Liverpool’s up and down start to the season welcomes a host of familiar faces to Anfield this Sunday afternoon as Stoke City visit Merseyside in the Premier League.
Three successive away wins in all competitions, culminating in last weekend’s thumping of Norwich City, seemed to suggest Brendan Rodgers and his team had finally got their season off and running.
However, on Thursday night the results were superseded by a frustrating, if entertaining, 3-2 defeat to Udinese in the Europa League. The reverse means the Reds have now lost three on the bounce at Anfield and Rodgers will want to put that right against the Potters.
Stoke have made a solid start to their league campaign, sitting 12th on seven points – two places and two points better off than the hosts. Tony Pulis’ squad include ex-Reds Peter Crouch, Michael Owen, Jermaine Pennant and Charlie Adam.
Vital Quotes:
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers speaking at this pre-match press conference: “No matter what kind of football you play, playing against any team in this league is difficult.
“Stoke are one of those teams who are very hard to beat, I’ve got great respect for Tony Pulis and the work that he has done there and how he prepares his players.
“He’s taken Stoke a long, long way in getting them promoted to the Premier League. They are now a very established team at this level. There’s no right or wrong way to play football and at the end of the day it’s about getting results.”
Stoke City’s American defender Geoff Cameron, who like Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group is from Boston, quoted by thisisstaffordshire.co.uk: “Most of the Liverpool games are shown in Boston these days, so I am sure a bunch of my buddies will be watching the game this weekend.
“But it’s cool playing against Liverpool. Being from Boston, I have some affiliation with them, but I don’t care about that. My focus is here.”
Liverpool Team News:
Italian striker Fabio Borini played 79mins in Europe during the week to mark his comeback from an ankle injury suffered against Manchester United two weeks ago. Joe Cole (hamstring) and Jose Enrique (knee) should both be back in contention for selection following injury but neither is likely to feature from the start. Many established stars, either rested completely or on the substitutes bench against Udinese, will return to the starting eleven however, including Martin Skrtel, Daniel Agger, Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez. Youngsters Raheem Sterling, Andre Wisdom and Suso are also likely to be returned to places in the line-up after impressing against Norwich. The only players certain to be missing are long-term absentees Lucas Leiva and Martin Kelly. Leiva is beginning to step-up his recovery from a thigh problem but is unlikely to be back until mid-November at the earliest whilst Kelly is out for at least six months following cruciate ligament reconstruction. Jonjo Shelvey is still suspended domestically.
Player to watch: Daniel Agger
With the Liverpool defence leaking goals on a titanic scale of late the pressure is on to sure things up at the back and prevent the impressive progress made in other areas of the team from becoming immaterial. Danish centre-back Agger was coveted by champions Manchester City over the summer but has now signed a new contract at the club. On his day, the 27-year-old is amongst the best in the world but regular injuries have often stifled his career to this point. Unfortunately they show no sign of abating either after it was revealed recently that he is currently playing with a bone fracture to the kneecap. Many of the individual mistakes which have caused Liverpool dear this season have been as a result of the new preference for playing out from the back implemented by Rodgers. The style is based on a high-tempo passing and pressing game which, in theory, should be ideally suited to the cultured Scandinavian. Hopefully therefore Agger cam improve his own form quickly and also in turn inspire those around him.
Stoke City Team News:
Defender Andy Wilkinson is serving the last of a three match suspension but elsewhere Stoke have no serious problems ahead of their trip to the North West. Both Glenn Whelan and Charlie Adam should be fit despite being substituted through injury during the 2-0 win over Swansea City last time out. Dependable winger Matthew Etherington will be hoping to regain his place after playing second fiddle to new signing Michael Kightly in recent games. Jonathan Walters is expected to continue to partner top scorer Peter Crouch up front but there are plenty of other options in Michael Owen, Kenwyne Jones and Cameron Jerome. Experienced defender Danny Higginbotham has joined Ipswich Town on a month’s loan and is therefore not in consideration. Of the four former Liverpool players in Stoke’s squad only Jermaine Pennant is unlikely to be involved in some capacity after the 29-year-old failed to even make the substitutes’ bench for Stoke’s last three league games.
Player to watch: Peter Crouch
Despite being snubbed once more by England head coach Roy Hodgson this week, Crouch has made a good start to the new season. The striker’s double against the Swans took him to five goals and he will no doubt be keen to add to that tally against his former employers. The 31-year-old enjoyed a fruitful 3 years at Anfield between 2005 and 2008, scoring 42 goals in 134 appearances which included the 2007 Champions League final. At 6ft 7 in tall a lot of focus is put on the one time Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth man’s aerial prowess but there is much more to his game than the obvious. A phenomenal international strike rate of 22 goals in 42 caps shows he has the all round ability to prove dangerous even at the highest level.
Match Facts & Stats
? Liverpool and Stoke have met 126 times in all competitions. The Reds hold the upper hand with 64 victories to the Potters 28. 34 draws have also been recorded.
? Liverpool have won just two Premier League games at Anfield during 2012 and have lost two and drawn one of the three played so far this campaign.
? Stoke have never won away in the top flight against Liverpool in a record 49 attempts (39 defeats, 10 draws).
? Fresh from recording their joint lowest league finish in years last season (8th), Liverpool’s current tally of five points from six games represents their worst start in the Premier League era.
? If Stoke score, Liverpool will match their longest run of nine games without a clean sheet at Anfield in the Premier League (Sep to Dec 1996 and Dec 98 to May 99).
Ref Watch:
Lancashire based official Lee Mason is the man appointed by the Premier League to officiate this encounter. The 40-year-old is yet to show a red card this season but has brandished 17 yellows in his five games in the middle. The last time Mason refereed a Liverpool game the Reds lost 2-1 to Wigan Athletic at Anfield in March.
Match Prediction:
Despite the midweek setback and an awful recent record at Anfield, Liverpool surely go into this game as favourites? After much early season talk about a lack of goals, it is now the defence causing the biggest area for concern. The last thing a side needs, when they are struggling at the back and can barely recall what a clean sheet is, is a match against Stoke and Peter Crouch in particular. There is no shortage of defensive talent in the squad however and it is surely only a matter of time before things come together in this regard. Vital Liverpool predicts a 3-1 LFC victory.
Next Fixtures:
Liverpool – Premier League vs Reading at Anfield on Saturday 20th October 2012, kick off 3.00pm.
Stoke City – Premier League vs Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday 20th October 2012, kick off 3.00pm.
So that’s what we think, how about you? Let us know your thoughts and predictions for the game below…
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