Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the Premier League clash between Liverpool and Stoke City.
Brendan Rodgers's side go into today's game hoping to build on rapidly improving league form and bounce back from their midweek Europa League defeat at the hands of Udinese.
The Reds boss is ringing the changes today, with key players Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez among those making a return to the starting lineup.
Stoke City's Charlie Adam and Peter Crouch both face their former club at Anfield, while captain Ryan Shawcross will play for the first time since his England call-up.
5.20pmThat's all from us here today. You can read our report of the 90 minutes here. Many thanks for joining us.
94 minsIt's full-time at Anfield. Another frustrating afternoon for The Reds, who are in desperate need of an out-and-out striker to support Suarez!
94 minsSuarez whips one in but he can't find the head of Agger and the danger is cleared.
93 minsLiverpool have a corner at the death...
90 minsFour minutes of stoppage time to be played. Expect more one-way traffic!
90 minsChance! Oh so close for Liverpool! Skrtel's shot glances an inch wide of the mark after good work by Cole. Half on Anfield though that was the winner!
90 minsWhitehead becomes the latest Stoke player to go into the book.
83 minsChance! Suarez shoots from an acute angle and hits the frame of the goal. He had no support up there, so he had not choice other than to shoot.
80 minsStoke substitution: Edu comes on for Adam, who receives a good reception from both sets of fans as he goes off.
79 minsLiverpool substitution Assaidi comes on for Sahin.
78 minsLiverpool have had 68% of the possession this half. All they are lacking is that clinical touch.
77 minsWalters receives a needless yellow card for kicking the ball away. What was he thinking?
73 minsAnother Stoke yellow, this time for Adam for a late challenge on Allen.
72 minsChance! Sterling hits one from a tight angle and strikes the outside of the post. If he had played that across goal instead, Liverpool would likely be 1-0 up now!
70 minsShawcross booked for a foul on Suarez. As usual, the Uruguayan turns on the theatrics, but it was a booking.
70 minsLiverpool keep up the pressure, but they haven't tested Begovic anywhere near enough.
67 minsLiverpool substitution: Joe Cole on for Suso. The former England man comes on to make his first Premier League appearance since the opening day.
65 minsGood link-up play from Stoke but the end result sees Nzonzi blast the ball high and wide.
63 minsStoke substitution: Etherington on for Kightly as Pulis shakes things up.
62 minsIf Liverpool keep up this level of pressure it's surely only a matter of time before they score. That said, they looked dominant against Udinese midweek but gave away soft goals.
59 minsChance! Suarez terrorises the Stoke defence and runs rings around them, but his strike ends up in the Kop. A fine run from the striker, lacking only the finishing touch.
58 minsGreat defending by Cameron to deny Sterling. The two end up a scuffle, but it's soon resolved.
56 minsAgger makes a vital interception as Stoke threaten the Liverpool goal for the first time this half.
53 minsIt's all Liverpool at the moment. They are dominating the attacking play, and pressing forward through Gerrard now.
50 minsChance! Johnson's strike is saved by Begovic. The defender was way back when he struck that, hardly troubling the Bosnian.
48 minsA positive start to the second period by Liverpool. They've spent much of it in the Stoke half and have just won a corner over on the right hand side.
46 minsThe second half gets under way.
3.50pmThere has been a couple of chances of note at both ends. Gerrard forced a decent save from Begovic, and Kightly almost caught Reina off his line at the other end.
3.48pmThe ongoing battle between Suarez and Huth has been interesting to watch. The Uruguayan has been a handful for his marker, who has booked for his overzealous efforts to contain him.
45 minsIt's half-time here at Anfield. It hasn't exactly been the game of the season so far, but there have been a couple of talking points.
45 minsSuarez goes hard into a challenge on Begovic. I think it was a legal challenge... just! The Bosnian doesn't look too happy, though.
45 minsSuarez goes hard into a challenge on Begovic. I think it was a legal challenge... just! The Bosnian doesn't look too happy, though.
40 minsTensions are starting to boil over here at Anfield. The ref needs to keep a lid on thing as Adam goes down under Agger's challenge.
33 minsHuth booked for a foul on Suarez. The Liverpool man is causing all kinds of problems for the German defender.
29 minsChance! Another chance for Liverpool as Agger toe-pokes the ball towards goal it drags it inches wide! If he'd gotten more on that Liverpool would be a goal to the good.
27 minsChance! Gerrard has a go from 30 yards and forces a top save from Begovic. A good effort from the England man, and an equally impressive stop!
25 minsKightly shown the yellow card for a two-footed tackle. The ref called that one right!
23 minsHuth with a bad challenege on Suarez! The referee is very lenient not to book him for that, though the Liverpool man did make a meal of it.
21 minsWhitehead on for Whelan, who has picked up an injury.
20 minsChance! Reina with a poor clearance. It's picked up by Kightly, who tries to catch him off his line from range, but the Spaniard tips his effort over the bar!
17 minsTony Pulis's side are looking the stronger of the two. They're taking the game to Liverpool, but the Reds look dangerous on the break, particularly when Suarez picks up the ball.
14 minsAgger gives away a free kick for felling Crouch. The ref was harsh to penalise him for that. Again, it was little more than handbags.
12 minsSkrtel appeals for a pen as he goes down under Shawcross's challenge. The ref waves away his protests. The right decision I think. There wasn't anything in that.
8 minsChance! Suarez shows some clever footwork and lines up Sahin whose shot is blocked by his own teammate Sterling. That was unfortunate for the Reds! Sahin's shot was goal-bound.
7 minsAn ambitious long range strike from Wilson files over Reina's crossbar.
5 minsBad backpass from Sahin who almost lets in Charlie Adam. Liverpool quickly recover, but it's been a nervy start for Rogers's side.
4 minsIt's a bight start for the visitors as Kightly floats a long cross into the Liverpool box, but it's too high for even for Crouch.
1 minWe're under way here at Anfield as 3.00pm hits.
2.56pmRodgers has packed out the midfield today, with Suarez as the lone striker. Stoke sport a similar formation, with Crouch spearheading their attack.
2.55pmWe're almost under way here at Anfield. They players are making their way out onto the pitch...
2.40pmNo disrespect to Norwich, but they are in for a tougher test against Stoke this afternoon, and with Peter Crouch and Charlie Adam up against their former club, the stage is set for a charged encounter.
2.32pmThat said, the signs have been ancouraging of late. Last weekend's 5-2 demolition of Norwich was easily their best performance for some time.
2.31pmHistorically speaking, the odds are certainly against Stoke. The Potters have never won a top flight match at Anfield in 49 attempts. However, Liverpool's league form in 2012 is enough to make Bill Shankley, with just two wins from 12 games at Anfield.
2.31pmToday's odds: Liverpool (8/15) Stoke (13/2) Draw (10/3)
2.30pmStoke City: Begovic, Cameron, Huth, Wilson, Shawcross, Whelan, Nzonzi, Adam, Kightly, Walters, Crouch
2.30pmLiverpool: Reina, Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Wisdom, Sahin, Gerrard, Allen, Sterling, Suarez, Suso
2.20pmTeam news coming right up...
2.18pmLiverpool go into this one hoping to build on rapidly improving league form and bouce back from that Europa League defeat at the hands of Udinese, while Stoke are hoping to claim a big scalp and propel themselves into the top half of the table.
2.15pmGood afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole live coverage of the Premier League clash between Liverpool and Stoke at Anfield.
Written by
Mark Langshaw
Mark Langshaw
