Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has paid tribute to his teammates for the manner in which they responded to the draw with Aston Villa last time out by thumping Everton 4-0 tonight.

The Merseyside outfits renewed hostilities at Anfield this evening, with the Reds' skipper firing his side into the lead before a further two strikes from Daniel Sturridge secured a 3-0 half-time lead.

Luis Suarez etched his name on the scoresheet five minutes into the second half, before Sturridge missed the chance to complete his hat-trick by missing a penalty shortly after.

The skipper admits that the performance in the 2-2 draw with the Villains was their worst of the campaign, but praised his colleagues for providing the much-needed tonic.

"Against Aston Villa we let the fans down and let ourselves down, it was our worst performance of the season. But every player was superb today."

Consequently, Brendan Rodgers's men moved within six points of leaders Arsenal at the summit of the Premier League table.