The Anfield faithful gave Steven Gerrard a legend's send off and now the MLS bound midfielder will officially bid farewell to the Premier League as the Reds take on Stoke City. Unfortunately for Stevie and Liverpool the Reds could not replicate their performances of last season and are ending the season on a disappointing note.
The Anfield paid an emotional tribute to Gerrard, but the players were unable to respond on the pitch as Liverpool suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace. Lallana opened up the scoring in the match but Puncheon leveled the scores just before half time. The visitors added two more goals courtesy of Zaha and Murray to condemn Rodgers' men to a defeat in their final home match of the season.
Rodgers paid tribute to the departing star while also claiming that his side will be looking for a win to confirm themselves a Europa League spot.
"I'm sure, for Steven, it's been a huge relief really. Leading into his last game at Anfield, which has been his home for 17 years, there was probably a whole load of emotion in that last week for him," he said.
"Unfortunately, we couldn't get the result. The team's performance level wasn't what we expected, but the crowd recognised the moment as well and gave him a great Anfield send-off.
"So I'm sure for him there will be a huge sigh of relief. He's worked well this week, concentrating on the game for Sunday."
"The target is to finish as high as we can. That is the aim for the game. The season doesn't finish until the whistle blows on Sunday. It will be a tough game for us, away at Stoke, but we want to finish the season strongly.
"I always believe it's a good sign for a team if they can keep going right to the end. That will be our ambition for the game against Stoke."
Stoke on the other hand have enjoyed a productive season and are currently ninth in the league table. Their position in the table will not be effected by any outcome but they will be hoping to end their season on a high.
Mark Hughes will have an almost fully fit squad to choose from including Philipp Wollscheid who was signed on a permanent basis by the Potters. There are doubts over the likes of Stephen Ireland and Victor Moses but goalkeeper Asmir Begovic is expected to return.
Raheem Sterling has grabbed all the headlines in recent weeks and despite claims from his camp that he wants to leave the club in the summer, the youngster is expected to feature for Liverpool on Sunday. Mario Balotelli who has not played for the club since April 28 on the other hand is expected to stay on the sidelines.
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