Liverpool completed a routine 2-0 win at home to Hull City on Wednesday, as Daniel Agger and Luis Suarez scored the goals in either half as the Reds cruised at Anfield.
Agger headed home from a corner in the first half, while Suarez curled in a beautiful free kick just after the break as Liverpool could’ve easily extended their lead further. But Brendan Rodgers’ side eased to their seventh-straight home win, as they bounced back from two successive defeats over the festive season.
With the win Liverpool sit fourth, while Hull remain in tenth spot.
A timid opening at Anfield saw both sides have plenty of the possession, as visitors Hull eased into the game.
Suarez thought he had opened the scoring for Liverpool in the 18th minute, but he was correctly flagged offside after heading home Philippe Coutinho’s free kick from the right. The Uruguayan forward was incensed with the decision but he was clearly offside.
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After 25 minutes the ball was drilled up to Suarez who headed into the path of Raheem Sterling, but the young English winger curled his shot straight at Alan McGregor as the Reds continued to push for an opening at Anfield.
For the remainder of the first half Liverpool rallied and in the 36th minute the Reds went ahead after Agger’s terrific downward header from Coutinho’s corner kick. It was no more than the home side deserved for a completely dominant first half display, and they should have led 2-0 after Jordan Henderson and Coutinho both squandered great chances, as Liverpool went in 1-0 up at the break.
Suarez soon showed them how to finish, as the Uruguayan stepped up in the 49th minute to curl a free kick into the top corner from 30-yards out and make it 2-0. It was Suarez’s 15th goal in seven PL home games this season, as he scored for the seventh home league game in a row.
Liverpool kept the ball well and Hull made a triple substitution to try and get back into the game but the Tigers were chasing shadows for much of the second half, as Coutinho went close from long range. Steven Gerrard made his long-awaited return from his hamstring injury in the second half, as the Liverpool skipper blew away a few cobwebs with a typically composed display as the game ended 2-0 to the home side.
LINEUPS
Liverpool: Mignolet, Johnson (Toure, 53), Cissokho, Skrtel, Agger, Lucas, Henderson, Coutinho, Aspas (Gerrard, 62), Sterling (Moses, 75), Suarez
Goals: Agger (37), Suarez (49)
Hull City: McGregor, Figueroa, Bruce, Chester, Davies, Meyler (Boyd, 59), Huddlestone, Koren (Koren, 59), Livermore, Sagbo (Fryatt, 59), Elmohamady