Brendan Rodgers has a top five. Five matches where Liverpool distilled their manager’s passing ethos and positive approach into displays of clinical excellence. They are the days that figure prominently in his personal show reel, victories that will linger long in his memory. The highlights of his time at Liverpool – so far.

In those five games Liverpool scored 25 goals and attacked with devastating pace and purpose.

While he is now in a position of unexpected strength, with Liverpool second in the Premier League and top of the scoring charts, it is worth rewinding to the slow start of his tenure for his first choice.

Hindered by an unfriendly fixture list and weakened by injuries, they had only taken two points from his first five league games in charge.

Then they went to Carrow Road. “There is the first win we had which was in the league away at Norwich,” Rodgers said. “It was an excellent performance and probably typified the ideas we’d looked to implement – be creative, score goals – so that was a very good performance.”

Liverpool triumphed 5-2 and, as he often does against favourite opponents, Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick.

If the Uruguayan features prominently in the peaks of Rodgers’ time in charge, his part in April’s 6-0 win at Newcastle is indirect.

Six days earlier, Suarez had bitten Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic. He was suspended when Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge turned destroyers in the absence of the top scorer.

“Newcastle away was a brilliant performance and result,” Rodgers said.

Indeed, it equalled their biggest away win in the top flight.

Another historic achievement occurred in December. “Tottenham away,” Rodgers said. “Going away from home and scoring five at White Hart Lane having not won there for so many years.”

Finishing 5-0, it was Liverpool’s record victory on Spurs’ home turf.

It was not the only time they thrashed high-class opposition. Successive home games earlier this year brought Rodgers twin tales of remarkable potency. Sides who arrived at Anfield with enviable records and dependable defences were eviscerated.

“The Everton game at home, the 4-0, was a great performance and result,” said Rodgers, reflecting on a day when Sturridge struck twice to produce the largest margin of victory in a Merseyside derby for 32 years.

Then came, if anything, a greater statement of intent. League leaders Arsenal went to Anfield, were four goals behind after 20 minutes and eventually lost 5-1.

“There’s obviously the most recent,” Rodgers said. “Arsenal was a great victory and performance. There have been lots of great memories, but those would be the standouts.”

One of the extraordinary elements of the Arsenal game was that Liverpool struck five times without needing Suarez to find the net. But the Uruguayan has already struck 54 times for Rodgers’ reign, many of them in improbable fashion, so, when the subject turns to a favourite goal of his tenure, it is inevitable who the scorer would be.

“I would probably have to look at one of Luis Suarez’s goals,” the Northern Irishman said. That was the easy answer. The tougher part is choosing which of Suarez’s specials to select.

“He scores so many great goals and important goals for us, but the goal that stood out for me was the one against Norwich,” Rodgers said.

The unfortunate Canaries conceded four more to their regular tormentor in December’s 5-1 win and, though his second came from 40 yards, his third, after he juggled the ball over Leroy Fer, impressed Rodgers still more.

“It was his hat-trick goal where he was going through and he lifted it over to the other side, opened up his technique and drilled it in from the edge of the box,” Rodgers said.

“That just typified the quality of the man and, from a nothing position, it was a wonderful goal. We’ve scored many great goals over the period since I’ve been here, but that at the time I remember was a ‘wow’ moment and a great lift for us in the game.”

The scoreline and the style of victory are reasons why Rodgers’ popularity is growing at Anfield.

“It’s a very humbling experience when you hear supporters singing your name,” he said.

“I always prefer for them to sing for the team and players, but I suppose it’s a sign of gratitude. It was very important for me when I made the choice to come here to carry on some of the great work of the predecessors before me. To become the manager here at Liverpool is such a privileged position.”

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