Watch: Lazar Markovic vs. Sunderland

It was a short cameo, but Lazar Markovic's performance against Sunderland was among Liverpool's best on the day, and hopefully one upon which the young Serbian can build.

By -Ed- Dec 7, 2014, 3:00am GMT

In the past few weeks, Brendan Rodgers has provided few opportunities for those on the fringes. With a string of bad results for most of the fall, the manager has sidelined many of the players he brought in over the summer, including the impressive Emre Can and, prior to Saturday's 0-0 draw with Sunderland, Alberto Moreno. The duo had been among the club's best through a disappointing stretch, but with Rodger opting to go with experience and familiar faces, they had fallen by the wayside.

Among the other names for whom chances have been limited is Lazar Markovic, who hadn't made an appearance since the loss at Real Madrid before Saturday. The 20-year-old forward hadn't been overwhelming in his limited time on the pitch, but on more than a handful of occasions in recent weeks it would have made sense for Rodgers to use the Serbian's pace to add a jolt to a Liverpool attack that's continued to look stale.

Markovic finally got his chance on Saturday, though, and it was among his best of the season despite only lasting for 12-plus minutes. He looked more confident with the ball at his feet and willing to utilize his speed to get forward, and while it didn't come off for him--or anyone else for that matter--his appearance undoubtedly made Liverpool more dangerous in attack.

With so many matches yet to come this month, hopefully we'll see more of Lazar Markovic, and hopefully those appearances continue the improvements we saw on Saturday.

Video by MrBoywunder