Match Report: Stewart Downing finally finds his feet as Liverpool run riot against Fulham Even Stewart Downing managed to score and muster an assist. Those facts - both were the winger's first for the club in the Premier League and have taken 45 games - neatly encapsulate how Brendan Rodgers' philosophical insistence might just be beginning to bear fruit towards the end of a torrid calendar year at Anfield. This is only one result, and against notoriously poor travellers, but Liverpool linked the bossing of proceedings with a renewed cutting edge that their midfield excellence has demanded for many months. It was, however, made all too easy for them in parts, helped by an obnoxiously awful Fulham. That itself is not wholly relevant - you can only beat what is in front of you - and the performance would have daunted the best of them. The visitors were all at sea from an early corner, two defenders more bothered with occupying Daniel Agger than his partner Martin Skrtel, giving the Slovak the time to set himself and unleash his pent-up frustration towards goal in unstoppable fashion. His relief, which also laid the ghost of the own goal that gifted Fulham victory here in May was mirrored by the crowd, whose roar in the eighth minute enlivened a match that had begun sombrely on the pitch and in the stands after last week's shock defeat here against Aston Villa. Agger ought to have made it two for Liverpool soon after, but his miss did not deter the Reds. They have been waiting for goals to match early superiority for what seems an eternity, and it all came together when Downing's wonderful reverse through-ball found the onrushing Steven Gerrard (pictured celebrating below, with Luis Suarez) to slide past Mark Schwarzer. If they can do this more consistently in the new year, Brendan Rodgers's belief in what is being built at Anfield, as referenced in his programme notes, will be more than mere rhetoric. Worryingly for Fulham, their manager, Martin Jol, seemed to have had it worked out on the road last season, but they have gone backwards this time around, their only win so far coming at Wigan. While picking up draws would be fine if survival was their only ambition, the club harbour ambitions of challenging towards the top half, and need to get over the inferiority complex that afflicts them when venturing beyond SW6. Liverpool kept on pressing and it was only a matter of time before they picked up where they had left off before the break. In a role reversal of the second, Gerrard found Downing, enjoying what looked to be a new lease of life on the right hand side, driving into the box to crash an effort past Schwarzer. The goalkeeper will be upset to have been beaten at his near post, as was his manager, growling and gesticulating as he turned away in disgust. There was even the chance for Raheem Sterling to receive a rapturous ovation when he entered for a cameo as substitute, a day after penning a five-year deal at the club. Everything, it seems, is starting to look slightly rosier going into the festive period, while Luis Suarez's opportunism added more gloss in stoppage time. The Hillsborough charity single 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' is likely to be crowned Christmas number one later today. If Liverpool had killed opposition off like this from August, they too might have stood a chance of being towards the top of the charts. Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Reina; Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique; Lucas (Carragher, 83), Gerrard; Suso (Sterling, 71), Shelvey (Allen, 74), Downing; Suarez Fulham (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer; Riether, Hughes, Hangeland, Riise; Dejagah, Karagounis, Baird, Kacaniklic (Rodallega, 46); Richardson (Frei, 54); Berbatov Referee: Mark Clattenburg Man of the match: Suarez (Liverpool)