Liverpool began the 2015-16 season with three points courtesy of a Philippe Coutinho thunderbolt which sealed a scrappy 1-0 win at Stoke City on Sunday.
Coutinho’s stunning individual effort settled a dire contest in which only four shots on target were registered.
SEE MORE: Liverpool player ratings: Coutinho steals show as debut boys largely underwhelm in 1-0 win
The Brazilian’s moment of brilliance came in the 86th minute, just as both sides looked prepared to settle from a point each.
Liverpool could have been forgiven for thinking draw would be good result, especially having lost this fixture 6-1 at the end of the 2014-15 campaign.
Nevertheless, Coutinho went some way to banishing the painful memories of that horrible May afternoon.
The 22-year-old has now scored 14 goals in 81 Premier League games for the Reds.
Raheem Sterling, who Liverpool sold to Manchester City this summer, scored 18 in 95 top-flight outings for the Anfield outfit.
The result means Liverpool have now won their first league fixture of the season three years in a row.
Meanwhile, Stoke have not claimed maximum points on the opening day since 2009.
COMMENTS