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Brendan Rodgers'Liverpool reign hit a new low as his side were thrashed 6-1 by Stoke City in their final Premier League game of the season.

At the end of a miserable campaign, the Reds saved their worst until last, conceding five times without reply in the first half at the Britannia Stadium. Steven Gerrard, on his last appearance before moving to LA Galaxy, pulled a goal back after the break, but his side conceded a sixth late on, ensuring their worst defeat in any competition since April 1963.

For Rodgers, this is rock bottom. The manager was jeered by a section of his own supporters as he left the field at half time, and will now face an uncomfortable few days, as he prepares for his end-of-season review with the club's American owners. He will have a job on his hands to explain this performance away.

The first story of the day had emerged an hour before kick off, with the news that Raheem Sterling would be starting the game on the bench.

The forward's ongoing dispute with the club, amplified this week by comments made by his agent, seemed to have forced Rodgers' hand, though he could easily argue that Sterling's form as a starter in recent weeks has not been particularly impressive in any case. Sterling, as it happened, never even took to the field.

It meant Liverpool began without even an auxiliary striker, with Philippe Coutinho operating as a false nine, as he had done with some success against Newcastle earlier in the season. Elsewhere, there was a welcome return for Mamadou Sakho, replacing the hapless Dejan Lovren, and for both Joe Allen and Lucas, who started in midfield.

It was an ex-Liverpool midfielder, Charlie Adam, who had the first shot of the game, four minutes in, but his 25-yarder flew over the bar.

It took 12 minutes for Liverpool to have their first effort, Coutinho off target on his left foot after turning Erik Pieters inside out.

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Adam Lallana, lively early on, went closer soon after, but again missed the target. Liverpool were then punished at the other end in the 21 minute as Simon Mignolet was unable to hold Adam's effort, and Mame Biram Diouf was on hand to bury the rebound from close range.

If that was bad, things were to get worse within four minutes, as Diouf grabbed his second, collecting Marko Arnautovic's pass and firing a shot from the edge of the box that seemed to go through Mignolet's hands and into the middle of the goal.

Disaster. And it would reach new levels before the half hour, as Stoke added a third. Jon Walters scored it, heading home at the second attempt, after Emre Can's inexplicable header had left him free in front of goal. An ugly goal, in keeping with this ugliest of ends to Liverpool's season.

They could have had a penalty when Ryan Shawcross clipped Lallana in the box, but Anthony Taylor waved away the appeals.

And to rub salt in the wounds, Stoke got a fourth before half time through Adam. Lucas failed to control a ball in midfield, and the Scot strode forward to steer a shot inside the near post from 20 yards, as the Liverpool fans behind the goal rubbed their eyes in disbelief. They could have been forgiven for walking out there and then.

Plenty did a minute before half time, as Stoke incredibly grabbed a fifth through Steven Nzonzi, who ran unchallenged through the midfield to curl home a beauty from 25 yards. Rodgers, taunted by the delirious home fans, stood dumbfounded in his technical area.

Rodgers replaced Moreno with Jordon Ibe at half time, as his side sought to salvage even a modicum of pride from a damaging day.

At least Asmir Begovic, the Stoke keeper, was called into action after the break, denying Lallana and Gerrard in quick succession. At the other end, a last-ditch block from Jordan Henderson denied Arnautovic a sixth goal.

Gerrard was not far away with a 25-yard curler, but he would get his goal soon after, latching onto a flick by Rickie Lambert, the substitute, and beating Begovic coolly one-on-one for his 186 Liverpool goal. The Stoke supporters, generously, joined in the spontaneous round of applause which followed.

Stoke's players, though, were not so generous, and ensured they had the last word, via former Liverpool man Peter Crouch. The substitute was given the freedom of the penalty area to head home Diouf's left-wing cross.

Where next for Liverpool, and for Rodgers, who knows? But this was as bad as it gets. There will be recriminations, surely?

STOKE CITY (4-2-3-1): Begovic, Cameron, Shawcross, Muniesa (Wilson 71), Pieters, Nzonzi, Whelan, Walters (Odemwingie 67), Adam, Arnautovic (Crouch 77), Diouf

Not used: Butland, Wollscheid, Sidwell, Ireland

Cards: Adam, Whelan, Shawcross, Pieters

Goals: Diouf (22, 26), Walters (30), Adam (40), Crouch (86)

LIVERPOOL (4-4-2 diamond): Mignolet, Can (Toure 46), Skrtel, Sakho, Moreno (Ibe 46), Lucas, Henderson, Allen (Lambert 69), Gerrard, Lallana, Coutinho

Not used: Ward, Lovren, Markovic, Sterling



Cards: Lucas, Skrtel

Goals: Gerrard (70)

Referee: Anthony Taylor



Attendance: 27,602