There is no place like home for this Liverpool FC side.

A season rocked by an embarrassing defeat at Hull City has been reinvigorated by back to back Anfield triumphs.

After briefly threatening an unlikely comeback on Saturday, West Ham ultimately became the latest of the Premier League's lesser lights to be on the receiving end of a hiding on Merseyside.

Once again Luis Suarez took on the role of chief tormentor with relish but this was no one-man show.

Brendan Rodgers was left to reflect on what a difference a week makes.

From the depths of despair following the devastating loss of top scorer Daniel Sturridge to injury and that painful result at the KC Stadium, back to the dizzy heights of second place in the Premier League following two resounding victories.

The response the manager had demanded has been emphatic.

The transformation in Liverpool's home form has unquestionably been the most impressive achievement of Rodgers' reign so far.

On his first day in the job he vowed to make a trip to Anfield 'the longest 90 minutes of an opponent's life' and he has made giant strides towards achieving that.

It's a remarkable statistic that Liverpool have already won more home league games this season than they did in the entire campaign before Rodgers' appointment.

He inherited a squad gripped by anxiety when they walked out at Anfield.

The pressure and expectation weighed heavily on their shoulders.

Not any more. Now confidence and belief surge through the players' veins and it's visiting teams who do the wilting.

The fear factor has been returned. Liverpool have plundered 20 goals in their last five home matches. They have scored more goals at Anfield in the past week than Manchester United have managed in the league at Old Trafford all season.

Yet now is not the time to gloat at anyone else's expense.A weekend when so many of their top four rivals slipped up only served to underline what a glorious opportunity the Reds have to secure their return to Europe's elite this term.

But in order to achieve that they must start producing the goods away from the comfort of Anfield.

Life is about to get significantly tougher and Rodgers' side need to prove they aren't simply flat-track bullies.

Just nine of the Reds' 30 points have been secured on their travels and they haven't won away since beating then managerless Sunderland in September.

Their festive schedule could hardly be more demanding. Sunday's clash at Tottenham is followed by the visit of Cardiff City before Liverpool head for Manchester City on Boxing Day and Chelsea three days later.

The closing weeks of 2013 promise to provide a real litmus test of the Reds' Champions League credentials.

Rodgers will demand the same kind of character and resolve on enemy territory as he now gets routinely on home turf.

The size of the challenge will be increased by the absence of Steven Gerrard. It was no coincidence that after Gerrard limped off early in the second half, the Hammers secured a foothold in the contest.

Briefly, Liverpool lost control and when Martin Skrtel's own goal halved the deficit the nerves were jangling before Suarez's late flourish wrapped up the points.Gerrard will be sorely missed and Rodgers will need others to step up over the coming weeks, not only to fill the void in terms of ability but also leadership.

The manager will at least take solace in the fact that Joe Allen appears to have kick-started his Anfield career.

This was Allen's best performance for Liverpool since the early days of last season.

The £15million midfielder has endured a torrid 12 months due to loss of form and injuries but he has come through it.

Allen justified Rodgers' decision to pick him ahead of Lucas Leiva as he used the ball intelligently and ensured the Reds remained on the front foot.

The Welshman played a big part in the opening goal three minutes before the break.

His relentless pressing won back possession 25 yards out and Glen Johnson nodded it into the path of Suarez.

The Uruguayan's low drive was parried by Jussi Jaaskelainen and the ball struck Guy Demel and went in. It was a stroke of good fortune but Liverpool deserved their lead having dominated most of the first half. With Philippe Coutinho flourishing in a central role behind Suarez, they were bursting with creativity.

Suarez, Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling all should have scored before the breakthrough arrived. At the other end Simon Mignolet didn't have much to do but showed his class with a fine save to keep out Modibo Maiga's header.

Struggling West Ham have been good to Liverpool - taking high-earning flops like Andy Carroll, Joe Cole and Stewart Downing off their hands.

There was never any danger of an Anfield old boy returning to haunt them.

Downing spent the first 45 minutes in Jon Flanagan's pocket before Cole replaced him for the second half and somehow managed to make even less of a contribution.

Two minutes after the interval it was 2-0. Gerrard's deep free-kick was scuffed goalwards by Mamadou Sakho and Skrtel challenged James Collins, who could only hack it into the roof of the net.

The impressive Sakho, recalled after Daniel Agger was ruled out due to illness, gleefully claimed his first goal for the Reds.

Sterling should have celebrated his 19th birthday with a goal. His pace and movement caused the Hammers plenty of problems but his finishing was wayward.

When Skrtel poked Matt Jarvis' header into his own net, the atmosphere was transformed and passes started to go astray.

But the Reds dug deep and Suarez provided Roy Hodgson with a reminder about what lies in store for England in that World Cup showdown in Sao Paulo next June.

Liverpool killed off West Ham with a goal of true quality in the 81st minute.

Allen and Coutinho combined to find Johnson on the right and the full-back whipped in the perfect cross for Suarez, who headed home his 14th Premier League goal of the season.

Lifelong Reds fan Kevin Nolan deservedly saw red for planting his studs in the back of Henderson's calf before Suarez had the final word.

He twisted and turned away from Mark Noble and his piledriver deflected in off substitute Joey O'Brien with Jaaskelainen wrong-footed. If the dubious goals panel see sense the goal will be credited to Suarez.

Home sweet home for Liverpool. Now they need to perform with that kind of swagger on the road.

Source: Liverpool Echo