How trio dominated the tempo

Analysis of the Opta match stats from Saturday's victory over Wigan shows how midfield trio Joe Allen, Steven Gerrard and Lucas Leiva gave Liverpool the platform from which to fire four goals.

Between them, Brendan Rodgers' central enforcers made 15 tackles against the Latics - with captain Gerrard winning 100 per cent of the challenges he entered and completing three clearances.

Gerrard came out on top in 71.4 per cent of the duels he braved while his Brazilian colleague finished the match with an unblemished record in regards to aerial battles.

Lucas also led the way in terms of distribution, registering 92.4 per cent passing accuracy from the 66 balls he attempted.

Although he picked up a yellow card to join Lucas in the referee's notebook, Allen helped the Reds make ground at the DW Stadium by enticing five fouls during the 90 minutes.

For more stats and figures for every player who featured on Saturday, use our Opta widget below.