Source: Liverpool_Echo
Liverpool 4, Stoke 0
Fernando Torres _300LIVERPOOL put the misery of their opening day defeat at Tottenham firmly behind them with a convincing 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.Spanish youngster Daniel Ayala made his full Liverpool debut, with Martin Skrtel failing to recover from a damaged jaw sustained in Saturday's defeat at Spurs.Ayala, 18, came on as a substitute at White Hart Lane for the injured Skrtel for his first senior appearance for Liverpool.Yossi Benayoun replaced Ryan Babel, while Stoke made two changes from the side that beat Burnley - Glenn Whelan and Richard Cresswell replacing Liam Lawrence and Ricardo Fuller as Pulis reverted to a more defensive system.Liverpool fans' group, the Spirit of Shankly, organised a mass distribution of red cards ahead of the game to be waved by supporters protesting at the George Gillett-Tom Hicks ownership of the club.Resentment runs deep at Anfield at the financial mess the club are in and Benitez's limited transfer budget.