Stats: Stevie to reach 'Zico' record

The iconic No.8 will become the seventh Liverpool player to reach 650 appearances for the club, following Ian Callaghan, Jamie Carragher, Ray Clemence, Emlyn Hughes, Ian Rush and Neal.

On the opening day of this season, Liverpool beat Stoke 1-0 at Anfield with Daniel Sturridge scoring the winner in the first half. Simon Mignolet capped his debut by saving an 89th-minute penalty from Jon Walters.

Kolo Toure and Iago Aspas also made their Reds debut while Erik Pieters played his first game for Stoke.

Liverpool's last visit to the Potteries saw them lose 3-1 on Boxing Day 2012, despite taking the lead through a Gerrard penalty in the second minute. Stoke were ahead within 11 minutes through Walters and Kenwyne Jones and the former then grabbed his second early in the second half.

Liverpool have never won at Stoke in the Barclays Premier League, drawing two and losing three of their five visits.

The Reds have failed to score in six of the last 11 league meetings.

Liverpool have scored only nine times in the 11 Premier League clashes, with four coming in a single game in August 2009. That 0.8 goals per-game average is their lowest against any team they have met in the Premier League.

Liverpool's biggest away league win at Stoke came in March 1982, when they won 5-1 with Terry McDermott, Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Sammy Lee and Ronnie Whelan all scoring. That is the only time the Reds have won a league game at Stoke by more than two goals.

The only Reds player to score a hat-trick at Stoke was Robbie Fowler in an 8-0 League Cup victory at the Britannia Stadium in November 2000.

Glen Johnson scored his first Liverpool goal against Stoke at Anfield in August 2009.

Luis Suarez scored on his debut for Liverpool against Stoke in February 2011.

Suarez is the first Liverpool player to score 20 league goals in successive seasons since Fowler in 1994-95 and 1995-96.

Going into this weekend's games, only Arsenal and Manchester United have scored more away league goals this season than Liverpool's 19.

Liverpool are aiming to keep a clean sheet for a third successive game for the first time since October 2012.

Stoke have won the last three league meetings at the Britannia. They have previously won four in a row twice - the last coming in January 1957.

This is Stoke's sixth successive season in the Premier League. They have never finished in the top half of the table.

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Peter Crouch has scored once against Liverpool in the Premier League. He scored in Southampton's 2-0 win in January 2005, though he did net for the Potters in the 2012 FA Cup defeat at Anfield. He scored 42 goals in 134 appearances in a Red shirt.

Charlie Adam played 37 times in all competitions for Liverpool, scoring twice, before his move to Stoke. Adam has scored in two of his last five games in league and cup.

They are unbeaten at home in the league in the last seven games since losing 1-0 to Norwich City in September. Among their results at the Britannia this season are draws with Manchester City and Everton and a 3-2 victory over Chelsea.

They have an excellent defensive record at home, conceding just seven goals in 10 top-flight games.

City will be without Oussama Assaidi, who has found the net three times in his last six league appearances.

Mark Hughes took charge of Stoke for the first time against the Reds on the opening day of the campaign. He has won two of 15 games against the Reds in his managerial career.

Scorers this season (league in brackets):

Liverpool: Suarez 20 (20), Sturridge 11 (9), Sterling 4 (3), Gerrard 3 (3), Coutinho 2 (2), Henderson 2 (1), Skrtel 2 (2), Agger 1 (1), Aspas 1 (0), Flanagan 1 (1), Moses 1 (1), Sakho 1 (1), own goals 3 (2).

Stoke: Adam 5 (4), Crouch 5 (3), Jones 5 (0), Assaidi 4 (3), Ireland 3 (2), Arnautovic 2 (1), Begovic 1 (1), Cameron 1 (1), Nzonzi 1 (1), Pennant 1 (1), Shawcross 1 (1), Walters 1 (1).