Could it finally be the year in which Liverpool make a realistic title challenge; their recent results seem to suggest that it might be.   However, although they have been winning games, the manner in which they have been picking up points has not always been very convince.  On the other hand Stoke are showing there is a reason it's been 25 years since they last played top tier football and are looking likely contenders for relegation.

From the start it was clear the game plan for this match, Stoke left Sidibe upfront by himself to chase lost causes and make a physical nuance of himself, while the rest of the team defended for all they were worth.  Two minutes into the game Stoke got a shock were Steven Gerrard's free kick, from the left wing, missed everyone and ended up in the back of the net.  But the goal was ruled out as the offside Torres was adjudged to have interfered with play.

Liverpool were allowed to move the ball around at will in the midfield, wings and outside the Stoke box.  Liverpool were able to use this massive possession percentage to put ball after ball into the danger area, but no one seemed to be able to find the finish.

The upbeat and dominant mood at Anfield started to sour as the first half went on and the Reds were still unable to break down the stubborn Stoke City defense.

In the second half it was much of the same, but with Stoke starting to venture forward occasionally, hoping to snatch a goal from a free kick or one of Delap's huge throw-ins.  Stoke continued to frustrate Liverpool who seem unable to find any answer to the Stoke strategy and at the final whistle it finished 0-0.

Although score was nill-nill it was clear that Stoke took this result as a victory and Liverpool took it as a defeat, with two relatively straightforward points dropped.

Overall match rating: 1.5 out of 5