Liverpool v Stoke City: live Liverpool: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Skrtel, Jose Enrique, Maxi, Gerrard, Spearing, Downing, Suarez, Carroll. Subs: Doni, Henderson, Coates, Kuyt, Adam, Flanagan, Shelvey. Stoke: Sorensen, Wilkinson, Huth, Shawcross, Wilson, Shotton, Whitehead, Whelan, Etherington, Walters, Crouch. Subs: Nash, Jones, Pennant, Upson, Delap, Jerome, Palacios. Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire) 15.00 Good afternoon football fans! And Stoke supporters! Just kidding. Me, I love their physical presence and tactical dedication. After all, there's more than one way to skin a cat. It should be an intruiging battle with the talented but goal-shy home side. Liverpool's record at Anfield this season is famously poor, but there's no denying that they are a formidable Cup team. As ever with the Scousers, there's some debate and chatter beyond the actual football, with Kenny Dalglish popping up this morning to say: I think people should take an intelligence check. It's not true that you should only look at the league table. What do we make to that? Are Liverpool making progress, or is success in the cups an unacceptable substitute for a League challenge, or even a Champions League place? Whichever way you slice it, defeat to Stoke today would be a huge blow. Henry Winter points out that older players can still have a bit part to play in cups, even if the demands of a sustained League challenge might be getting too much. Here's our match preview.