Liverpool put the misery of their opening day defeat at Tottenham
firmly behind them with a convincing 4-0 victory over Stoke at Anfield.
Last season Tony Pulis' men grabbed a 0-0 draw in this corresponding
fixture, one of the results boss Rafael Benitez maintains cost Liverpool
the title.
This time around there was no mistake. Steven Gerrard created two
of the goals and new boy Glen Johnson had an outstanding game surging
down the right at will.
Benitez bought Johnson, he claimed, to provided that extra adventure
in difficult home games. And the England defender underlined just
what his new manager meant.
He scored a close range goal on half-time on his home debut, to
add to Fernando Torres' fourth-minute opener, and aided Gerrard's
advance to set up the third for Dirk Kuyt.
Johnson's run and cross in injury-time presented substitute David
Ngog with the fourth to cap an outstanding home debut for the new
full-back.
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