Liverpool beat Stoke City 1-0 on Saturday at Anfield, as Brendan Rodgersโ side recorded their first win in seven games in all competitions.
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The only goal of the game arrived in the 85th minute as Glen Johnson headed home his first goal in two years from close range. That winner was harsh on Stoke as the Potters went close twice through Bojan and pushed hard for an equalizer late on.
With the win Liverpool go 11th on 17 points, while Stoke are in 12th on 15 points, as the Merseyside club stretched theirย unbeaten run in home games against the Potters to 36 matches.
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Neither side had a shot on target in the first half as Stoke frustrated Liverpool and the home side failed to get going without Steven Gerrard in the starting lineup.
In the second half Stoke really took the game to Liverpool as Bojan cut in from the left and hammered a shot against the post and then stabbed the rebound over.ย That effort sparked Liverpool into life as Raheem Sterling took on three defenders and his effort across goalย skimmed just wide of the far post.
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Moments laterย Sterling went on another mazy run and set up Joe Allen six-yards out but his shot went over the bar.
With 15 minutes to go Liverpool brought on Gerrard to try and help unlock Stokeโs stubborn defense. The visitors almost went ahead in the final 10 minutes as a corner was flicked on to Mame Diouf and his effort was cleared on the line by Sterling, with just a hint of handball.
With less than five minutes left the winning goal arrived as Jordan Hendersonย whipped a testing cross in from the right which Rickie Lambert headed onto the crossbar but as the ball broke loose Johnson dove in to head home to put Liverpool 1-0 up. The right back got a nasty gash on his head for his troubles but after Simon Mignolet brilliantly tipped over Bojanโs dipping volley in injury time and Shawcross somehow headed wide, Johnsonโs goal proved to be the winner.
LINEUPS
Liverpool:ย Mignolet, Johnson, Enrique, Skrtel, Toure, Lucas (Gerrard, 75โฒ), Allen, Henderson, Coutinho (Lovren, 88โฒ), Sterling, Lambert
Goal: Johnson (85โฒ)
Stoke City:ย Begovic; Cameron, Shawcross, Wilson, Pieters; Nzonzi, Sidwell (Whelan, 22โฒ, Adam 45โฒ); Arnautovic (Crouch, 88โฒ), Bojan, Walters; Diouf
