games, now with six first team center backs in his way of the first team at Liverpool. So once that’s sorted out it really becomes a question of how does Brendan play all six of them? Does he have three in the back with Glenn Johnson and Jose Enrique further up the wings, they are both attack minded fullbacks anyway. Or do you simply rotate them in and out with Daniel Agger based on form or what game it is. I’m sure of one thing though, Brendan Rodgers will sort it out. Personally I think Mamadou Sakho should be the number two center back to pair with Daniel Agger but with Skrtel impressing Brendan and everyone for that matter, I think since he already has a good relationship with Agger he will get the start against Swansea unless something were to happen over international break. This win against United has brought out the best in everyone, except United that is, and it will be the spark that lights the fire for a Liverpool revival and a definite top four push for Champions league football to return to Anfield once again.