Lucas Leiva

After struggling at times as he returned from two major injuries, Lucas Leiva believes he will be back to his best form for next season.

With Liverpool's season goal at times seemingly adjusted downward with each passing week, the new target is beating Everton to sixth—and Sunday's derby will go a long way towards determining their chances of doing so.

Against Newcastle, Lucas had one of his best games since returning from injury—so we're taking the chance to take a look back at it with an every-touch compilation of his performance.

Lucas Leiva has signed a new long-term deal at Liverpool, the club have announced.

Fans still uncertain of the club's direction can breathe a little easier today as one of Liverpool's most important players signalled his belief in Brendan Rodgers' project by signing a new long-term deal.

With a damaged shoulder making it increasingly difficult for Joe Allen to play, the midfielder faces surgery within the next few weeks and a lengthy three-month absence following it.

As Liverpool prepare for the tough task of stopping Spurs, Brendan Rodgers sought to praise midfielder Lucas' efforts to rediscover the form he was on before suffering a season-ending injury in 2011.

With the season nearing its end, Lucas touched on the two inevitable topics concerning teammate Luis Suarez—his chances of winning player of the year, and his chances of staying at Liverpool.

While Lucas is convinced Sunday's victory over Swansea will provide a platform for Europa League success, Jose Enrique is worried about what Daniel Sturridge's means. Both, though, still see a chance to progress on Thursday.

Despite his relative youth, Liverpool midfielder Lucas and assistant manager Colin Pascoe both believe Philippe Coutinho has enough experience to make a difference straight away.