Rodgers eyes home comforts

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is eager to make the most of returning to Anfield, starting with Wednesday’s visit of Sunderland.

The Premier League’s second-placed side have not played at home since February 23 but have won their last three games on the road.

Their most recent victory came on Saturday with a 6-3 triumph over Cardiff City, yet Rodgers is keen to take advantage of being back on familiar turf in midweek as his side aim to maintain a title challenge.

“I’ve got to say I’m so looking forward to our game on Wednesday. It feels like we haven’t played at home for ages,” he said.

“We’ve now got five games at Anfield and three away from home – Anfield is a special place to play our football.

“The immediate future is all I can focus on. The fans can believe (in winning the title) and dream and that’s important.

“When you see your team play away from home and score six goals you’ve got every right to do that.”

The former Swansea City managed also paid tribute to Cardiff after they twice took the lead at the weekend before Liverpool’s quality showed.

Cardiff remain in the relegation zone, but Rodgers, who took Swansea up via the Championship play-offs in 2011, believes the men from the Welsh capital have what it takes to stay up.

“It’s a tough job when you get promoted and you come in in that first season – it’s very difficult,” he said.

“They’ve got some outstanding players – young (Jordon) Mutch is a very good player, Steven Caulker is still very young and an outstanding talent. They’ve got some very good players.

“They were playing (on Saturday) against the leading goalscorers in European football so you’ve got to put it into context – it was going to be difficult for them.

“We respected Cardiff totally because we knew it was going to be a difficult game. I’m sure they’re going to give it everything and I think the Barclays Premier League will be a better league with the two Welsh teams in it.”