Brendan Rodgers on Adam Lallana performance and Raheem Sterling incident

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers praised Adam Lallana for an impressive two-goal performance in the 4-1 win over Swansea.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, December 29, 2014: Liverpool's manager Brendan Rodgers before the Premier League match against Swansea City at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

The England midfielder scored his side’s second and third goals, the latter particularly crucial after Gylfi Sigurdsson had pulled it back to 2-1 after Alberto Moreno opened the scoring, to earn back-to-back league wins.

“I am very pleased. He is a wonderfully-gifted player and it was a big move coming here from Southampton where he was the captain,” said Rodgers. “For all the players coming in to a club this size it is difficult because you never know with the expectations.

“They are now starting adapting to that, to what we are doing here and where we want to go.

“It is a very young team, with an average age 22-23, so I was very pleased with the overall performance of Adam.”

Lallana enjoyed a slice of fortune with his first goal after goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski’s clearance cannoned off him and into the net but his second was pure brilliance. “We ask the players to go and press and he got his reward,” added Rodgers. “It might only happen a couple of times in your career that you get goals like that.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, December 29, 2014: Liverpool's Adam Lallana celebrates scoring the second goal against Swansea City during the Premier League match at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

“You see Raheem (Sterling) putting the keeper under pressure. He blocked it really well because if he didn’t block that line tactically the keeper probably rolls it out to the centre-half.

“He blocked that line which forced the keeper to kick it and gets that wee bit of luck.”

Sterling, as a central striker, improved as the match went on but his spat with Federico Fernandez which saw the youngster flap a hand at the defender’s head could yet result in retrospective punishment.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, December 29, 2014: Liverpool's Raheem Sterling clashes with Swansea City's Federico Fernandez during the Premier League match at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

That is a fate which almost certainly awaits former Reds midfielder Jonjo Shelvey after he appeared to fling an elbow into Emre Can‘s face. “I have seen the two. The cameras will probably show it 100 times tomorrow and we will get bored of watching it,” said Rodgers. “Jonjo has flung his arm out and caught Emre on the side of his head.

“Young Raheem’s incident, the centre-half has slapped him on the side of the head and he has put his hand up and slapped him on the side of the head.

“I think the referee has called both right and got on with the game.”

Swansea boss Garry Monk has yet to see the Shelvey incident properly and he will review video footage before commenting. “I haven’t seen it. It is one I have to look at on the way home and judge it,” he said.

“From the talk from you guys (the media) I’ll have to have a look at it.”

Monk was disappointed with the errors which cost his side at Anfield. “I thought we played okay, we had the most possession but really we made too many mistakes and that is what cost us in the end.

“If you make mistakes at this level against a talented Liverpool side they will get punished.”

PA