IT was a performance which showcased why Kenny Dalglish was so determined to bring Charlie Adam to Anfield.

The Scotland international covered virtually every blade of grass at Stamford Bridge as the Liverpool midfielder helped lay the platform for a cherished victory.

Adam’s tireless work ethic led to him dispossessing Mikel and creating the opening for Maxi Rodriguez’s strike.

And the 25-year-old was also instrumental in the Reds’ dramatic late winner with his pin-point cross-field pass giving hero Glen Johnson the chance to wreak havoc.

Dalglish failed to land Adam back in January when Blackpool refused to do business but he finally got his man for £6.75million in the summer.

The manager’s faith in the former Rangers midfielder, who has been ever present in the Premier League so far this season, is being richly rewarded.

“Charlie only endorsed what we thought when we signed him,” Dalglish said. “He certainly played very well against Chelsea but there’s nothing he’s been doing that’s been a surprise to us.

“He covered a fair bit of ground to get to him (Mikel) and won the ball back for us for the first goal. But he won the ball back on many occasions during the game. That one was probably highlighted more than the others because it resulted in a goal. His pass for the second goal was sublime as well.

“He was someone we wanted to get in January and we never got. We were patient and we got a discount on him when we went for him in the summer. I don’t think it’s been a bad bit of business.

“I don’t think he’s going to sit there and rest on his laurels either. He wants to push onwards and upwards – and so do we.”

Adam and Liverpool face a step up in class on Sunday when they entertain leaders Manchester City at Anfield.

Roberto Mancini’s big-spenders have made the best ever start to a Premier League season. Eleven wins and a draw from their opening 12 matches have helped them establish a five-point lead.

They have already plundered 42 goals and despite the continued absence of Carlos Tevez, they boast an array of striking options in the form of Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli.

City were beaten by Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday but Mancini is expected to ring the chances on Sunday with Aguero, Samir Nasri, Micah Richards and Gareth Barry in line to return to the starting line up.

“They’ve got fantastic resources to get who they want to buy and they’ve had a fantastic start to the season,” Dalglish said. “I think there will be changes from the team they played on Tuesday, but then there’s always changes for them. We know what to expect and I don’t think there will be any surprises.

“When they’ve got their noses in front this season they’ve gone on and punished teams. They played fantastic at Tottenham, they played fantastic at Old Trafford. Maybe they’re due a bad one. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.”

Liverpool hammered City 3-0 at Anfield back in April. It was a night notable for the fact that Andy Carroll bagged his first goals for the club and Jon Flanagan made a highly impressive debut at right-back.

Carroll will be hoping to earn a recall to partner Luis Suarez up front on Sunday after being on the bench at Chelsea. But Dalglish insists what the £35million frontman achieved against City last time won’t come into his thinking.

“You take into account what’s happening now,” he said. “Andy scored two great goals against them last season and we got our reward for that and so did Andy.

“Just because he scored two last season doesn’t mean he’s going to score two this time.

“We will all start afresh for the game on Sunday and if we can repeat the same result as last season then everyone here will be happy.

“Certainly what was apparent in the game with City last season was that Tevez came off after about 20 minutes with a pulled hamstring which helped us more than it helped them. But we did play really well.

“They’ve got different personnel this time and so do we. It might not be the same type of game.

“City’s style and principles haven’t changed from last season but their position in the league has certainly changed and they have had some fantastic performances.”

If the Reds could follow up their win at Chelsea by ending City’s unbeaten record it would deliver a major boost to their hopes of a top four finish. With Spurs, Newcastle, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal separated by just three points, the battle for Champions League qualification is hotting up.

“I don’t care how many are involved but as long as we’re involved – that’s all we’re concerned with,” Dalglish said.

“It’s good to see us up there. We’re looking to progress and build something here that’s going to last for a long time and I think we’re moving in the right direction.

“Whether Sunday’s a positive result for us, we’ll just have to wait and see. But it won’t be a determining factor in the progress of the club. We’re not going to get carried away with one result whether we win or lose.”