Stewart Downing produced arguably his best performance in a Liverpool shirt as they demolished Fulham at Anfield.

Just a week after losing to Aston Villa on home turf the Reds turned in their finest display since Brendan Rodgers arrival on Merseyside to comprehensively beat the Cottagers and improve their chances of European qualification.

Martin Jol's men, meanwhile, are in free fall after a run of one win in their last 10 games and find themselves just five points above the relegation zone going into the second half of the season.

The visitors were under pressure from the first whistle as Liverpool looked to right the wrongs of last weeks defeat with Downing in inspired form and captain Steven Gerrard rolling back the years with a vintage midfield display.

It didn't take them long to break the deadlock as Gerrard's eighth minute corner found Martin Skrtel unmarked in the penalty area and he thumped home an unstoppable volley past Mark Schwarzer.

Centre back partner Daniel Agger then had the chance to put his name on the scoresheet but contrived to scoop Luis Suarez's low cross over the bar from two yards out with the goal gaping.

Still, the hosts had an appetite for goals and Gerrard doubled their lead 10 minutes before the break. The Reds skipper ghosted in behind the Fulham defence to reach Downing's excellent reverse pass and steer the ball across goal and into the bottom corner.

It was Downing's first assist in 45 Premier League matches for the club and he was celebrating his first goal six minutes after the break, cutting in from the right and drilling a left footed shot past Schwarzer at the near post.

Pepe Reina was finally called into action in injury time to save Hugo Rodallega's curled free kick in what proved to be the away sides best chance on goal.

But there was still time Luis Suarez to score his 11th league goal of the campaign as he turned Jose Enrique's cross home to seal an emphatic win.