English
Liverpool weathered an early storm from Stoke City during their 4-1 Premier League victory at Anfield on Tuesday which kept the Reds in touch with the league leaders Chelsea. For the first 20 minutes Liverpool had big issues with the plan Mark Hughes had concocted and the visitors took the deserving lead when Erik Pieters zipped in a left-footed cross that allowed Walters to flash a header beyond Simon Mignolet.
But Liverpool gradually came back into the game and led at half-time courtesy of goals from Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino. An own goal from Giannelli Imbula and a smart finish from substitute Daniel Sturridge after the interval ensured Liverpool moved back into second place on the table, six points behind leaders Chelsea.
The equaliser for Liverpool arrived in the 34th minute, Lallana threading a precise finish into the net after Divock Origi and Mane embarrassed Stoke’s defence. There was no stopping Liverpool from there on and they were ready to build up a head of steam and just before the interval, they took lead as Firmino crashed a left-footed drive past Grant that bounced off both posts before crossing the line.
“Early on they put us under some pressure and we struggled to deal with the long ball, and the flick-on, in the first 15 minutes and they got the goal,” Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson told Sky Sports.
“But we adapted well towards the end of the first half, dealt with it better, and then second half we dealt with it well. The start wasn’t great, but, after the goal, I thought we dominated again and scored some good goals.”
It was a similar story in the second half as Pool the half with the high tempo and Stoke had no answer to their free flowing football. The one way traffic brough the third goal with Jordan Henderson at the heart of it. He showed poise to set Origi galloping into the area and his cross was so dangerous that Imbula could only put through his own net under pressure from Mane, who was waiting to apply the finish.
There was still time for one more, Daniel Sturridge ending a run of 656 minutes without a Premier League goal when he waltzed around Grant after latching on to an appalling back pass from Ryan Shawcross 56 seconds after coming on as a substitute.
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