Luis Suarez nets double as Liverpool beat Wigan Athletic

Luis Suarez scored twice as Liverpool saw off bogey side Wigan 3-0 to inject fresh life into their worst Premier League start in over two decades.

Suarez took his league tally for the season to 10 with a quick fire double early in the second half, with Jose Enrique adding the third to lift Brendan Rodgers' side up from 13th to 11th.

Wigan, who were unbeaten against the Merseysiders in their last five encounters, stayed in 14th.

Liverpool welcomed back goalkeeper Pepe Reina after a five week spell out with a hamstring injury. Around the quarter hour mark the Spaniard watched with relief as Ben Watson's searching 20 yard shot flew over the crossbar.

In an evenly balanced opening period the Spaniard's opposite number, Ali Al Habsi was called into action down at the other end to turn Daniel Agger's header around the post.

Shots from Suarez and Suso were blocked by Wigan defender Gary Caldwell.

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez was then forced into an unscheduled substitution, with David Jones coming on for Watson, who picked up a nasty leg injury after a collision with Raheem Sterling as both men chased the ball.

Shortly after, Rodgers brought on Jordan Henderson for midfielder Suso, who had picked up an earlier knock to his ankle.

Liverpool went into the break the more frustrated of the two sides, having failed to add the killer touch to their flurry of chances against a Wigan side that won here for the first time in their history last March.

Two minutes after the restart Suarez put the home side in front, firing in from 10 yards into the top right hand corner of the Wigan net after good work by Sterling down the right, to calm nerves amongst the Liverpool faithful in the Kop.

And Suarez put the game to bed 11 minutes later, Liverpool's sole out and out striker latching on to Enrique's through pass to poke the ball into the corner for his tenth Premier League goal of the campaign.

Given his form it's little wonder Rodgers this week issued a hands off warning to potential suitors hovering to try and prise the Uruguayan forward away from Anfield in the January transfer window.

On 65 minutes Enrique turned from supplier to scorer, the Spanish left back shooting from inside the box to the bottom left corner of Al Habsi's goal.