Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has praised the quality of Philippe Coutinho after his stunning strike handed his side a 1-0 victory over Stoke City in their Premier League opener.
The Reds returned to the Britannia Stadium seven weeks following their 6-1 hammering at the hands of the Potters on the final day of the last campaign.
Both teams struggled to carve out clear-cut opportunities and the match looked to be heading for a draw until Coutinho surged forward and blasted a strike into the top corner to earn his team the three points.
Henderson told Sky Sports News: "We knew it would be difficult it's hard place and a good team. But we've worked well in pre-season and I think we showed the resilience today before Philippe came up with a bit of magic.
"I was behind the shot, I Knew he would make the keeper work, he does that in training everyday so there's no surprise to us really.
"I always believe we can create chances so I knew we'd get a chance to win the game and thankfully we did. It's one win, one game at the end of the day so we have to keep working hard."
Liverpool face Bournemouth in their next Premier League outing next Monday.
Simon Sinclair
