Stoke City vs Liverpool
Venue: Britannia Stadium
Kick: 3pm
Liverpool have the chance to end a disappointing campaign on a positive note when they travel to take on Stoke City on Sunday (today).
This time last year they were still in contention to win the Premier League title, but now their focus is solely on nailing down a Europa League berth on the final weekend.
Successive top-half finishes for Stoke in the Premier League for the first time in 40 years shows just how far they have come along, but there is always a sense around the Britannia Stadium that there is still more to offer.
On a tight budget, manager Mark Hughes has built a stable top-flight club which is now in a position to push on and perhaps challenge for a top-six spot this time next year.
A strong defensive record, which has seen the Potters concede just six goals more than Manchester City all term, could provide the perfect building block to achieve exactly that.
While a ninth-place finish is Stoke’s regardless of events elsewhere on the final day, they welcome Liverpool in the knowledge that they can smash their previous record points tally in the Premier League should they pick up a positive result.
Supporters of this famous club may forget that they actually have a game to play this weekend. That is nothing to do with their opponents or the stature of the match itself, but more to do with the fact that two men have dominated the back pages over the past fortnight.
First there was Steven Gerrard, who brought down the curtain on his Anfield career last weekend with the ultimate anti-climax, while the gossip columns have been all about a certain Raheem Sterling since then.
His agent confirmed in the week that a new contract will “definitely not” be signed, opening the door for the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea to make a move when the transfer window opens for business in the coming weeks.
Liverpool supporters expect their side to be challenging for silverware, but this season they have fallen some way short of the mark. Now the players have one last chance to get it right, in order to ensure that Gerrard departs for Los Angeles with a smile of sorts etched firmly on his face.
Stoke City possible starting lineup: Begovic, Cameron, Shawcross, Muniesa, Pieters, N’Zonzi, Ireland, Adam, Arnautovic, Odemwingie, Diouf.
Liverpool possible starting lineup: Mignolet, Can, Skrtel, Lovren, Moreno, Gerrard, Henderson, Lallana, Coutinho, Ibe, Lambert.