Liverpool 4-1 Stoke City: Barclays Premier League as it happened

Liverpool leapfrog Stoke City into eighth in the table thanks to big win at Anfield. The scoreline might flatter the home side somewhat, but Jurgen Klopp's side fully deserve their win ahead of the visit of Borussia Dortmund on Thursday.

FULL TIME: Liverpool 4-1 Stoke City

Two minutes of injury time added on here. Peter Crouch tries to his luck with an ambitious half volley on the edge of the D that needs a deflection to take it wide.

Liverpool swarm forward again and Lallana belts one on goal from 25 yards out but Shawcross makes a brave block.

Stoke's delivery into the box was terrific in the first half but they have struggled to get those sort of balls into the box in the second. Diouf tries a different approach, breaking in from the right flank at pace but powers a hopeless ball across goal that has far too much on it, well out of Joselu's reach.

Final change for Stoke, Cameron is off to be replaces by Marc Muniesa.

Shawcross chases Origi into the corner as the Belgian beats him to Moreno's long ball down the wing. The Stoke centre half throws out a petulant kick after conceding the corner and is booked for his trouble.

10 minutes remaining in this match. Another Stoke goal would make it interesting, but they haven't looked like doing that in a while.

Here's a change for Liverpool with Lucas, having missed the last seven games through injury, replacing Joe Allen.

Kevin Stewart has had a very good second half for Liverpool. Nothing particularly eye-catching, but he has cleaned up in midfield dilligently and held his position well.

Mamem Biram Diouf has also come on for the away side, replacing Shaqiri. The Swiss international only returned to training last week following a thigh problem.

A change for Stoke here, Bojan's afternoon is over with Joselu coming onto replace him. Liverpool have been good in this second half, but the 4-1 scoreline flatters them.

Origi has a second! The young Belgian dances his way down the left flank before cutting inside, drifting past Bardsley and curling a ball into the box. It looks like a ball for Sturridge who is breaking into the six yard area but it sneaks past both him and the Stoke goalkeeper and straight into the far corner!

Goal! Liverpool 4-1 Stoke City (Divock Origi, 64)

Liverpool almost score a tremendous fourth! It's brilliant from Sturridge, who back heels a perfectly weighted ball into the path of the onrushing Moreno down the left. He lifts an inviting ball into the box, but Origi can't keep his header on target.

Crisp passing from Liverpool around the penalty box results in Firmino firing on goal from an impossibly tight angle. It draw a saves from the Stoke goalkeeper at his near post.

Stoke almost pull one back! Shaqiri loops another cross into the box that Cameron meets and loops a header that Mignolet has to palm over. Great entertainment at the minute, but it's a fairly awful advertisement for defending crosses from both these sides.

What a bizarre goal that would have been! Pieters takes too long to clear, inviting Firmino to chase him down. When he does eventually lump the ball forward, it rebounds back off the Brazilian and nearly loops into the back of the net! It doesn't fall quite quickly enough and bounces off the top of the bar.

Origi has his second goal of the week! From that corner, Sturridge comes short and plays it back to Milner who whips an inviting ball into the box. Just like the Liverpool defenders were for Bojan's goal, the Stoke players have left Origi completely open inside the six yard area and he nods home. Easy.

Goal! Liverpool 3-1 Stoke City (Divock Origi, 49)

Milner slips a clever ball down the inside right channel that Origi runs onto. He outmuscles Pieters well to keep the ball alive and force a cross over that is cleared for a corner.

Stoke make a right mess of the attempted clearance from that resulting free kick, almost allowing Moreno another crack on goal, but they eventually manage to force it away.

Sturridge plays a neat one two with Firmino but is clattered into by Shawcross before he gets to the return. It's the Stoke defender who comes off the worse, but Liverpool get the free kick.

And Liverpool get us back underway for the second half. One change to bring to you, Divock Origi comes on for Ojo.

HALF TIME: Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City

Ojo cuts dangerously across from right to left, looking for a yard of space to shoot. t never comes and the chance disappears. That will be that for the first half.

Just a couple of minutes remaining in this first half. Liverpool have struggled to deal with Stoke's threat from set pieces, but they lead through Daniel Sturridge's goal.

After a few excellent deliveries from set plays, Shaqiri tries a shot with Stoke's latest free kick, but smashes a poor effort well over the bar.

Shawcross nearly equalises! Another precise free kick from Shaqiri finds the big centre half who heads across goal, but it flies just wide of the far post.

Shaqiri flings another ball into the box after being freed by Cameron, but this one is over hit and Ojo comes across to help usher it out.

Liverpool restore their lead! It's sublime work from Ojo down the left flank. He isolates Shaqiri and beats him with the cutest of nutmegs before flinging an inch perfect cross into the six yard area, where Sturridge is positioned to nut it home.

Goal! Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City (Daniel Sturridge, 32)

Stoke are terrorising Liverpool with excellent crosses into the box at the minute. One from the right this time is stood up for Crouch at the back post, but he is penalised for a foul.

Stoke have another! But it is not going to count. It's another tremendous cross from Afellay out on the left and it's telegraphed right onto the noggin of the former Liverpool striker but his header in front of the Kop into the far corner is ruled offside.

Ojo threatens to break into space down the right but is crashed into Pieters, who accepts his yellow card.

Oh Liverpool. From set pieces, they are still downright awful. Shaqiri whips a sublime cross in from the left that Bojan can saunter onto unmarked. Ojo may have been the one told to mark him, but the Spaniard was free to jog onto the cross and nod it past Mignolet under no pressure.

Goal! Liverpool 1-1 Stoke City (Bojan, 21)

Crouch takes the ball down brilliantly and clips it over Skrtel before being hauled down by the Liverpool defender. Stoke have a free kick 30 yards out.

Shaqiri, out on the right, dinks a beautiful between two defenders for Bardsley to run onto but his cross into the middle is dealt with by Mignolet.

From that corner Liverpool spring forward on the counter, with Firmino leading the charge down the inside right channel but his final ball into the middle is a poor one and is unable to find Sturridge.

Liverpool are in control here after 15 minutes, but Crouch stretches the defence and wins a corner kick off Toure.

Moreno is almost in for a second! The Spaniard makes a darting run down the inside left having crept inside Shaqiri to get onto the end of a fine pass from Toure. Shaqiri sticks with him, jostling for the ball in the box but the raised offside flag halts the move.

Liverpool have taken the lead inside nine minutes! Moreno, criticised for his defensive contribution recently, shows what he can offer down the other end, lashing in a fine strike from 20 yards out after a short free-kick from James Milner.

Goal! Liverpool 1-0 Stoke City (Alberto Moreno, 8)

Milner threads a clever ball through for Ojo who has slipped into space inside the right of the box. He holds onto the ball before sliding it across goal but it's easily intercepted by Shawcross.

Decent start from Stoke here, Crouch nods a long ball down into the path of Bojan who spreads the play wide to Shaqiri. His cross into the box is partially cleared to Imbula, who lashes a shot well over the bar.

Stewart is caught in possession about and Bojan nicks the ball away from him before trying his luck on goal from about 25 yards out. It's nothing that will be troubling Mignolet, however.

Stoke get us underway at Anfield.

Five minutes from kick off at Anfield.

Anyway, back to Anfield. Liverpool have often failed to convince under Jurgen Klopp since his arrival last October but on Thursday we saw one of the most complete performances of his tenure in Germany. With very little riding on this game, can we expect the same sort on intensity with a crucial second leg against Dortmund to follow in five days?

Leicester are now three Premier League wins from the title. It might come earlier than that if Tottenham Hotspur slip up; they are in action at home to Manchester United this afternoon and you can follow all the action from that game here.

Leicester now have a second! In injury time, Jamie Vardy has sealed it with his second of the day, shrugging off the challenge of Van Aanholt, nutmegging the onrushing Mannone and rolling the ball into an empty net. They march on towards the Premier League title.

At the Stadium of Light, Leicester have had their chances to put this game to bed but their lead is still a slender one at 1-0. Just a minute of normal time left to play.

Peter Crouch leads the Stoke attack against his former club this afternoon, supported by the trio of Afelley, Bojan and Shaqiri.

Damien Stewart has also come into the Liverpool midfield this afternoon as Klopp rests a couple of players, including Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho, ahead of the visit of Borussia Dortmund on Thursday. It's still a strong side, however.

BREAKING: Ryan Shawcross and Xherdan Shaqiri return to the starting XI but Glenn Whelan misses out with a back injury.

Stoke team to face Liverpool: Haugaard; Bardsley, Shawcross, Wollscheid, Pieters; Imbula, Cameron; Afellay, Bojan, Shaqiri; Crouch

Subs: Given, Muniesa, Ireland, Joselu, Adam, Diouf, Teixeira

BREAKING: Joe Allen comes in for the injured Jordan Henderson while Daniel Sturridge returns up front. Sheyi Ojo also starts in attack.

Liverpool team to face Stoke: Mignolet, Clyne, Toure, Skrtel, Moreno, Allen, Milner, Stewart, Ojo, Firmino, Sturridge

Subs: Ward, Lovren, Coutinho, Lallana, Lucas, Origi, Smith

Meanwhile at the Stadium of Light, Leicester City have taken the lead, one that opens up a 10 point lead on Tottenham Hotspur, who kick off at 4pm. It's a sublime ball from Danny Drinkwater that frees Vardy down the inside left and the striker coolly cuts in and curls into the far corner.

Ahead of kick off, Stoke sit one place and two points above today's opponents. Mark Hughes' side are still very much in contention for a Europa League spot, just five points adrift of fifth placed Manchester United.

Elsewhere today, Leicester City are looking to extend their lead at the top of the table away to Sunderland. After 55 minutes played, it is still goalless at the Stadium of Light.

Liverpool team news

Jordan Henderson's season is likely to be over after he suffered that knee ligament injury in Thursday's 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund and his hopes of making the England squad for Euro 2016 also hang in the balance. Joe Allen came onto replace him in the Westfalenstadion and is likely to come in for him again today. Jurgen Klopp has no other fresh injury problems to contend with, although Emre Can is suspended.

Speaking after the news of Henderson's injury blow broke, Klopp was optimistic over his recovery time, suggesting he could even return before the end of the Premier League season.

It (Henderson's injury) is serious, but it's not that serious that there's no hope for us for maybe the last one or two games, and of course there's hope for the European Championships.

"We will do everything for him, for us, that he's back in the race as soon as possible. That's it, I can't say more. We also have to wait for how each day and see how he does."

Stoke City team news

Glenn Whelan, having started every Premier League game this season, is a doubt after injury his back climbing out of his car. Yep. Howeverm manager Mark Hughes was hopeful the Republic of Ireland international would recover in time when speaking at a press conference this week.

He got out of his car and locked his back. It was innocuous. He played the game last weekend but as the game progressed he felt it tightening up. He has been locked up all week unfortunately but there was more freedom in it today. Hopefully he will be okay in time for the game on Sunday. Usually these sort of problems resolve themselves quickly.

The news elsewhere is much better for Stoke with Ryan Shawcross in contention to return with Xherdan Shaqiri also fit. Marko Arnautovic is unlikely to feature however after twisting his knee in the draw with Swansea.

12 points behind fourth placed Manchester City, Liverpool's hopes of securing a Champions League spot via their league finish are all but gone. But having taken a point away to Borussia Dortmund last Thursday, their Europa League hopes are brighter than ever, with a spot in next season's elite European competition awaiting the winner.

With that in mind, you can probably forgive Jurgen Klopp if he is to rest some of his key players this afternoon. A handful of those will be enforced, mind, with Jordan Henderson the most notable absentee with his season over due to a knee ligament injury.

Stoke may have recorded a famous win over Liverpool on their own ground last season – that 6-1 hammering in Steven Gerrard's final appearance for the club springs – but at Anfield, they are without a win since 1959.