Liverpool’s 6-1 defeat to Stoke City: Where are they now
By Minh Nguyen
Just a mere five years ago, Liverpool suffered their largest ever Premier League defeat, losing 6-1 to Stoke City.
It marked the end of Steven Gerrard’s career with the Reds and the beginning of the end for Brendan Rodgers. Fast forward to now, Liverpool are world-beaters and the majority of the team from 2015 are gone, so let’s see where they are now.
Things started badly as Mame Biram Diouf opened the scoring after just 22 minutes, and never got any better as he followed that up with a second just four minutes later.
Jonathan Walters grabbed the Potters’ third after 30 minutes and if you thought a shellshocked Reds would be able to respond to that, you’d be wrong.
Charlie Adam got one back against his former employers as he struck from range five minutes before half time to make it 4-0 and then Steven N’Zonzi ensured Rodgers would endure the worst break of his life by adding a fifth in the 45th minute.
Gerrard clawed one back but Stoke ensured they had the last laugh thanks to a Peter Crouch goal in the 86th minute.
Let’s have a look at see where the first team squad that played for Liverpool that day are now.
Simon Mignolet
After the disappointing defeat, Mignolet still kept his starting spot the following season. But, when Klopp arrived, it was clear that he wasn’t apart of Liverpool’s plans as Loris Karius was brought in the following summer. However, due to injuries and early struggles from the German keeper, Mignolet kept his job for the majority of the year did a mostly solid job.
Unfortunately, the next season wouldn’t be as positive for the Belgian as he was eventually replaced by Karius as Liverpool’s number one. Even after the German’s disaster in the 2018 Champions League Final against Real Madrid, Klopp opted for reinforcement outside the club rather than Mignolet as the Reds signed Alisson Becker.
Mignolet would spend the rest of his Liverpool career riding the bench and was eventually offed this past summer to Club Brugge for £6.5 million. There, the 32-year-old keeper has played well as Brugge look set to win the Belgian First Division A while only conceding 14 goals.