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When Liverpool play like they did here on the banks of the Thames, the turmoil of the early season can resemble a trick of the mind. Was the club really languishing in 12th place in the Premier League when he took over in January? There are many differences between then and now, principally, in terms of confidence and a feel-good factor. But, maybe above all, there is Luis Suárez, the winter window capture from Ajax. It takes something to eclipse the achievement of a hat-trick from a team-mate and nothing ought to be taken away from Maxi Rodríguez, who was in ruthless mood and reached his personal landmark with a beauty from distance. But Suárez managed it. He was irrepressible, leading Fulham’s defence a merry dance and proving the architect behind this thumping victory, which fired the club’s hopes of finishing above Tottenham Hotspur, whom they entertain on Sunday, in the race for Europa League qualification. The transformation under Kenny Dalglish has been remarkable. He has now taken 33 points from a possible 48. Give the man a contract. But he is not the only Liverpool hero. This latest test of what Dalglish has called his “positive work in progress” seemed worthy of the billing. Fulham had turned Craven Cottage into something of a fortress and their defence, in particular, had been unyielding. It took Liverpool a little over a quarter of an hour to make a mockery of that statement. With three lightning strikes, they left Fulham dazed and confused. Mark Hughes, the manager, felt the stars encircle his head. Dalglish had started with Suárez as his lone front-man and although he did not score in the opening frenzy, he was central to much of what Liverpool did. With his slick touch and movement, not to mention his wonderful awareness, it was difficult to take your eyes off him. It was the Uruguayan who set up the first for Rodríguez, who is suddenly on a scoring streak to make Ian Rush proud. Played through by Lucas Leiva, Suárez raced away before cutting back a low cross, which squirted off Carlos Salcido and forced Mark Schwarzer into an improvised save with his feet. The ball reached only as far as Rodríguez, who dispatched it low into the far corner. Fulham chased shadows as Liverpool’s high-octane pressing game barely allowed them to draw breath. Suárez gave both Aaron Hughes and Brede Hangeland a torrid time, Lucas caught the eye with his incisive passing and Glen Johnson revelled in his attacking brief from right-back. Rodríguez scored his second of the night, and his sixth in three games, when Lucas’s ball over the top released Johnson, who was on-side dug out a fine cross to the far post where the Argentinian’s left-footed volley was true. Fulham’s misery was deepened on 16 minutes when Schwarzer, embarrassingly, allowed a tame shot from Dirk Kuyt to wriggle underneath him. Rodríguez has embraced the opportunity afforded to him by Andy Carroll’s injury – Carroll did not make the match-day squad here – while Kuyt is in the form of his life. Suárez and Rodríguez had further opportunities before Clint Dempsey connected sweetly with a volley for Fulham from Simon Davies’s corner. Johnson cleared it off the line. The home team had nothing but regrets at the interval. Fulham might have reasoned that they had nothing to lose in the second-half and Hughes went for the jugular in the attempt to restore pride, putting on Bobby Zamora up alongside Eidur Gudjohnsen and later Andy Johnson and asking Mousa Dembélé to maraud from the right. There was greater urgency about Fulham and with Liverpool, who lost Raul Meireles to hamstring trouble, content to protect what they had, Hughes’ team flickered. Dempsey whistled a drive just over the crossbar as Fulham pressed onto the front foot. Zamora made a real difference. A Fulham goal threatened to put a different complexion on what had previously been a mismatch and it arrived just before the hour. Martin Skrtel stood off Zamora and the striker’s lay-off invited Dembélé to curl low shot beyond Pepe Reina. The home crowd crackled to life and allowed themselves to dream outlandish dreams Craven Cottage rocked to a raucous beat but, with Fulham pressing for their second, Rodríguez deflated the mood with his hat-trick goal, a right-footed blast out of nothing, from 25 yards. Suárez got the goal that he deserved when he danced onto the substitute Jonjo Shelvey’s pass and around Schwarzer. Steve Sidwell’s rocket was the definition of consolation. Premier League Fulham Liverpool David Hytner guardian.co.uk