Stoke City vs. Liverpool: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
Liverpool got off to a winning start in the 2015-16 Premier League season on Sunday, beating Stoke City 1-0 at the Britannia Stadium.
Philippe Coutinho scored the only goal of the game late on to earn his side a three-point haul—a deluxe moment in an otherwise uninspiring game.
Here, B/R crowns its winners and losers from the action.
Winner: Philippe Coutinho
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Poor Premier League games are often decided by a moment of pure genius, and Liverpool were the beneficiaries on Sunday evening.
Philippe Coutinho finally broke the deadlock with an absolutely incredible effort, arrowing a 25-yard strike into the top corner in the 86th minute and earning The Reds their first three-point haul of the season.
"What a goal," remarked manager Brendan Rodgers after the game, per Read Stoke. "His body work to turn away from Steve Sidwell was excellent. It was a wonderful goal."
To step into the next tier, the Brazilian has to begin providing a defining influence in games. On evidence of 2015, he's now mixing mesmerising dribbling ability with the cutting edge shown by the best.
Despite Liverpool's expensive, decadent summer, Coutinho remains their best overall player. For the Anfield club to break back into the top four, game-breaking moments from the Brazilian need to become a semi-regular occurrence.
Loser: Adam Lallana
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Liverpool have recruited heavily in attack this summer, taking on Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino and Danny Ings. Divock Origi has returned from a loan spell, Lazar Markovic is looking to bounce back after a tough first season in red and Jordon Ibe is progressing in Raheem Sterling's absence.
That means Adam Lallana, a £25 million recruit last summer, has a hard task asserting himself among the competition. He was given the nod for the opener against Stoke City but struggled to create, was shrugged off the ball regularly and was eventually withdrawn.
This is not the sort of performance that keeps you in a very competitive XI.
Winner: Geoff Cameron
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"[I] think we've found Ryan Shawcross' understudy—[it's] Geoff Cameron," ESPN FC's James Whittaker tweeted on Sunday. The American put in a stellar performance despite the loss his team suffered.
Shawcross, the club captain and best player, is out injured for around two months, removing a stabilising, commanding presence from The Potters' back line. Cameron filled the void seamlessly against Liverpool, though, impressing alongside Marc Muniesa.
On two particular occasions, Cameron outmuscled Christian Benteke to recover the ball one-on-one, and his positioning throughout was spot-on.
Loser: Spectators
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The return of the Premier League has been fantastic; the spectacle the division procures week in, week out rarely disappoints.
But the Sunday 4 p.m. slot is supposed to be the pinnacle tie, and Stoke 0-1 Liverpool failed to spark excitement for long stretches. A game filled with clearances, misplaced passes and skewed game plans left the viewers very disappointed after an action-packed slate preceded it.
It's a loss for the viewers on this occasion.
Winner: Glen Johnson
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Glen Johnson's first game for Stoke City just had to be against his old club, didn't it?
Liverpool fans were relieved to be rid of the English right-back because of his declining performances and hefty wage packet, but the 30-year-old turned in a very good showing in red and white stripes on Sunday.
He was very good defensively and burst forward with the sort of confidence we haven't seen from him in years. Perhaps a change of scenery is exactly what he needed?
