Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes the penny has finally dropped for Reds striker Mario Balotelli, after he made a match-winning contribution for the second successive game in Saturday’s FA Cup victory over Crystal Palace.
The Italian has largely failed to impress since moving to Anfield last summer, and was phased out the first-team for a number of games this season as a result.
But it was his goal which secured a 3-2 triumph over top-four rivals Tottenham this week, and he again came off the bench to have a hand in Liverpool's decider against Palace.
With Alan Pardew’s side leading in the first-half, the Reds turned it around after the break through fit-again Daniel Sturridge’s volley and a close-range finish from Adam Lallana, who raced into the box to mop up the rebound from Balotelli’s saved free-kick.
Rodgers said he was pleased to have "natural" goalscorer Sturridge available again after injury and also insited maverick frontman Balotelli is finally clicking in the Reds’ system after a tough start to his career on Merseyside.
"Mario has been working really hard in training and I think now the penny's dropped,” said the boss.
“I assess players in training every day, no matter how good they are, and they have to put the work in.
"It has been difficult for him, because he's come into a style maybe he's never been in before, but one thing he has got is quality, and he's got big quality and the last couple of games he's come off the bench and been effective for us."
Rodgers lauded his team’s "immense character" after sealing their second comeback win in two FA Cup ties, having battled back to beat Bolton in the previous round.
The Northern Irishman told BT Sport: "We had to be patient but of course we had to show character, and the character in the team has been immense in the last few months.
"Once we got the [equaliser], we got our confidence back into the game again."
Palace manager Alan Pardew, meanwhile, described the cup exit as an "opportunity missed" but felt Liverpool deserved their win.
He said: "I felt we didn't put enough pressure on Liverpool today. We had a great chance at half-time. We should have done better today.
"I'm not too disappointed but I do feel it was an opportunity missed.
"But we're not going to make excuses and I think Liverpool deserved to win, and you have to accept that sometimes."
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