Liverpool 4-1 Stoke

LIVERPOOL, UNITED KINGDOM - APRIL 10:  Sheyi Ojo of Liverpool is chased by Xherdan Shaqiri of Stoke City during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Stoke City at Anfield on April 10, 2016 in Liverpool, England.  (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

First-half

Bojan fired an early long-range shot well wide of the target, but it was Liverpool who had all of the ball in the opening exchanges.

In the eighth minute, the Reds were ahead. Moreno drilled an emphatic shot into the corner from distance, in what was the Spaniard’s first goal of 2015/16.

Stoke managed to work their way into the game a little as it progressed, but they continued to offer almost no attacking threat. In fact, it was a match lacking chances in the opening 20 minutes.

Mark Hughes’ side were level midway through the first-half, however. Bojan headed home completely unmarked from a free-kick, in what was yet another soft set-piece goal conceded by Liverpool.

Shortly after, former Red Peter Crouch had a header ruled out for offside, as the visitors enjoyed a decent spell at Anfield. Sturridge shot just wide from 25 yards.

With 32 minutes on the clock, Liverpool were back ahead, with Ojo playing a key role. The youngster skinned Xherdan Shaqiri down the left, before crossing delightfully for Sturridge to head home.

Ryan Shawcross had a good chance to once again level the scores before half-time, but fortunately, the centre-back couldn’t turn his effort into the net.

Liverpool led 2-1 at the interval.

Second-half

Ojo was replaced by Thursday’s goalscoring hero Origi at half-time, which was something of a surprise given the youngster’s first-half showing.

Origi made a perfect start, heading Milner’s corner into the Kop net to give Klopp’s side real breathing space on Merseyside.

Firmino almost scored a freak goal soon after, with the Brazilian’s charge-down of Eric Pieters’ clearance seeing the ball loop just over the crossbar. Mignolet then thwarted Geoff Cameron from close-range.

A stinging Firmino strike was kept out by Stoke goalkeeeper Jakob Haugaard, while Origi missed a glorious chance to get his second, following wonderful play from Sturridge.

Origi scored a cross-cum-shot midway through the second-half, cutting in from the left, as Liverpool began to run riot against an increasingly insipid Stoke outfit.

The rest of the game was so laid-back and one-sided that you or I could have held our own in it, as the Reds earned three much-needed points in the Premier League.

Liverpool’s victory lifts them above Stoke into eighth, as they look to finish as close to the top-four as possible in the remaining weeks of the campaign.

 

ARIS