Things that are bad on the road: traffic, potholes, large wild animals, medium wild animals, small wild animals, daydreaming and Liverpool Football Club. Things that are good on the road: a smooth surface, zebra crossings, that person you've be trying to get revenge on for years and every team in the top, top, top, top half of the Premier League with the noted exception of Hull and, of course, Liverpool Football Club. Where did it all go wrong as the bellboy said to a money-ladened-Miss-World-straddled George?  Well, as Scott Murray pointed out, away from home Liverpool are having something of a stinker against the big clubs. Seven games they have played against the upper echelons of the Premier League but only five points they have gained. They started solidly against Everton, Manchester City and Chelsea (they were also ahead against Swansea) but with the slightest twist of the arm and honk of the nose, Brendan Rodgers' side have gone as white as a snow flake and crumbled like a chocolate flake.  You see – and this is the part of the premable where the revolutionary analysis comes into play – at home, Liverpool have the fam behind them, the enemy in front of them and with that incisive midfield and striking strikers they break down defenses like a heavy door through a carefully constructed Lego castle (sob, sob). This means that the defense (that questionable defense? they are certainly questionable at set-pieces anyway) does not come under as much pressure as it does away from home when Liverpool play more on the counter and the flat back four becomes more of a flattened back four when the pressure is pumping.  So like Bonnie Tyler, they need a hero. And he can be no Lemon Street chump, he's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight. Who could that be? Who could be the role model to inspire them to fight the fear and to hold on, mentally, when the going gets tough? well, remember that kid who won the sack race thanks to a particular brand of washing detergent and a PMA? Him, that's who! Think about all he had to overcome to win that race. The sandwiches in the bag, the worry over whether or not his vest would be dry in time (he only had an hour!), not to mention the worry over whether or not all the stains would really be gone (and if they weren't would his school-mates laugh? Kids can be so cruel these days). And yet he succeeded. Adopt that kid's attitude and not even the sky would be the limit for Rodgers' rogues on the road.  Do Stoke fans miss Tony Pulis? OK, so the ball is certainly lower and the passes (and throws) are certainly shorter (rather surprisingly Stoke are one of two teams yet to score a headed goal in the league this season!) but the points difference and league position are certainly less too – 8th with 29 points after 20 games last season; 12th with 22 points after 20 games this season.  Like Liverpool, they have been poor on the road – in fact they have the worst away record in the entire league. However, of late, their home form has been impressive and should give their fans something to crow about. Speaking of home form, under the previous regime, Stoke did one over Liverpool on the regular. Don't believe? Check the records. The Potters have won three and lost none of their five previous league home meetings with Liverpool, winning the last three in a row.  Will they continue that run today? Well why not stayed tuned and find out? Sure what else would you be doing?
Minute-by-minute report: Luis Suárez got two and Daniel Sturridge scored on his return in a thriller of a game at the Britannia Stadium