Some players are great goalscorers. Some are scorers of great goals. Only a select, superb few are both.
But Luis Suarez is one of them. He is a player whose brilliance cannot be judged just from the numbers. His strikes need to be seen. They are goals for the memory bank, not the record books.
A hat-trick took his tally at Anfield to seven goals in six games. But this was not about the statistics. It was the style of them that was so impressive.
There was the superb solo run. The long-range header. The salmon-like leap for his third. A remarkable overhead kick that almost brought him a fourth goal.
John W Henry called him a magician. Brendan Rodgers agreed with the Liverpool owner. So, too, did the crowd, who gave him a standing ovation.
Suarez took Kolo Toure's pass, darted past Claudio Yacob and made Jonas Olsson look foolish by slipping the ball through the defender's legs, collecting it and beating Boaz Myhill.
"Luis. Magician," tweeted Henry. But the real magic was still to come.
Because if his first goal was typical Suarez, his second was utterly unusual. Very few players would even attempt to score from 18 yards with a header - and when the goalkeeper was on his line. Still fewer would manage it. But Suarez did.
Suarez leapt and connected with Aly Cissokho's cross, sending a rocket of a header past the blameless Myhill.
"I'm not sure he could have placed the ball in the top corner any better," said Albion boss, and former Liverpool assistant manager, Steve Clarke.
Despite that warning of Suarez's aerial ability, Victor Anichebe left him unmarked to complete his treble as the Uruguayan met Steven Gerrard's free-kick with a glancing header. "The third goal is crucial," lamented Clarke.
His side could have scored before then, Martin Skrtel making a goal-line clearance to deny former Liverpool striker Nicolas Anelka.
Instead, West Brom got a consolation goal when James Morrison converted a penalty after Billy Jones went down in the box.
Lucas appeared to win the ball off him but Cissokho might have fouled the right-back. Rodgers disagreed. "The linesman has thrown West Brom a lifeline," he said.
Enterprising, attacking Albion could have scored more. Liverpool could have made it a rout. They were simply superb.
"They are a very good side. It was more about how we were," said Rodgers. "It was a great performance all the way through."
It was their best display of the season and bodes well for Saturday's trip to league leaders Arsenal.
Rodgers' whole side brimmed with attacking verve but Sturridge and Suarez were irrepressible. "The front two are as good as it gets," he said.
Because in a game of great goals, Liverpool reserved perhaps the best for last. The surprise was that Suarez did not score it. Instead, Sturridge did, beating Myhill with a wonderful chip.
On any other day, it would have earned Sturridge the headlines. He scored spectacularly, also curled an effort against the bar and remains the Premier League's top scorer - but he was still outshone.
This was the Suarez show. Again.
Source: Express
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