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Stoke 3-5 Liverpool
Hello, and welcome to our liveblog of Stoke v Liverpool.
Check out the teams below…
STOKE: Butland, Cameron, Shawcross, Wilson, Pieters, Nzonzi, Whelan, Walters, Adam, Arnautovic, Crouch. Subs: Muniesa, Pennant, Palacios, Etherington, Sorensen, Shotton, Ireland.
LIVERPOOL: Mignolet, Johnson, Skrtel, Toure, Cissokho, Gerrard, Lucas, Henderson, Sterling, Suarez, Coutinho. Subs: Alberto, Aspas, Moses, Sturridge, Ibe, Kelly, Ward.
Liverpool are clear favourites for today’s game, but who do you think will win?
Poll Results:
Some stats for you ahead of today’s game:
- Liverpool have not beaten Stoke away in the league since 1984.
- Liverpool have won five of their past seven matches.
- Stoke haven’t lost at home in seven matches.
We’re underway…
Stoke have started this game relatively well.
They’ve already won two corners and have pinned Liverpool back into their own half quite often.
GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL!
Liverpool 1-0 Stoke: Cissokho takes an audacious shot from well outside the box and it deflects wickedly off Ryan Shawcross and finds the back of the net (4 mins).
It’s a big blow for Stoke after their positive start.
Peter Crouch has picked up a head injury. He is subsequently forced to go off, temporarily at least.
Meanwhile, Martin Skrtel is pulling from the subsequent Stoke free kick put into the box, but the referee fails to penalise him for it.
Stoke have responded quite well to going behind.
They have just won another corner and have pressurised the Liverpool goal well in recent minutes.
Good cross from Walters and Migolet can only parry it to Whelan, whose volley is deflected away for a corner.
It’s all Stoke at the moment.
Now it’s Liverpool’s turn to enjoy a spell of pressure.
Suarez has just dragged a free kick in a good position uncharacteristically well wide, though replays reveal it took a deflection and should have resulted in a corner.
GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL!
Liverpool 2-0 Stoke: The Stoke defence fails to deal with a bouncing ball and Suarez capitalises, slotting it through Butland’s legs and into the net (31 mins).
Liverpool’s dismal record at Stoke looks set to end.
It’s a very entertaining game, with both sides showing a great willingness to attack.
Stoke, despite looking out of this game, still seem full of energy and continue to play in a positive fashion.
GOAL FOR STOKE!
Stoke 1-2 Liverpool: Great ball into the box from Arnautovic and Crouch plants a perfect header past Mignolet and into the corner of the net (39 mins).
Meanwhile, Stoke still look vulnerable at the back, as seconds later, Butland is forced to make a good save to deny Coutinho from close range. Phew!
GOAL FOR STOKE!
Stoke 2-2 Liverpool: Another former Liverpool player, Charlie Adam, is allowed space to turn on the edge of the box, before launching an unstoppable shot into the corner of the net (44 mins).
What a comeback!
HALF-TIME: STOKE 2-2 LIVERPOOL
Here are all the other first-half goals:
YouTube credit: Luis Suarez Official
YouTube credit: Premier HD
YouTube credit: TheExtremegoals
So, time to take a deep breath after all that relentless action.
Some dodgy Stoke defending and ruthless Liverpool finishing helped the visitors take a 2-0 lead that was somewhat harsh on Mark Hughes’ men, after they had started the game so brightly.
Nevertheless, the Potters then showed similarly clinical finishing, and consequently, deservedly go in level at the break.
After Liverpool appeared to have it virtually won, this game is now all to play for, and Stoke have all the momentum behind them.
It will be interesting to see how Liverpool respond in the second half.
The second half has begun…
Do you agree?
PENALTY FOR LIVERPOOL!
Marc Wilson has a bit of a howler.
He gives the ball away and then fouls Sterling to give away the penalty.
The youngster did go down quite easily, so it’s a little harsh.
GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL!
Liverpool 3-2 Stoke: Steven Gerrard slots the penalty into the corner of the net in confident fashion (50 mins).
Advantage Liverpool once more.
Liverpool are continuing their pressure following the Stoke goal. Henderson has just blasted a shot over the bar.
Meanwhile, Daniel Sturridge is warming up on the touchline.
A close-up shot of that penalty incident.
This game remains enthralling to watch.
The Stoke attack are continuing to pose Liverpool’s defence problems, while the visitors look very dangerous on the break.
Here’s a look at that Gerrard penalty.
YouTube credit: TomEditsHD
Meanwhile, Sturridge has just come on for Coutinho.
Important block from Skrtel to stop Nzonzi’s goal-bound shot.
Stoke are starting to look dominant again.
GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL!
Liverpool 4-2 Stoke: Good ball-carrying from Sturridge, before he lays it off to Suarez (70 mins).
The Uruguayan then coolly slots the ball into the corner of the net, claiming his 22nd goal of the season in the process.
Impressively, Stoke are still threatening and showing little sign of tiredness or general deflation.
Crouch has narrowly missed an almost perfectly delivered Arnautovic cross.
Adam floats a dangerous ball into the box, and Mignolet has to make a save to prevent Toure from heading the ball into his own net.
The game remains as frantic as ever, with Liverpool now attacking.
Stephen Ireland replaces Nzonzi.
10 minutes remain. Can Stoke produce another unlikely comeback?
GOAL FOR STOKE!
Stoke 3-4 Liverpool: Great play by Arnautovic to set up Walters, who puts it through the legs of Mignolet from the edge of the box and into the net (84 mins).
The goalkeeper surely could have done better there.
Stoke have five minutes to grab an equaliser!
GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL!
Liverpool 5-3 Stoke: Suarez floats a beautiful ball into the box for Sturridge, who shows great composure to score at the second attempt, after Butland makes a fantastic initial save from the England star’s close-range attempt (87 mins).
Game of the season so far?
Crouch has just headed against the post.
The defending in this game has been woeful, but it’s made for a wonderful spectacle.
Check out the two most recent (dare I say last?) goals:
YouTube credit: SPACE FOOTBALL
YouTube credit: Luis Suarez Official
FULL-TIME: STOKE 3-5 LIVERPOOL
Even on the final whistle, Mignolet did very well to stop Gerrard unwittingly heading into his own net.
Crazy game!
So in the end, Liverpool claim a victory that’s just about deserved, despite their at times lackadaisical defending.
Suarez and Sturridge underlined their attacking brilliance, with some fantastic interplay and finishing, while Stoke caused them problems both through their physicality and ingenuity, with Arnautovic in particular providing a considerable creative spark.
The penalty to make it 3-2 may have been slightly harsh, but overall Stoke — for all their heart — can have few complaints, as their inept defending meant they were often the arbiters of their own downfall.
Liverpool, meanwhile, show further signs of progress ultimately, as they manage to break the hoodoo that Stoke have seemingly had over them in recent years.
Right, that’s all from me. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
