Brendan Rodgers: 'Luis Suarez is an easy target'

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has claimed that striker Luis Suarez is an "easy target" for people looking to blame players for diving.

Rodgers felt that Suarez should have had a penalty during his side's 2-1 defeat to Chelsea when he appeared to be taken down off the ball by Samuel Eto'o, although Blues boss Jose Mourinho has claimed that the Uruguayan should have been booked for a dive.

However, Rodgers believes that Suarez has an unfair reputation for going to ground too easily and dismissed suggestions that he could have stayed on his feet from Eto'o's challenge.

"It certainly wasn't [a dive]. I think anyone watching the game would see it wasn't that. Luis is an easy target," Rodgers told reporters.

"I think we have had a spell over the last year or so where everyone was jumping on Luis' back, saying he was diving. He must be the only one who is doing it. But no, I don't think it was that at all.

"It was a valid claim for a penalty against a player who wasn't even making an effort for the football. I certainly wouldn't say it was an acrobatic dive."

Back-to-back defeats against Manchester City and Chelsea have seen Liverpool drop from top of the table to fifth in less than a week.