Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has stated that club captain Steven Gerrard recovered from his "slip" against Chelsea at Anfield at the tail end of last season, because of his character.
The Reds lost their advantage in the Premier League title race last season, after Gerrard lost his footing while receiving a pass in his own half, which allowed Chelsea striker Demba Ba to steal the ball and score the crucial opener in the Blues' 2-0 win.
The result was a key one as Liverpool lost the title to Manchester City by two points, two weeks later.
Gerrard is now set to face Chelsea once again as the Reds host Jose Mourinho's men at Anfield this weekend, with Rodgers' side already 12 points behind the league leaders this time. And the Northern Irishman is confident that the former England skipper has bounced back from that infamous slip.
"I think [the slip] was probably more for [the press]," the Mirror quoted Rodgers as saying. "It was just an unfortunate thing for me. It shows you the character of Steven. He has demonstrated that through his career.
"He has had hard moments in his career and he always responds magnificently - there was no blame. He was instrumental in our run last year and how well we played and he is a big character and bounces back from that."
Meanwhile, Mourinho has rubbed salt into the wounds of Gerrard and Liverpool, by insisting it was the 34-year-old's slip which cost the Reds a much-awaited league title.
The Portuguese tactician pointed out the fact that a draw against Chelsea would have been enough for the Merseyside outfit to win the league, while the result did not matter for the Blues anyway.
"[Gerrard's slip] gave the title to Man City - it's as simple as that," Mourinho stressed. "Liverpool, with a point in that match, are champions and because they lost that match they lost the title.
"It meant nothing to us after our defeat against Sunderland. Our position was third position. That match meant just the professional pride - you have to go to every match and try to win."
