Salah strikes after Mignolet’s escape
Even in the biting cold this was a performance to make Jurgen Klopp sweat, but in the end he was warmed by a win that keeps Liverpool in step with the Champions League race.
Liverpool had clear opportunities to make this a more comfortable evening but ultimately their gratitude extended to the officials and, yet again, Mohamed Salah.
Stoke argued that the contest would have followed a different path had Simon Mignolet seen red before half-time for taking out Mame Biram Diouf as the last man. Had the law been applied a much- changed Liverpool may have buckled to some serious Stoke pressure.
But Liverpool survived, holding onto the slender lead gained early on when Sadio Mane scored his first Premier League goal since August, and then adding to it late on.
In the 77th minute Mane did superbly to wriggle free and chip a cross back to Salah, who had only just arrived as a substitute. The egyptian thumped in a volley for his 16th goal of the season — a really tremendous strike.
Salah then scored his 17th with seven minutes left, nicking a long ball ahead of erik Pieters and finishing coolly.
As odd as it sounds given the scoreline, Stoke possibly deserved something from the game for their persistence, but now Saturday’s visit by relegation rivals Swansea takes on extra significance for manager Mark Hughes. Stoke are edging towards the drop zone and cannot afford to be beaten.
Hughes called Mignolet’s foul ‘the key moment in the game’ and said: ‘I don’t understand why the officials can’t see it for what it was. If Mignolet doesn’t wipe out Mame Biram, it’s a tap-in, it’s 1-1 and game on. That was at a time when we were in ascendancy.’
Klopp thought a couple of Liverpool players were covering Mignolet but it felt like an attempt to save his goalkeeper from further scrutiny. Liverpool’s manager called the contest a ‘proper game’ and heaped praise on Salah, whose scoring form rivals that of Luis Suarez at his best.
‘ Thank god!’ was Klopp’s appraisal of the egyptian. ‘It is difficult for players coming on in these temperatures. Sitting on the bench is not too nice. Today it worked really well. I have to rotate and I am happy with the players.’
Having rested Mane and Roberto Firmino for Saturday’s visit by Chelsea, Klopp this time put Philippe Coutinho and Salah on the bench. Dominic Solanke was handed his first Premier League start nearly three weeks after his first england call-up.
It was six changes in all by Klopp and told of a manager who has learned much from last winter, when his players failed to maintain pace into the second part of the campaign.
Hughes gave a first start of the season to 36-yearold Peter Crouch, who signed a new contract to 2019 on Tuesday. The thinking was to test Liverpool’s maligned backline from an aerial route but in the 17th minute it was Stoke’s defence who erred along the ground.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain fed an overlapping Joe Gomez and just as the ball rolled across the byline the young defender found a cross.
Some in Stoke colours stopped and appealed for a goal-kick. But no flag was forthcoming. Instead Solanke found Mane with a cute pass and the Senegal forward deftly chipped Lee Grant.
The home fans voiced their displeasure as half a dozen Stoke players protested to assistant referee Stephen Child. But replays showed that while close, the whole of the ball had not crossed the line.
Stoke responded and put Liverpool under pressure with their direct play.
In fact, Stoke should have been facing ten men from the 39th minute. Diouf reached a bouncing ball quicker than Joel Matip and nudged it round an onrushing Mignolet, who then took out the Stoke player with a loose leg. It was outside the box but a red card should have followed.
Martin Atkinson inexplicably showed Mignolet only a yellow, however, and all those associated with Stoke, already riled by a sense of injustice, now had a vindicated reason to complain loudly.
Hughes had switched from a back-three to 4-4-2 on the half hour and the duo of Diouf and Crouch in attack continued to trouble Liverpool into the second half. One good chance fell to Joe Allen who connected sweetly with a dropping ball in the area from Shaqiri’s cross only for Dejan Lovren’s block to send his effort just wide.
But the introduction of Salah suppressed any Stoke fightback and brought a chill down the neck of Hughes. STOKE CITY (3-4-2-1): Grant 6.5; Zouma 6, Shawcross 6, Martins Indi 6; Diouf 7, Fletcher 6.5 (Adam 85min), Allen 7, Pieters 7; Shaqiri 6.5, Choupo-Moting 6 (Jese 74min, 6); Crouch 7. Subs not used: Haugaard, Wimmer, Berahino, Afellay, Ramadan. Booked: Martins Indi. Manager: Mark Hughes 7. LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Mignolet 5; GOMEZ 8, Lovren 7, Matip 7, Moreno7; Can 6, Wijnaldum 6, Oxlade-Chamberlain 6.5 (Milner 67, 6); Mane 7.5 (Henderson 89), Solanke 7 (Salah 67, 7), Firmino 7. Subs not used: Karius, Coutinho, Sturridge, Alexander-Arnold. Scorers: Mane 17, Salah 77, 83. Booked: Mignolet, Can, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mane. Manager: Jurgen Klopp 7.5. Referee: Martin Atkinson 4. Attendance: 29,423.