Tuesday 17 March 2015 12:01, UK
Brendan Rodgers is targeting the top four and beyond after Liverpool's 1-0 win at Swansea on Monday evening.
Jordan Henderson’s goal midway through the second half at the Liberty Stadium was enough to move Liverpool within two points of Sunday’s opponents Manchester United in fourth.
But Rodgers is aiming higher than that after seeing his side pick up a fifth consecutive Premier League victory.
“The aim is to finish as high as we can, the aim isn’t just to finish fourth,” the Liverpool boss told Sky Sports. “Obviously with Manchester City losing at the weekend it gives us an opportunity to push on.
“We haven’t done anything yet but certainly [they deserve credit] from where we were at the start of the season for the intent they’ve shown and the work they’ve had to put in to claw that back to give ourselves a fighting chance.”
Liverpool’s clean sheet is a record-equalling sixth away from home and Rodgers is taking encouragement from his team’s new-found defensive resilience.
“Last season we were a team right up there with Arsenal as the team who won the most games away from home,” he added.
“I think this year we’re up there again among the top two or three teams so we know that we can go away and win with the character and resilience of the team as well as their quality. It shows the strides that the team is making.”
Liverpool had Simon Mignolet to thank for the victory after the Belgian goalkeeper made several impressive saves in the opening 45 minutes, and Rodgers reserved praise for the man he had dropped earlier in the campaign.
“There is no doubt that in the last three months with the team he’s been outstanding,” he added. “We were still in the game because of him and the two important saves that he made in the first half.
“He’s been excellent. The team suffered early in the season but clearly you can see his confidence now along with the team.”
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