It came as little surprise that Luis Suarez was confirmed as the PFA's Player of the Year last night.

The Uruguayan international has scored 30 goals so far this season - not since Ian Rush in 1987 has a Liverpool striker reached that landmark.

While the 27-year-old has had an impact on a host of matches this term, here Sports Mole selects the five performances that will have convinced Suarez's peers to vote for the Liverpool frontman.

Having sat out Premier League fixtures since April 21 as a result of the suspension that he received for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, Suarez marked his return to action by scoring two goals at the Stadium of Light. Both were assisted by Daniel Sturridge as the pair showed signs of the understanding that was to earn them plenty of praise over the coming months.

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The Reds moved up to second with this victory, which was achieved thanks largely to a hat-trick from Suarez. He opened the scoring with a neat finish following a solo run that took him past Claudio Yacob and Jonas Olsson, before his header beat Boaz Myhill from the edge of the area. He then completed his scoring 10 minutes after the restart by turning in Steven Gerrard's cross.

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It's highly doubtful that a player has scored four goals in one match that were of higher quality than Suarez's quartet of efforts. He broke the deadlock with a looping shot from 40 yards out, before he converted Philippe Coutinho's cross. A powerful half-volley sealed a hat-trick, while his fourth of the evening came from a dead-ball situation, which took his goal tally against the Canaries to 11 in four matches. For good measure, he turned creator in the closing stages for Raheem Sterling to roll in Liverpool's fifth goal of the contest.

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Without the injured Gerrard and Sturridge, Suarez took it upon himself to lead Liverpool to a comprehensive win at White Hart Lane. He showed quick feet to poke in the game's opening goal - his 16th of the campaign. Spurs midfielder Paulinho was then dismissed for a foul on Suarez, who chipped in his second of the match seven minutes from the end. Once again he also showed that he was a team player by setting up two goals for his teammates.

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Suarez equalled Robbie Fowler's 28-goal record for a Liverpool Premier League season by scoring yet another hat-trick, this time against Cardiff in Wales. His first goal came from a Glen Johnson cross and then on the hour mark he benefited from good work from Sturridge. His trio was completed in stoppage time when he tempted David Marshall off his line, before slotting the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

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