Liverpool stumbled over a familiar hurdle at the Britannia Stadium as they slipped to their first defeat of the season.
In four visits to Stoke since the Potters earned promotion to the Barclays Premier League, the Reds have collected just two points and lost their last two matches.
Not since 1968 have Stoke recorded back-to-back home league wins over Liverpool and the result brought a side brimming with confidence before the international break back down to earth with a hefty bump.Liverpool had the first chance of the game as Luis Suarez capitalised on a high bouncing ball that swirled in the wind by pushing past Matthew Upson, but the Uruguayan's half volley took a deflection and flew out for a corner, from which the forward was unfortunate to see a whipped Charlie Adam corner skim off his chest and bobble wide at the far post.
The visitors dominated the early exchanges, but Stoke could have found themselves ahead as a Matthew Etherington free-kick was whipped across the six-yard box, where Ryan Shawcross, whose shirt was being firmly gripped by Skrtel, failed to get a telling connection.The second half was played almost entirely in the Stoke half, but the likes of Matthew Upson, Shawcross and Begovic held firm under enormous Liverpool pressure.
Shawcross did well to get the ball ahead of Suarez as Downing crossed for the Uruguayan, while another cross from the Liverpool winger reached Bellamy at the far post but the Welsh international headed his effort wide.
Late on Suarez claimed a penalty, arguing that Upson had handled the ball, while the Uruguayan should have secured a point for the visitors only to skew his shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
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