Luis Suarez was given a place on the bench and fellow new recruit Andy Carroll, sidelined with a thigh injury, was paraded on the pitch before the kick-off and given a rapturous welcome by the crowd.
Liverpool started brightly and they fashioned their first chance when Kyrgiakos, making his first start under Dalglish, glanced a Gerrard corner goalwards which was cleared off the line by former Red Salif Diao.
The Reds had what appeared to be a strong claim for a penalty after the ball bounced up onto Huth’s hand, but referee Anthony Taylor waved away the appeal.
The Liverpool formation appeared hard to fathom, but it soon became apparent that Kelly and Johnson were being employed as marauding full backs, with Meireles and Gerrard providing the support for lone frontman Kuyt.
It didn’t appear to work in the first half hour with the Reds having plenty of possession but doing precious little with it.
The first 35 minutes could only be described as tepid, so much so that the warming up of new £22.8m recruit Suarez prompted the biggest cheer of the night.
That seemed to lift the players on the pitch as almost instantly Martin Kelly sent over a cross which Asmir Begovic saved brilliantly from Glen Johnson’s point-blank header.
It spurred Liverpool on and moments later a Gerrard cross was glanced just wide by Dirk Kuyt as the Reds cranked up the gears.
Liverpool had suddenly remembered how to attack and a combination between the captain and Meireles saw Kuyt scissor kick a bouncing ball over the bar.
Dalglish’s men finished the half the stronger of the two sides, neat interplay between Lucas and Aurelio allowing Kuyt a shot on the turn which Begovic comfortably saved.
But if the first half had been non-descript, the second was an entirely different affair.
Dalglish’s half-time pep talk appeared to do the trick instantly as Liverpool went ahead straight after the break. There was an element of fortune to the goal as Gerrard’s free kick was deflected by Marc Wilson, and as Kyrgiakos prepared to strike, Huth inadvertently teed up Meireles who fired home in what is becoming now trademark fashion.
Stoke were still dangerous however and a raid from Anfield old boy Jermaine Pennant set up Carew who fired a rasping drove just wide.
But the points were eventually sealed when Suarez grabbed his first goal in a Liverpool shirt, just 16 minutes after coming on as substitute.
A Kuyt through ball sent the South American clear and he rounded Begovic with ease before scuffing home, despite Andy Wilkinson’s best efforts to clear.
It was the perfect start for the former Ajax man whose incisive pace seems set to make him a surefire hero on Merseyside.
With Suarez an instant hit with the Kop, it relaxed Liverpool who started to play some vibrant attacking football.
First Shelvey fired over before a vicious dipping Gerrard volley flashed dangerously above Begovic’s crossbar.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis, whose side beat a miserable Liverpool in November at The Britannia Stadium, had predicted before the game his side might not have it so easy this time round, mindful of the new optimism sweeping through Anfield.
“Things will be different this time, but what we have to do is go there and give it our best shot. We know it’s going to be tough.”
His words were dead right.
Welcomingly, Anfield is once again reasserting its reputation as a fortress. The Reds finished the game on a roll, peppering Begovic’s goal with efforts.
Already the memory of Torres seems to be fading fast as there are new Red striking heroes like Suarez to laud. The King is dead, long live the King.
Liverpool Jose Manuel Reina, Glen Johnson, Daniel Agger, Fabio Aurelio (Luis Suarez, 63), Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Martin Kelly, Martin Skrtel, Jose Raul Meireles (Jonjo Shelvey, 75), Steven Gerrard, Leiva Lucas, Dirk Kuyt
Stoke City Asmir Begovic, Danny Higginbotham, Robert Huth, Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye (Danny Collins, 65), Andy Wilkinson, Marc Wilson (Ricardo Fuller, 66), Salif Diao (Rory Delap, 61), Jermaine Pennant, Dean Whitehead, Jon Walters, John Carew
Referee Taylor, A
Venue Anfield
Attendance 40,254
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