Liverpool kick off the new Barclays Premier League season at home to Stoke City on Saturday, with both Steven Gerrard and boss Brendan Rodgers chasing a century this weekend.

To find out which records the pair could achieve at Anfield today, and a host of pre-match statistics, check out all of the crucial facts and figures courtesy of Ged Rea.

Liverpool kick off a league campaign at Anfield for only the sixth time in the last 18 seasons.

They have won 10 of their 21 Premier League opening fixtures and lost four.

On the last two occasions the Reds have opened a league campaign at home they have drawn 1-1 - with Arsenal in 2010 and Sunderland in 2011.

They have lost only five of their last 37 opening day fixtures, but have not won in the last four since winning 1-0 at Sunderland in 2008 courtesy of a late Fernando Torres goal.


Liverpool have not lost their first league game in successive seasons since 1951.

The Reds and Stoke have met on the opening day of a campaign five times. Liverpool have won three (each of the last three fixtures) and Stoke one.

Stoke last beat Liverpool on the opening day of a campaign in 1899 - winning 3-2 at home.

Steve Heighway scored the only goal of the game the last time the sides met on the opening day - August 1973 at Anfield.


Steven Gerrard is two goals short of becoming only the 12th player to score 100 league goals for the Reds.

Should he score he will equal the club record of scoring in league or cup in 15 successive seasons previously set by Billy Liddell. But Stevie will be the first man ever to score in 15 successive league seasons for Liverpool.

Liverpool require two goals to record 100 in all competitions under the stewardship of Brendan Rodgers.

The Reds have never lost to Stoke on this ground in the top flight. They have won 39 and drawn 11 of the 50 games at Anfield.

In all competitions the Reds have won 49, drawn 13 and lost three at home to Stoke in 65 meetings.

Glen Johnson scored his first goal for Liverpool against Stoke in August 2009 in what was his second appearance for the Reds.

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Two players have scored league hat-tricks against Stoke - both came at Anfield. Andy McGuigan became the first to score five goals in a game for the club as the Reds won 7-0 in 1902, and Roger Hunt netted four in a 6-1 victory on Boxing Day 1963.

The Reds amassed 61 points during the 2012-13 season and conceded only 16 goals at Anfield - only Manchester City (15) let in fewer at home.

Liverpool scored 71 goals in the league last season - their highest tally in four years.

The Reds' biggest home win against the Potters came in January 1902, when they won 7-0.


Liverpool have scored in all but four of their last 36 home clashes with City in league and cup.

Stoke won twice on the road in the Premier League last season - at West Brom and QPR. It was the lowest number in the top flight along with Norwich, Newcastle, Reading and QPR.

Their tally of 13 away goals last season was the second lowest in the Premier League, while only QPR (30) scored fewer goals home and away than Stoke (34).

Since returning to the top flight they have won one of their five opening day fixtures - a 2-0 home win over Burnley in 2009.

City are one of three teams never to have scored a Premier League goal at Anfield - Burnley and Swansea City being the others.

The teams have never previously played out three successive goalless draws at Anfield - a feat that could be achieved today.

Stoke have won on this ground three times and they all occurred in a four-year period in the 1950s in Division Two. They won 4-3 in 1959, 2-0 in 1956 and 4-2 in 1955.