Brendan Rodgers in dire need of another 5-1 win over Arsenal as Arsene Wenger heads back to the place that left him 'scarred' 

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It was a demolition; a day that ‘scarred’ Arsene Wenger and provided the blueprint for how Liverpool’s life under Brendan Rodgers can be.

Go back to lunchtime on February 8 this year and you will remember the shock of the events that were unfolding at Anfield. One goal then another quickly followed by two more. In 20 blistering minutes, Arsenal heads were scrambled and Liverpool were catapulting themselves into a title race.

So good was the performance, BT made an advert about it: Rio Ferdinand, watching on his iPhone, declares as the fourth goal from Daniel Sturridge speeds in that ‘I can’t believe what I’m watching’; Jose Mourinho, upon hearing the news, remarks with a shake of the head: ‘Unbelievable.’

Last time Arsene Wenger (left) visited Anfield he was 'scarred' by the performance of Brendan Rodgers' team

The intensity of Liverpool's play resulted in Rodgers' side leading 4-0 after just 20 minutes at Anfield 

The Anfield scoreboard displays the final score at Anfield where Rodgers' style of football shone through 

And it was. Intense, dynamic, a sea of red shirts swarmed all over Arsenal to win 5-1. How Rodgers craves to see his team play that way once more, when the midfield diamond sparkles and everything clicks into place allowing games to be wrapped up before they have started.

But without the injured Sturridge and Luis Suarez, now of Barcelona, Liverpool have been unable to play that vibrant style this season; the closest they came to getting within the same vicinity was the 3-0 dismantling of Tottenham in August. Evidently, it is frustrating Liverpool’s manager.

He has tried a number of formations to get the campaign up and running and, in the last two matches at Manchester United and Bournemouth, he feels he has found a blend to get Liverpool moving forward - 3-4-3 could finally bring some improvement.

Rodgers’ mood on Friday, however, was dark as he held court at Liverpool’s Melwood training retreat. His time with the broadcasters was an unusually short four minutes and 33 seconds, his time was similarly brief when the cameras were off.

‘If you look at the team the other night against Bournemouth, having the pace of Raheem Sterling in the central area of the field was key,’ Rodgers said. ‘First of all, it allows you to press and it means that your game can be much more aggressive.

Rodgers' mood was dark on Friday as this season has posed many problems compared to the last campaign

The Liverpool manager's job has even been under threat having dropped to 11th in the Premier League table 

Rodgers' side did the semi final of the Capital One Cup after defeating Bournemouth 3-1 on Wednesday night

Things could have been a whole lot different had Liverpool replaced Luis Suarez with Alexis Sanchez

‘You press the ball in the high areas of the field and if you looked at us in the opening 20 minutes of games, because of that pressure and suffocation of opponents, we can get the ball back higher up the field. It gives you more chances of a goal if you are winning it higher up the field.

‘I have technical players. They have the skills to deal with the ball in tight areas, but we haven’t had that without Sturridge and Suarez. We brought in Mario Balotelli, who has had an opportunity to play in that pressing role, but that isn’t his game. Rickie Lambert has also come in.

‘He was brought here for a reason and he has great qualities but that pressing isn’t what he does. When you don’t press high up the field, your starting position to attack is much deeper. You cannot break at speed and flood forward like we did last year because we are not that explosive.’

He continued: ‘The other night (at Bournemouth) a British coach playing 3-4-3? People could think he has probably thrown the team together, he has played seven midfielders. If it was a foreign coach? It would probably have been a wonderful tactical idea.’

There was then a shake of the head. Rodgers has been under tremendous scrutiny as Liverpool have failed to live up to expectations and it was impossible not to think how different things might have been had they successfully signed Alexis Sanchez.

‘He was identified for us as someone who would have been a key signing,’ said Rodgers ‘He would have rolled on to what we had with Luis Suarez. So to not get him was bitterly disappointing, but once he was gone that was it. We just had to focus on what we had.’

So did Sanchez make the right decision?

‘It doesn’t matter,’ came the pointed reply. ‘He will probably give you that answer in 20 years. He made his decision. The best option for him.’