Liverpool kept their European hopes alive on Saturday as they thumped Wigan Athletic 4-0 at the DW Stadium in the Premier League.

Stewart Downing opened the scoring for the visitors with only two minutes on the clock before Luis Suarez netted twice to give the Reds a 3-0 lead at the break.

Suarez then claimed his hat-trick early in the second half to move the Merseysiders up to seventh place in the table.

Meanwhile, the defeat has increased the relegation woes of Wigan - who sit outside the drop zone on goal difference.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the two teams.

Match statistics:

Wigan:
Shots 15
On target 11
Possession 50%
Corners 4
Fouls 11

Liverpool:
Shots 8
On target 7
Possession 50%
Corners 3
Fouls 15

Was the result fair?

Liverpool were by far the superior side from the second minute onwards when they got the opening goal. If anything, they could have had a few more but for some wayward finishing in what was a forgettable 90 minutes for the hosts.

Wigan's performance

It was an abject afternoon for Roberto Martinez's side as they looked like a team battling relegation. They showed an occasional spark in attack, but some wasteful passing in midfield, combined with a lack of confidence, laid the seeds for a resounding defeat.

Liverpool's performance

Manager Brendan Rodgers will be delighted with the display from his players. They were organised, efficient in their passing and constantly looked forward when in possession. His main focus now will be to keep them at this level against better teams.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Luis Suarez: The Uruguayan striker was in unstoppable form, scoring his second hat-trick of the season. His touch in and around the penalty are was a sharp as ever, running rings around the Wigan defence when he got on the ball. The performance of the PFA Player of the Year? Quite possibly.

Biggest gaffe

As Liverpool tightened their grip on the match in the first half, Wigan teammates James McArthur and Emmerson Boyce got into a heated discussion about something and had to be separated. Such signs of disharmony within the Latics' ranks don't bode well for rest of the season.

Referee performance

Martin Atkinson dished out a couple of soft yellow cards, but he allowed the game to flow for the most part on an otherwise quiet afternoon for the man in black.

What next?

Wigan: The Latics can take their minds off the Premier League next weekend when they travel to Everton in the sixth round of the FA Cup.

Liverpool: The Reds face a tough Premier League fixture against high-flying Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.