Here are some great facts and stats courtesy of club statto Ged Rea as we head to Stoke City for a Carling Cup fourth round tie.

Liverpool's League Cup record: played 207, won 123, drawn 42, lost 42. 

The Reds have met Stoke three times in this competition.

In 1991-92 Liverpool won 5-4 on aggregate in round two, winning 3-2 at the Victoria Ground after a 2-2 draw at Anfield. In 1994-95 Ian Rush scored both in a 2-1 Liverpool home win in round three. In 2000-01 Liverpool won 8-0 at the Britannia Stadium in round four to record the biggest away victory in the club's history. The scorers were Christian Ziege, Vladimir Smicer, Markus Babbel, Robbie Fowler (3), Sami Hyypia and Danny Murphy.   

Liverpool went on to win the trophy that season - the first part of the famous cup treble. Jamie Carragher is the only current Liverpool player who appeared that evening.

The Reds have met Stoke in the Potteries on four occasions in cup competition and have never lost - winning two in the League Cup and drawing twice in the FA Cup.

Liverpool have never lost to Stoke in a cup game in 10 previous meetings - winning seven and drawing three. In those clashes they have scored 21 and conceded five.

Liverpool have won the League Cup in its various guises seven times, a competition record, the last being in 2003.

They have also appeared in the most finals - 10.

Liverpool reached this stage by winning 3-1 at Exeter in round two with goals from Luis Suarez, Maxi and Andy Carroll, and by recording a 2-1 victory at Brighton in the last round thanks to Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt.

The Reds have failed to score in only one of the last 40 matches in the League Cup - when they lost 2-0 at Chelsea in 2007. Peter Crouch was sent off in that fixture.

The Reds have been involved in five League Cup penalty shoot-outs, winning three and losing two.

In major competitive games Liverpool have won 10 of the 12 penalty shoot-outs.

Liverpool have scored 14 hat-tricks in this competition with the last coming from Fernando Torres at Reading in a 4-2 win in September 2007.

Liverpool have won just once at the Britannia in five visits and have not won in the last four.

In the last four visits only Sotirios Kyrgiakos (January 2010 in a 1-1 draw) has managed a goal for the Reds.

Charlie Adam played on this ground two seasons ago in the League Cup and was on the losing side as Blackpool went down 4-3.

Liverpool are aiming to reach the last eight of the League Cup for the first time in four seasons.

The Reds have kept only one clean sheet in the last 11 League Cup ties.

The Reds have already lost at Stoke this season - beaten 1-0 in the league last month with Jonathan Walters scoring the only goal in the 21st minute from the penalty spot. Craig Bellamy made his 'second' debut for the club as a second-half substitute.

Liverpool go into the game on the back of a five match unbeaten run (three wins, two draws).

Video: Jay Spearing previews the game

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The Reds have kept only two clean sheets in 11 games this season - both against teams that finished the game with 10 men: Arsenal and Everton.

Stoke have reached the League Cup final twice. In 1964 they lost over two legs to Leicester City 4-3 on aggregate but eight years later lifted the trophy after a 2-1 win over Chelsea with 35-year-old veteran George Eastham scoring the winner after Terry Conroy (Stoke) and Chelsea's Peter Osgood had scored in the first half.

Stoke reached this stage by beating Tottenham 7-6 on penalties in round three (their first involvement this season) after a goalless draw on this ground. The seven City players to score from the spot were Jonathan Walters, Glenn Whelan, Marc Wilson, Peter Crouch, Matthew Etherington, Matthew Upson and Ryan Shotton. The only man to fail to convert was Jermaine Pennant.

Last season Stoke went out at this stage - beaten 3-1 at West Ham.

They have gone beyond this stage of the competition only once in the last 33 seasons.

Peter Crouch scored one goal in five League Cup games for the Reds - against Reading five years ago yesterday. Jermaine Pennant appeared three times for Liverpool in this competition during his three years at Anfield.

Stoke have lost three of their last five penalty shoot-outs in this competition, beaten by Rochdale in 2007-08, Mansfield in 2005-06 and Oldham 2001-02.

They have, however, won the last two they took part in - against Reading three seasons ago and Tottenham this season.

Stoke have lost three of their 17 games in league and cup having suffered defeat in the Premiership at the hands of Sunderland, Swansea and Arsenal - all away.

In this calendar year Stoke have lost only one of the last 21 home games - that came at the hands of Wigan on the final of the last league campaign.

In nine games at the Britannia this season they have conceded just three goals.

They have not conceded more than one goal at home in any of the last 15 matches since beating Sunderland 3-2 in February.

Last season City reached the FA Cup final for the first time in their history, narrowly losing 1-0 to Manchester City.

The referee for this tie is Lee Probert who took charge of Stoke's win over Tottenham in the last round.

Scorers this season (League Cup in brackets):

Liverpool: Suarez 5 (1), Bellamy 2 (1), Carroll 2 (1), Adam 1 (0), Gerrard 1 (0), Henderson 1 (0), Kuyt 1 (1), Maxi 1 (1), Skrtel 1 (0), own goals 2 (0).

Stoke: Jones 4 (0), Walters 4 (0), Crouch 3 (0), Shotton 3 (0), Jerome 2 (0), Delap 1 (0), Pugh 1 (0), Upson 1 (0), Whelan 1 (0).