Tim Sherwood is still new to the media side of football management and it shows. His comment that he saw signs in the slightly less than comfortable 2-1 win over Sunderland in midweek that Liverpool might be feeling the pressure of their new billing as title contenders was the equivalent of a boxer leading with his chin. Brendan Rodgers hit the target sweetly with a curt reply. "I don't think we are under pressure," the Liverpool manager said. "Probably not as much as a team that spent £100m and must have been hoping to challenge for the league this season."

Liverpool's devastating 5-0 win at White Hart Lane before Christmas was the result that cost André Villas-Boas his job and gave Sherwood his chance to take charge, though it says much about the sort of performances Liverpool have been posting that Rodgers is not sure whether it was the best display of the season.

"It felt like it on the day, but there have been other big results since," he said. "There is no doubt that going to Tottenham – and our recent history wasn't that good there – it gave us a lot of confidence to put on such a convincing display against one of our direct rivals."

Back in December the rivalry between the two sides was confined to which one might finish in fourth to claim a Champions League place. Liverpool have accelerated away from Spurs in the intervening period and now have their sights set considerably higher.

As long as they keep winning they have an outside chance of the title, and to do that Rodgers insists they must stick to the attacking principles that have served them well so far and keep on playing in the same way. "We have worked hard over 18 months to create an identity for the team and the players have had success with it," he said. "You can't always play perfectly but the players believe in this way of working. We have arrived where we are because of the principles of our game."

Rodgers admits Liverpool were a little anxious at times against Sunderland but maintains his side were always in control. "It became quite a tough game when it went to 2-1, and without meaning to disrespect anyone, that is because that hasn't been happening so often at Anfield. Most of our games have been over by half-time, so in that sense you could understand the anxiety of the supporters.

"We haven't been in the Champions League for a long time, we haven't been this near to the top of the table, and there have been very few occasions at home this season where the result has been that close. We are at the business end of the season now so I suppose a certain amount of anxiety is natural, but we'll never complain about the supporters, they are a big part of where we are at.

"Thankfully we have players that understand the situation and still have the courage to get on the ball and play. That will give the crowd confidence. Hopefully what we have given the supporters is a bit of pride in the performances, because they have had it tough here in the past few years with all that has gone on with ownership and everything else. But I can assure you that the team is relaxed and focused.

"There is less pressure on us than on other teams because we have developed in a different way. No one expected us to win the league at the start of the season and we have not spent huge amounts of money on the squad."

One similarity between Liverpool and Spurs is that Rodgers could also have "Gareth Bale money" to spend one day should one of the big clubs in Spain make an unrefusable offer for Luis Suárez. The manager does not want that to happen, is reluctant to even talk about it happening, but does accept that Suárez could go for even more money than Bale, possibly to become the world's first £100m player.

"His value is certainly heading towards that," he said. "If you look at the top people in the world, the Ronaldos and the Messis, the people who have been doing it for five or six years, he would be right at that level. He is certainly on his way towards it. His consistency has been phenomenal and what you see now is a more mature player. Luis is a world-class talent."

With a remarkable 28 goals in 25 league games this season Suárez is one of the reasons Liverpool are challenging for the title, though it pains Rodgers to hear it suggested that without the Uruguayan's input his side might be no better than mid-table.

"That's a little bit disrespectful," Rodgers said. "First of all we are a group, a collective, and secondly we have proved we can win games without Luis. We have also seen some great performances in which he has not scored. Everyone in the side has been helping each other, which is as it should be. If we are talking about goals, for example, look at Steven Gerrard, who has moved to a deeper position and has still scored eight goals in his last 11 Premier League games. Or Martin Skrtel. I think he is the leading scoring defender in the league, but don't tell him that or he'll want a new contract. He was unfortunate not to start the season but when he got into the team he showed his qualities in wanting to improve. He has been immense for us, but he is not the only one. The great thing for me is that all our players, young and old, are looking to learn and improve. That is the key to what we have been doing this season."