After Thursday’s defeat to
Udinese in the Europa League, Rodgers named the same side that ran out 5-2 victors
at Carrow Road last week, with Suso and Andre Wisdom earning starting home
league debuts.
The visitors immediately
capitalized on a loose pass by Nuri Sahin and former Liverpool midfielder
Charlie Adam threatened to punish the mistake. However, the Liverpool defence
managed to avert the danger. It was an early warning for the hosts.
Luis Suarez tricked his way into
the Stoke box and looked to cut back for the awaiting Sahin. But, the visitors
managed to get enough bodies back and block Sahin’s goal-bound strike.
The Uruguayan was then in the
wars. Huth hauled Suarez down, followed by a stamp on his chest; both
challenges went unpunished by the referee. Kightly was next to lunge in,
however this time referee Lee Mason presented the Stoke City player with a
yellow card.
After a shaky start, Liverpool
settled and became the more dominant team. The closest Stoke could get to the
players was bringing them down.
In a game of few efforts, Suso
presented Agger with the best chance so far on the half hour mark. The Spaniard
dinked a ball over the Stoke back line, Agger desperately stretched to get a
toe on the end of it, but his effort agonizingly crept past the post.
Moments later, the trend of the
first half continued, Huth lost his footing as Suarez turned the German
defender. Cynically he stuck out a leg and brought the striker down. This time,
he didn’t escape a booking.
Raheem Sterling linked up well
with Suarez on the half way line, before the Uruguayan drove forward and played
in Gerrard. Rather wastefully, the midfielder dragged his shot wide of the goal.
He had options either side of him.
After the break, Liverpool
continued their dominance and stepped up the intensity. Suso, Gerrard and
Suarez exchanged quick passes in and around the Stoke City box.
Glen Johnson spurned the best
chance to earn a breakthrough in the 50th minute. Steven Gerrard
split the Stoke defence with an incisive pass. As he broke through on goal, the
fullback skewed his effort over the bar. A let off for the visitors.
Daniel Agger timely intercepted a
cross that was destined to be converted after miscommunication resulted in
Wisdom and Skrtel sent tumbling on the turf.
Suarez then, in typical fashion,
picked the ball up on the half way line and roared towards goal twisting and
turning through the Stoke City defence. But the Uruguayan couldn’t find a
finish to match the build up, as his left footed shot sliced past the goal.
Surging out of defence, Daniel
Agger shielded the ball from Stoke challenges. The center back sent in a cross
that found Sterling on the back post. The winger snatched his effort as it
clipped the post. In truth, a simpler square ball would’ve allowed a tap in.
Late on Skrtel threatened to
pinch a winner. The Stoke defence momentarily switched off and the Slovakian
defender hooked the ball towards the back post. The Kop held its breath. But, the
defender’s shot clipped the post and went wide to cap off the fourth effort to
strike the woodwork. An all to familiar story for Liverpool fans.
An afternoon of frustration was topped
off when, in the 93rd minute, Joe Cole struck a volley into row z.
Sikander Najib
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