Analysis: Simply put, Liverpool's performance against Stoke was perhaps more abysmal than even against Everton.
Against the Toffees, Liverpool at least looked to threaten during the final 20 minutes after Everton had won the match. Against Stoke, little consolation momentum ever even appeared.
A Stoke team with neither great pace or technique managed to keep Liverpool totally penned into their defensive area with physical play, grit and a simple strategy — send as many balls Kenwyne Jones' way as possible.
The strategy worked, as though Martin Skrtel and Sotirios Kyrgiakos defended admirably, they couldn't be perfect, and Stoke managed to find goal twice over the course of their many chances. It should be mentioned that Stoke also outplayed Liverpool in midfield in nearly the same manner that they outplayed Liverpool on attack. Delap, Whitehead and Etherington were simply more active and physical than their opposite numbers.
Liverpool's conservative defensive line against a team with so little pace was rather surprising. Stoke derive most of their scoring from scrappy 50-50 type plays and set pieces, not from counter-attacks or "beautiful football," so it's hard to make sense of why the team would play as though it were preparing for such. Liverpool have far more talent than Stoke, and it would have made sense for them to put Stoke under pressure. By letting Stoke see so much of the ball, they let the Potters do their only trick — deliver balls into the area and push. The positioning of the wing defenders was particularly costly for that reason.
While Liverpool has often looked ginger in building from the back, Reina nearly universally kicked long against the Stoke pressure, and their strong aerial play allowed them to win many of those kicks. As a result, Liverpool rarely had the opportunity to set up their offense. In counters, Liverpool seemed frustrated and turned the ball over too quickly.
Gerrard had a fairly influential game — if there were to be a positive, but few others had definitively good matches. Meireles and Maxi Rodriguez did nearly nothing and the same can be said of Kuyt and Torres — though it was hardly their fault.
All in all, Liverpool's play on Saturday represented a regression in form by nearly every possible metric. While the Britannia is a difficult place to play, facing a team like Stoke would generally call for forward tactics. For some reason, the Reds did the exact opposite, and the result followed accordingly.
Full time, Stoke 2-0: Lucas is called for a second yellow after a kick in the shins on Etherington. He's off. Red Card — Lucas. The last few minutes are simply being killed off. Full time. Stoke beat Liverpool for the first time in 26 years.
90', Stoke 2-0: Walters on for Fuller for Stoke. Gerrard is the decoy on the free kick, and Konchesky misses on the shot attempt from long distance. Liverpool maintian the front foot, but Stoke eventually clear the area and counter. Going forward, their shot is beyond the far post and Liverpool come back . Gerrard looks for Ngog, but Ngog goes down. Walters has a chance the other way, but Liverpool close it off desperately.
Jones gets through on a botched play at the back. He finishes past Reina low after Pennant finds him right up the middle at the top of the box. Goal. 2-0 Stoke.
Four added minutes.
87', Stoke 1-0: Liverpool builds forward with Babel, but their incursion into the attacking area is cleared — and Stoke ultimately possess it before sending it long to Jones. Liverpool recovers and the teams exchange longballs. Liverpool isn't showing much urgency yet. Shawcross called for a foul going for a goal kick.
84', Stoke 1-0: Yellow card for Fuller after a challenge on Gerrard. Free kick from midfield is sent to Kuyt, and he plays it to Gerrard and nearly sets up a shot from close in the area. Stoke counter dangerously but are ultimately forced to rebuild. Lucas wins it thereafter, but the ball is sent long to Begovic.
81', Stoke 1-0: The free kick from the top of the box is blocked before it can go anywhere. Liverpool try to build forward a couple times but are rebuffed. Jones and Kyrgiakos are now getting into it — Stoke is really living up to its reputation for physicality.
78', Stoke 1-0: Liverpool is seeing most of the ball now. Stoke gets a free kick at midfield but send it deep for a goal kick. The game has slowed before the final push. Skrtel is called for a foul on Fuller and reacts angrily. He is given a yellow and Stoke have a piece at the top of the box.
75', Stoke 1-0: Babel is on for Maxi. Liverpool build from the back — under Stoke pressure. They longball, but receive on right back. Torres gets the ball, but sends a cross to Carragher that sails out. Liverpool do get it back and attack up left with Konchesky. Babel takes a shot from range but misses wide.
72', Stoke 1-0: Liverpool sustain some pressure in the area, but Jones and Fuller are now helping on defense and are able to clear off a Liverpool set piece. The teams exchange possession with longballs.
68', Stoke 1-0: Meireles goes off for Ngog — positive change for Liverpool. Stoke win a free kick in the final third on the right — again. Reina punches it away and eventually Liverpool have a forward chance until Maxi Rodriguez gives it away looking to thread it to Torres.
65', Stoke 1-0: Liverpool has a great chance as Kuyt gets the ball behind the defense in the attacking penatly area, and he finds Maxi in the center. Rodriguez gets a show on target low, but it is right at Begovic. A free kick shortly thereafter finds Kyrgiakos far post, but Skrtel cannot quite toe it onto goal — very close. Liverpool are attacking now.
62', Stoke 1-0: Another Delap throw threatens goal, as Jones gets a head on it in the box. Delap sends in another long throw and follows it up with a shot from the corner of the box. He wins a corner on a deflection, but nothing comes of the corner. Stoke controls after — however. Shawcross can't get a shot off in space in the box. Jones has space shortly thereafter after winning a longball against Skrtel, but Jones can't finish from the right side of the box.
59', Stoke 1-0: The Stoke goal was surely a long time coming. They'd spent nearly the entire match on the ascent and had a number of near misses in front of net. A turnover in midfield allows Lucas to pick out Torres on a run. Torres is fouled by Huth on the left side of the final third. Gerrard's kick is long to the far post, and though Liverpool control, they can do nothing with it. Eventually, the ball is to Begovic.
55', Stoke 1-0: Liverpool get set up going forward — with even Carragher in the attacking half. Meireles is shaken up and looks to be coming off. Stoke thereafter take a DeLap throw — which rattles around the area right in front of goal. Everbody on Stoke has a shot at it as Liverpool desperately defend until Fuller finally pushes it into the back of the net. Goal. 1-0 Stoke.
51', 0-0: Gerrard free kick is close to the far post, but goes out for a goal kick. Stoke take a throw long up the right, where they maintain possession despite losing it three times in quick succession. They eventually win another throw in the final third that DeLap sends into the area, but a foul is called as usual.
48', 0-0: Stoke win a corner after a set pieces is headed across the line. The corner is a good one, but Jones' header goes across the area without a touch and Liverpool clear. Stoke come right back forward. This half appears to be more of the same.
Half Analysis: There can be really no dispute that Stoke spent the entire first 45 minutes as the aggressor. They dictated the pace and physicality of the match, and they have accordingly spent the majority of the match in Liverpool's defensive third with the ball.
Jones has been both dominant and a sore point for Stoke. He has been the most influential player on the pitch as a target man for the Potters, but his touch has let him down a few times and prevented good Stoke chances from becoming goals.
Stoke have dominated in midfield, forcing Liverpool into mistakes with pressure before the Reds can ever set up their shape on offense.
The few times Liverpool have been able to get forward have resulted in decent chances for the Reds — as shots from Raul Meireles and Steven Gerrard have troubled Begovic. If they looked to press forward to a greater extent, they could do well, as sitting back has yielded few counter-attacking opportunities thus far.
Half, 0-0: Tempo picks up in injury time, but most of the traffic remains in Stoke's direction. Liverpool are lucky to escape the half at 0-0.
44', 0-0: Liverpool have a moment back in the attacking third as Gerrard, Meireles and Torres work in the area. After a few passes, Gerrard shoots from range and misses wide. Liverpool keep the front foot off the clearance, but Stoke's ball pressure forces Liverpool to lose possession. Stoke is defending high. An Etherington cross is deflected to Reina. The clearance is right bakc to Stoke, and Skrtel cuts out the run up the right. Delap's long throw is right to Reina.
Three minutes added.
41', 0-0: Skrtel is dinged up — which stops play for a moment. Stoke is given the ball on the restart and they build right. The attack is going mainly through Jones — whose clumsy touch may be keeping Liverpool in it. Fuller and Reina have words prior to a Reina goal kick — which is sent to Stoke's back.
38', 0-0: Liverpool exchange possession back and forth up Liverpool's right. The Reds finally switch left and establish in the final third. Konchesky gets a cross in, but it ultimately results in a Stoke throw from the corner. They build forward on the ground, but turn it back in their own half. Meireles tries to pick out Torres, but Stoke cut it ot.
35', 0-0: Stoke miss another huge opportunity as Fuller finds Jones in space at the top of the box on a quick attack, but Jones' first touch prevents him from having a clear run at goal. Regardless, he gets a shot off around Konchesky and wins a corner on the save. The corner results in a foul on Stoke. Liverpool kicks it right back to Stoke.
32', 0-0: Meireles continues the sudden assault on Begovic's net, but the result is the same. He saves. After a long wait, he boots it long, and Reina returns the favor. Kuyt is hurt in a collision at midfield — Collins elbow.
29', 0-0: Liverpool build out of their own half finally, but after stringing a few passes together, it is back to Stoke, who clear long, but maintain possession forward. A midfield turnover and deflection free up the right side, and Carragher gets a throw. Gerrard takes a shot from range on the right, and it is a great shot to the far post, low, but Begovic saves.
26', 0-0: Plenty of fouls thus far in this one — Lucas on Etherington this time. He stays down for a matter of minutes, but gets up on his own.
23', 0-0: Konchesky takes a throw from his corner which results in a Stoke free kick. It is sent into the box, but cleared back to the Stoke back. It is sent back with a Stoke longball and then again returned by Reina — who almost connects with Torres over the top.
20', 0-0: Stoke are now a good bounce away from getting the ball into net. They have come within razor thin margins of scoring a handful of times already, and Liverpool is offering absolute zero in the other direction. Stoke take a set piece from midfield which comes to nothing as Huth is called for a climb.
15', 0-0: Jones wins a free header on the Liverpool goal, but misses just wide — Liverpool have really dodged one. Stoke have come out with huge momentum early, and Liverpool are having to be physical to keep the game under control. Skrtel clearly holds Huth on a set piece in the area — likely deserving of a penalty. Whitehead misses wide on a volley.
10', 0-0: Stoke continue their assault. Fuller gets the ball for a shot above the box in space, but he cannot keep his effort down. Reina's goal kick goes for a Stoke throw. Liverpool have yet to really come into the game.
5', 0-0: The opening minutes of the match are spent in the Liverpool defensive half — though without much particular intent on the part of either side. Stoke are moving the ball well and the battle looks to be a physical one.
12:30 p.m.: Lineups are as follows. The only change for Liverpool from Wednesday is the return of Kyrgiakos.
Liverpool
Pepe Reina (25), goalkeeper
Martin Skrtel (37), center-left defender
Sotirios Kyrgiakos (16), center-right defender
Paul Konchesky (3), left back
Jamie Carragher (23), right back
Steven Gerrard (8), center-left midfielder
Lucas (21), center-right midfielder
Maxi RodrÃguez (17), left wing
Raul Meireles (4), right wing
Dirk Kuyt (18), forward
Fernando Torres (9), forward
Substitutes
Ryan Babel (19)
Brad Jones (1)
Christian Poulsen (28)
David Ngog (24)
Jonjo Shelvey (33)
Martin Kelly (34)
Milan Jovanovic (14)
Stoke City
Asmir Begovic (1), goalkeeper
Robert Huth (4), center-left defender
Ryan Shawcross (17), center-right defender
Danny Collins (5), left back
Andy Wilkinson (28), right back
Rory Delap (24), center-left midfielder
Dean Whitehead (18), center-right midfielder
Matthew Etherington (26), left wing
1Jermaine Pennant (16), right wing
Kenwyne Jones (9), forward
Ricardo Fuller (10), forward
Substitutes
Glenn Whelan (6)
Danny Higginbotham (3)
Thomas Sorensen (29)
Eidur Gudjohnsen (7)
Jonathan Walters (19)
Tuncay Sanli (20)
Marc Wilson (12)
10:30 a.m.: It's hard to believe it, but Liverpool isn't the only football club whose season isn't going exactly as planned.
Fresh off last season's surprisingly high finish in the table, few expected Tony Pulis' Stoke City side to be in any danger of relegation, but the Potters have made such an issue by only collecting 13 points in 12 matches thus far.
Stoke have lost an inordinate number of tough, one-goal matches and according to Pulis, they have been victimized by the referees. Add it all up, and the trip to the Britannia won't be easy.
Not only will Liverpool have to cope with Stoke's normal physical play, but they will be doing so against a team with a chip on their shoulder. The Reds best be prepared.
Lineups will be posted prior to kickoff, which is at 12:30 p.m..
