Kenny Dalglish hails Liverpool as 'fantastic' after win

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said his side were "fantastic" in their 2-1 win at Chelsea.

Glen Johnson's 87th-minute winner earned the Reds three points after Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge had cancelled out Maxi Rodriguez's opener.

Dalglish said: "If you have a fantastic performance you've got a better chance of getting a result and I think that's what we did.

"We played really well in the first half and deserved to win."

The victory lifts the Merseysiders up to sixth in the Premier League, level on points with Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal.

But Liverpool had to survive a resurgent display from the Blues in the second half after dominating their opponents in a one-sided first period.

Rodriguez's goal was the least Liverpool deserved from a fantastic opening 45 minutes, but a change in the Chelsea formation and Sturridge's strike ensured the hosts looked the likelier of the two to grab a winner - until Johnson popped up with a fantastic solo strike three minutes from time.

"It's not bad when your right full-back does it - and it gives you an indication of the commitment and what the players were hoping to get out of the game," added Dalglish.

"We're happy with how we've played and delighted with the three points.

"It was a great finish by Glen. I don't know what he was doing in there but it was a great finish."

And the Scot could not hide his delight after his decision to start with Rodriguez and Craig Bellamy paid dividends, saying: "He [Rodriguez] is a really intelligent footballer, as is Craig Bellamy.

"The two of them really appreciate their profession, they know how to look after themselves.

"We know what we get from both the lads and you could see how good they are. We had a lot of really good players."