LIVERPOOL 4 STOKE CITY FC 0

No repeat of the Alamo performance of last season in front of a 44,318 crowd.

Liverpool got an early goal to settle them down when Torres netted a Gerrard ball in from the right on 4 minutes.Defensively we coped until added on time at the end of the half when Johnson netted the second from a Gerrard corner.

Gerrard skilful cross from the right set up Kuyt (78 mins) for Liverpool's third goal.The home team continued to keep the ball well,mounted continous pressure on the Stoke goal,getting a fourth goal through sub Ngog in the final minute of added on time,giving a scoreline which Stoke's efforts did not deserve.

Tony Pulis, observing that this year Liverpool took their chances,was clearly dissappointed with the scoreline,and felt the team had created better chances themselves.The only shot of note came just after half time, with the score at 2-0, when Rory Delap's powerful effort brought a fine save from keeper Reina.


TEAMS:

Liverpool: Reina ,Johnson ,Carragher ,Ayala ,Insua ,Mascherano ,Lucas ,Kuyt (Riera ,82 ) ,Gerrard (Voronin ,81 ) ,Benayoun ,Torres (Ngog ,84)
Subs not used: Cavalieri,Babel,Kelly,Dossena,

Stoke: Sorensen ,Wilkinson ,Shawcross ,Abdoulaye Faye ,Higginbotham ,Delap ,Whelan ,Whitehead (Pugh ,69 ) ,Etherington ,Beattie (Fuller ,62 ) ,Cresswell (Lawrence ,62)
Subs not used Simonsen,Griffin,Cort,Kitson,