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Liverpool 1-0 Stoke: Simon Mignolet is the hero after saving late penalty on Reds debut
Daniel Sturridge scored in the first half to set up the victory on the opening day of the season
Simon Mignolet already feels right at home at Anfield.
If the Belgian international was daunted by the *prospect of replacing Kop favourite Pepe Reina, he can breathe a bit *easier now after *producing a late penalty save to ensure Brendan Rodgers men got off to a winning start.
Mignolet came to the Reds *rescue after Daniel Agger inexplicably handled Charlie Adams free-kick two minutes from time with Liverpool hanging on to Daniel Sturridges first-half stunner.
First he guessed right to parry Jonathan Walters *driven spot-kick. And then he reacted with remarkable speed to beat away Kenwyne Jones close-range follow-up.
It illustrated why Rodgers was willing to spend *£9million recruiting the 25-year-old from Sunderland and allow Reina to move to Napoli on loan.
Mignolet said: If you save a penalty in the last minute of your home debut, you have to be happy. I just picked the right side to dive and then I got lucky with the rebound.
I do those things 100 times in training, so I am glad it worked out today.
I was nervous playing in front of the Kop, but I kept my nerve when it mattered.
Im a popular man Lets keep it that way.
Liverpool should have been out of sight before Aggers aberration handed Stoke a lifeline they didnt deserve.
In Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho and Iago Aspas, the Reds have a livewire front-line full of movement, *invention and pure menace.
If Rodgers can keep Luis Suarez focused and committed when he returns from his ban in five games time, then *Liverpool really will be a force to be reckoned with.
But for the intervention of Asmir Begovic, who produced a string of breathtaking saves, Mark Hughes first game as Potters boss would have ended in a heavy defeat.
Rodgers men seemed to lifted rather than burdened by the air of expectation that buzzed around Anfield before kick-off.
But so did Begovic.
Liverpool had an early *escape when Mignolet flapped at a cross under *pressure from Peter Crouch and Robert Huth volleyed against the crossbar.
But then Begovic excelled to twice deny Sturridge as well as Jose Enrique and Jordan *Henderson.
The Bosnian was finally beaten in the 37th minute by a strike from Sturridge good enough to win any game.
There was no disguising Sturridges intentions when he collected Aspas short pass 25 yards from goal.
But *Begovic could do *nothing as the England *striker exploded a shot off his left boot that flew through the legs of Huth and into the *bottom corner.
Stoke were given some *encouragement when Lucas had to clear Ryan Shawcross volley off the line on the stroke of half-time.
But the onslaught continued after the break.
Henderson was denied first by Begovics acrobatics and then the Bosnians lightning reactions when he somehow tipped a fierce shot against the inside of his post.
When Begovic stretched himself to tip away a 30-yard Steven Gerrard free-kick that was destined for the top *corner, home nerves started to fray.
Liverpool won just nine of 18 home Premier League games last season. And *Rodgers must have feared the worst when Agger got into a terrible tangle as he shaped to clear Adams free-kick.
The Dane couldnt decide whether to use his head or
his right boot and ended up swinging his fist at the ball.
But Walters is hardly what you would call a penalty *expert at one point last *season he missed four from 10 and it was clear from the way Mignolet plunged unerringly to his right that he had done his homework.
Potters boss Hughes left *Anfield on the final whistle to catch a flight for a scouting mission. On this evidence he needs reinforcements, *although assistant Mark Bowen said: We can take a lot of positives from the game.
We are trying to change the way the team plays and at one point, the players must have wondered about the wisdom of that.
But they hung in there and it has taken a great penalty save from their keeper to stop us going home with a point.
Daniel Sturridge scored in the first half to set up the victory on the opening day of the season
Simon Mignolet already feels right at home at Anfield.
If the Belgian international was daunted by the *prospect of replacing Kop favourite Pepe Reina, he can breathe a bit *easier now after *producing a late penalty save to ensure Brendan Rodgers men got off to a winning start.
Mignolet came to the Reds *rescue after Daniel Agger inexplicably handled Charlie Adams free-kick two minutes from time with Liverpool hanging on to Daniel Sturridges first-half stunner.
First he guessed right to parry Jonathan Walters *driven spot-kick. And then he reacted with remarkable speed to beat away Kenwyne Jones close-range follow-up.
It illustrated why Rodgers was willing to spend *£9million recruiting the 25-year-old from Sunderland and allow Reina to move to Napoli on loan.
Mignolet said: If you save a penalty in the last minute of your home debut, you have to be happy. I just picked the right side to dive and then I got lucky with the rebound.
I do those things 100 times in training, so I am glad it worked out today.
I was nervous playing in front of the Kop, but I kept my nerve when it mattered.
Im a popular man Lets keep it that way.
Liverpool should have been out of sight before Aggers aberration handed Stoke a lifeline they didnt deserve.
In Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho and Iago Aspas, the Reds have a livewire front-line full of movement, *invention and pure menace.
If Rodgers can keep Luis Suarez focused and committed when he returns from his ban in five games time, then *Liverpool really will be a force to be reckoned with.
But for the intervention of Asmir Begovic, who produced a string of breathtaking saves, Mark Hughes first game as Potters boss would have ended in a heavy defeat.
Rodgers men seemed to lifted rather than burdened by the air of expectation that buzzed around Anfield before kick-off.
But so did Begovic.
Liverpool had an early *escape when Mignolet flapped at a cross under *pressure from Peter Crouch and Robert Huth volleyed against the crossbar.
But then Begovic excelled to twice deny Sturridge as well as Jose Enrique and Jordan *Henderson.
The Bosnian was finally beaten in the 37th minute by a strike from Sturridge good enough to win any game.
There was no disguising Sturridges intentions when he collected Aspas short pass 25 yards from goal.
But *Begovic could do *nothing as the England *striker exploded a shot off his left boot that flew through the legs of Huth and into the *bottom corner.
Stoke were given some *encouragement when Lucas had to clear Ryan Shawcross volley off the line on the stroke of half-time.
But the onslaught continued after the break.
Henderson was denied first by Begovics acrobatics and then the Bosnians lightning reactions when he somehow tipped a fierce shot against the inside of his post.
When Begovic stretched himself to tip away a 30-yard Steven Gerrard free-kick that was destined for the top *corner, home nerves started to fray.
Liverpool won just nine of 18 home Premier League games last season. And *Rodgers must have feared the worst when Agger got into a terrible tangle as he shaped to clear Adams free-kick.
The Dane couldnt decide whether to use his head or
his right boot and ended up swinging his fist at the ball.
But Walters is hardly what you would call a penalty *expert at one point last *season he missed four from 10 and it was clear from the way Mignolet plunged unerringly to his right that he had done his homework.
Potters boss Hughes left *Anfield on the final whistle to catch a flight for a scouting mission. On this evidence he needs reinforcements, *although assistant Mark Bowen said: We can take a lot of positives from the game.
We are trying to change the way the team plays and at one point, the players must have wondered about the wisdom of that.
But they hung in there and it has taken a great penalty save from their keeper to stop us going home with a point.
