Domestic Review: Stoke and Leicester.
Having only secured 11 points from 30 at this early stage in their league campaign, Stoke City looked strong favorites to end the game against Liverpool as the losing side. On the other hand Liverpool were on 21 points missing out on a total of 9...Second to only Manchester City.
For the Reds, they'd be thankful to be at home against Stoke because as we well know not many can do it on a cold wet Wednsday night in Stoke. Not even Messi. Instead both teams had to settle for an even colder night in Liverpool where Gerrard and the rest of the team provided the goods.
Finding some good goalscoring form quickly was always going to be important for Mario Balotelli and now that he seems to have found his mojo, he also looks as though he's booked his place in the starting 11 for the next few weeks after a brace against the Potters.
Firstly netting with his head from Alberto Moreno's cross in the 25th minute the boys went 1-0 up and City were on the back foot early. In full throttle the Italian drilled a low shot into the bottom left from outside of the box.
Caught napping by Stoke, Liverpool would be made to pay for their lapse in concentration when Stephen Ireland got his side back into the game only a minute after Balotelli's second goal, could they come back from 2-0 down?
Well, Sterling has shown time and time again this season and the last that he's up to the task of playing for Liverpool, and even for England. It was no different early in the second half of this game. Showing great composure the English man stopped a parried shot dead in it's tracks inside of the box and with a fake shot he opened up a narrow bit of space and hammered it in at the near post.
In the past Liverpool and Leicester have provided the fans with some very exciting games and it was no different this time as we head down to the King Power for a thrilling game between the two.
Although they didn't show it with goals, The Foxes put up a great fight but were still no match for Liverpool. Only 20 minutes passed before Coutinho broke the deadlock with a venomous strike from all of 30 yards out.
It wasn't much time before we were up two goals to the good either, and once again Starlet Raheem Sterling was the man to put his side in such a position with a well placed shot when one on one with Schmeichel.
The tree points were just about guaranteed ten minutes later as the Reds found themselves in even more of a commanding position. Liam Moore the villain in this situation because he'd fumbled the ball into his own net quite spectacularly as he chested it at the near post and attempted to clear the ball but he somehow managed to lob his own keeper.
Before Leicester could get themselves on the score sheet through an Anthony Knockaert header, Raheem Sterling just like Balotelli against Stoke secured his brace and put Liverpool 4-0 up. But like I said before, only a minute later and it was 4-1.
With just a minute added on to the 90th minute, Leicester were pushing for a second. They wanted to go down with a fight and they did having gotten Mignolet to concede again with their last kick of the game. David Nugent got the goal and to everyone's surprise, the Foxes left with nothing.
Thoughts On The Report
Rodgers: Some good performances over the last two games especially from the likes of Sterling and Balotelli. Little Raheem is really showing his class lately and he's only further backing up my point of him being able to become world class.
6 points from 6 makes me happy and that means we go top of the league by a point. I'm determined to stay here and so are the lads so let's get out there and make sure we do that.
Gerrard: It's been a very good return to the side and in the last four games I feel like I've been able to really help the boys out. I think my performances have been as good as they get in the last few games and that's how it needs to be from now on.
Very happy for Sterling and Balotelli, let's kick on now!!
