Klopp gets his message through loud and clear

Liverpool were all over the Potters and refused to let go as they secured an emphatic victory at Anfield.

With the visit of Mark Hughes' side falling between titanic tussles with Everton and Manchester City, the Liverpool boss feared a lack of intensity both on the pitch and in the stands.

He warned that the Reds couldn't afford anyone to still be basking in the glory of that late drama at Goodison or gazing ahead to the mouthwatering New Year's Eve showdown with City.

The message got through loud and clear as Liverpool regained second place in the Premier League with a swagger and cut Chelsea's lead to six points.

Under pressure following wins for rivals Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal 24 hours earlier, the Reds delivered in style to reaffirm their title credentials.

After the scrappy but cherished derby triumph, this was a win of a very different kind.

It was testament to the Reds' powers of recovery as they rallied after a wretched start which saw Jonathan Walters nod Stoke in front.

Where once Liverpool slumped in the face of adversity, under Klopp they now stand tall. There was no panic. The belief in their way of playing shone through.

As an attacking force, the Reds were majestic. The front four of Divock Origi, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Adam Lallana ran riot before substitute Daniel Sturridge piled on the agony for Stoke.

Liverpool had too much pace and too much quality for the Potters to handle. Stoke tried to have a go, left themselves exposed and paid the price.

It proved to be a chastening return for Anfield old boys Joe Allen, Glen Johnson and Peter Crouch.

Lallana bagged his seventh goal of the season before Firmino fired the Reds in front.

The second half was a procession with Giannelli Imbula's own goal followed by Sturridge's first Premier League goal for eight months.

A belated Christmas gift from the blundering Ryan Shawcross was gleefully accepted. Sturridge enjoyed another highly promising cameo as he builds up his fitness after a month out with a calf injury.

The England striker bagged Liverpool's 100th top-flight league goal in 48 games since Klopp took over. No Reds boss has ever reached that milestone in fewer matches.

Liverpool's current tally of 86 league goals in 2016 is the club's highest in a calendar year since 1985 and there's still time to add to their account. Saturday's clash with City promises to be some occasion.

Pep Guardiola was on a scouting mission at Anfield and the Spaniard will have been left impressed by what he saw.

Liverpool may be vulnerable at times defensively but when they click like this they are irresistible as an attacking force.

Where once the pressure and expectation of playing on home turf weighed heavily on the players' shoulders, now they are energised by their surroundings.

Liverpool's unbeaten record at Anfield now stretches back 23 games in all competitions to last January.

No matter what happens against City, 2016 has been a year of real progress for the Reds. They have re-emerged as a force to be reckoned with.

Now the challenge facing Klopp's great entertainers is to ensure that in 2017 they secure something tangible for their efforts.

The signs are promising but they won't always be able to get away with giving teams a goal start.

Liverpool fell behind against the run of play inside 12 minutes against Stoke after a comedy of errors.

After Ragnar Klavan hacked Peter Crouch's header away, Sadio Mane made a hash of completing the clearance.

Erik Pieters pounced and crossed for Walters, who got ahead of Dejan Lovren to power a header past Simon Mignolet at his near post.

The keeper should have done better but the Reds were indebted to the Belgian for denying Stoke a second soon after.

Allen's low drive was brilliantly blocked by Mignolet and Klavan prevented Pieters from tucking away the rebound.

Liverpool's response was impressive with Origi back to his brilliant best after his struggles at Goodison.

Crouch's goalline clearance thwarted Firmino before the equaliser finally arrived 10 minutes before the break.

Origi turned on halfway and sent Mane scampering away down the right. His cross picked out Lallana, whose touch was heavy, but Johnson inadvertently knocked it back into his path and the England international slammed home from a tight angle.

With seven goals and six assists, Lallana has been involved in more goals that any other Premier League midfielder this season.

His improvement under Klopp's guidance has been astonishing. Now there's an end product and he's truly hurting opponents.

What makes this Liverpool team so difficult to stop is they have so many match-winners.

Having made headlines for all the wrong reasons on Boxing Day, Firmino put that behind him as he ended his seven-game wait for a goal, drilling a low left footer into the net via both posts after good work from James Milner.

The front four aside, there was plenty else to admire.

Captain Jordan Henderson excelled in the holding midfield role he has made his own. Moving the ball intelligently and at pace he kept Liverpool on the front foot. He led by example. He didn't allow the tempo to drop.

Similarly, there was a tireless shift from Milner, who was rock solid defensively and a nuisance every time he ventured forward.

In the second half the Reds retained a vice-like grip on proceedings. The outcome was never in doubt.

Just before the hour mark it was 3-1. Henderson released Origi, whose low cross from the left was turned into his own net by the hapless Imbula.

Liverpool were rampant and the introduction of Sturridge and Emre Can for Origi and Lallana ensured that they retained control.

Sturridge needed just 56 seconds to bag his first league goal of the campaign as he latched on to Shawcross' woeful backpass, skipped past Lee Grant and coolly netted.

The Reds could and should have had more with Firmino, Henderson and substitute Alberto Moreno, who came on for his 100th Liverpool appearance, all going close late on.

Stoke City were sent packing having got the attention they deserved. Now all eyes fall on the visit of Manchester City.

Source: Liverpool Echo

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