Hughes rues second-half collapse as Anfield curse goes on

Mark Hughes rued a second-half collapse from Stoke City after they lost 4-1 at Liverpool.

Stoke have not won a league game at Anfield since 1959, and rarely looked likely to end that long wait on Sunday. 

Alberto Moreno’s superb strike gave Liverpool an early lead, but Stoke got themselves level when Bojan Krkic glanced home Xherdan Shaqiri’s excellent free-kick.

However, Daniel Sturridge restored the hosts’ advantage shortly after the half-hour mark, before substitute Divock Origi put the lacklustre Potters to the sword with a second-half double as Liverpool ran out convincing winners to vault their opponents in the Premier League table.

“I thought first half we acquitted ourselves really well – we had a decent amount of control in the game,” Hughes told his post-match media conference. 

“But unfortunately for us the story of the game was our inability to stop balls coming into our box and then the ability to clear them or defend them correctly.

“We feel 4-1 is a little bit harsh on us, especially after what we did in the first half, but you’ve got to have a full 90 minute performance and we didn’t have that today.

“We were not as resolute as normal. We had some had good moments, and at half-time we felt we were very much in the game, but within moments of the second half starting we’ve conceded again.

“That meant we had to chase the game, which is very difficult to do at Anfield against a decent Liverpool side who look to pick you off.

“In the end, it was something of a damage-limitation exercise for us.”