Sturridge – who normally operates out wide – played through the middle, Suarez was on the right wing while Sterling was on the left. And it paid dividends as Liverpool raced into a four-goal lead within 20 minutes.
Rodgers said: “We were against a team that are very experienced and have led the league for a large part of the season.
“We shifted it about tactically. We played Daniel Sturridge through the middle to try to exploit his speed centrally. Luis Suarez played in a wider role today and put in a selfless job.
“We switched Raheem Sterling over to the left side to penetrate and to control Sagna a little bit. Overall, the players were tactically brilliant and you saw their appetite and hunger for the game. That was important for us.
“We were brilliant, a wonderful performance in such a prestigious game between the two teams. We do a lot of work on our pressing. I always feel if we press well, we can pass well.
“To play like that, not just the result, but the performance level was absolutely out of this world. I’m very pleased and it’s another marker for us that we’re getting better and improving all the time.”
Rodgers wasn’t getting carried away with suggestions Liverpool could mount a title challenge but has high hopes for his young squad.
He added: “We had an 18-year-old coming on, Coutinho is 21, young Jon Flanagan is 20 years of age. It’s a very young side, but with a wonderful appetite for the game and a wonderful ability to learn.
“They want to learn and progress. You can see as time goes on, the idea to press well and pass well. That was the key for us.”
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