Liverpool have moved back up to second in the Premier League table courtesy of a 4-1 victory over Stoke City at Anfield this evening.
The Potters took the lead early in the first half through Jonathan Walters, but Liverpool turned things around before half time and added two more goals in the second half to close the gap on leaders Chelsea to six points.
© SilverHub
Having seen every other team in the top four win on Boxing Day, Liverpool knew that only three points would do against the Potters and they made a quick start to the match in search of an early goal.
However, the closest they came was a curling Jordan Henderson effort that flew well over before Stoke broke the deadlock against the run of play with just their third league goal at Anfield in the last 40 years.
Erik Pieters collected the ball on the left before whipping a cross into the middle that Walters glanced past Simon Mignolet at the near post, despite the Liverpool keeper getting a hand to the ball.
© SilverHub
The hosts went in search of a quick response when James Milner let fly from range, but it was Stoke who should have got the game's second goal when Joe Allen took advantage of some messy defending from his former club to break into the box. However, this time Mignolet made the save and the rebound eluded Peter Crouch before Ragnar Klavan cleared Pieters's follow-up effort off the line.
Liverpool had an effort of their own cleared off the line at the other end midway through the half when Roberto Firmino reacted quickest to a loose ball in the area, only to see his low strike smuggled behind for a corner by Crouch.
The equalising goal did arrive with 10 minutes remaining of the first half, though, as Adam Lallana's wayward touch bounced off Glen Johnson and back into his path, allowing him to squeeze the ball home at the near post from a tight angle for his seventh goal of the season.
Stoke suddenly found themselves with their backs to the wall as Liverpool pushed for the lead before half time, and they should have got it when Lallana teed the ball up for Firmino, only for the Brazilian to fire his finish over the crossbar.
Firmino made up for that miss in the final minute of the half, though, as he collected a pass from Milner before turning in the penalty area and seeing his low shot rebound off both posts and creep over the line.
© SilverHub
There was almost time for a third before the interval too when Milner's cross deflected into the path of Sadio Mane, but the winger did not connect properly with his effort and watched it bobble inches wide of the far post.
Liverpool were soon back on top in the second half and created their first chance five minutes after the restart when Milner combined with Georginio Wijnaldum to break into the box, only to curl his finish well wide of the far post.
Jurgen Klopp's side did give themselves a two-goal cushion on the hour mark, though, with Henderson collecting a loose ball before spreading it out wide for Divock Origi. The Belgian played a low ball into the middle towards Mane, but before the Senegal international could tap it in at the back post Giannelli Imbula slid in to nudge it into his own net.
The Reds had averaged a league-high three goals per home game before today, but they didn't settle for that on this occasion and both Mane and Nathaniel Clyne had decent sights of goal that went begging in the space of five minutes.
Any hopes of a Stoke comeback were extinguished with 20 minutes remaining as Daniel Sturridge finally notched his first league goal of the season just seconds after coming on as a sub, collecting a woeful back-pass from Ryan Shawcross before taking the ball past Lee Grant and sliding it into the empty net - Liverpool's 100th league goal under Klopp.
© SilverHub
It could have been five moments later when a short corner was eventually hoisted to the back post for Dejan Lovren to turn back inside, but Firmino could not adjust his body in time to divert the ball goalwards.
Stoke were at least able to welcome long-term injury absentee Ibrahim Afellay back into the side as a sub towards the closing stages, and he almost made it a memorable return when his powerful dipping effort rippled the roof of the net on its way over.
Liverpool were not done themselves, though, and almost capped the scoring off with seven minutes remaining when Henderson's shot bounced off the heels of Sturridge and fell kindly for Alberto Moreno, only for the full-back to see his acrobatic effort blocked.
The hosts settled for the 4-1 win in the end to make it three Premier League victories in a row and 23 matches unbeaten at Anfield in all competitions, including a league-best run of 16 in the Premier League.
Stoke, meanwhile, are now four games without a win and drop down to 14th in the table as a result of this defeat.
Barney Corkhill
