Liverpool came from behind to thrash Stoke City in an entertaining encounter at Anfield on Tuesday night.
Jonathan Walters had given the visitors the lead early in the first-half, but goals from Adam Lallana, Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge and a Giannelli Imbula own goalsaw Liverpool reclaim second place in the Premier League.
Stoke, whose starting team featured former Reds Glen Johnson, Joe Allen and Peter Crouch, were penned in their own half during the early exchanges, with Liverpool dominating possession.
It was the Potters who grabbed the first goal of the night however, with Jonathan Walters heading home.The forward got across Dejan Lovren at the near post to power an effort past Simon Mignoletfrom Erik Pieters' crosswhich the Belgian goalkeeper could only get a hand to.
.@JonWalters19 meets Pieters' cross from the left, his header is palmed in by Mignolet #SCFC 1-0 #LFC
Liverpool continued to look rattled, with Mignolet saving well after Allen had wriggled through some suspect defending from Lovren and Ragnar Klavan. The ball rolled agonisingly out of reach forCrouch before Pieters' goal-boundeffort was cleared.
Jurgen Klopp's side looked most menacing on the break, and Sadio Mane's half-turn set up Adam Lallana, whose deflected shot bounced wide. Liverpool looked the more likely to score next, with Roberto Firmino seeing his shot cleared off the line by Crouch.
With all their pressure it was no surprise to see the Reds equalise.
Mane broke down the right-hand side and played the ball inside to Lallana, whose touch found Johnson who could only play it back into his former teammate's path, and the midfielder managed to sneak a shot past Stoke goalie Lee Grant from a tight angle to level things up.
Lallana continued to influence proceedings, pulling a cross back for Firmino who could only fire a shot comfortably over the bar. Stoke had utilised the height of Crouch to force Liverpool back, but such was the home side's confidence that the visitors couldn't use their forwards to keep possession as the first-half drew to a close.
Before Stoke could make their way to their changing room, however, they were behind. Firmino was allowed to turn in the box from James Milner's pass, and the Brazilian finished with aplomb, seeing his effort hit both posts before bouncing in. Despite starting slowly Liverpool finished the half in the ascendency, with Mane then scuffing a shot agonisingly of Grant's goal.
That was some turn around!
Keep focused, lads!
 2-1  #LIVSTK pic.twitter.com/szmJZILkIK
A scrappy start to the second-half saw Milner curl a ambitious shot over before a third Liverpool goal killed the game. Giannelli Imbula's clearing header was poor and quick passing saw Divock Origi played into space on the left-hand side, and the forward crossed for Imbula to score an own goal under pressure from Mane.
Jurgen Klopp was able to bring on Emre Can and Daniel Sturridge midway through the second-half, and it was the latter who scored Liverpool's fourth, courtesy of a shocking piece of play from Ryan Shawcross. The defender played a horror back pass towards Grant, selling the keeper short and playing in Sturridge, whose tidy footwork saw him round the goalie and finish into an empty net for his first Premier League goal of the season.
Stoke chances were fleeting as the game wore on, with Mark Hughes' side going closest with a dipping effort from substitute Ibrahim Afellay which flew just over the bar.
The win sees Liverpool reclaim second place from Manchester City, who had won against Hull City on Boxing Day. Stoke remain level on points with Bournemouth but slip to 13th in the bottom half of the table by virtue of goals scored.
Liverpool XI:Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Klavan, Milner; Henderson, Wijnaldum, Lallana; Mane, Firmino, Origi
Stoke City XI:Grant; Johnson, Shawcross, M.Indi, Pieters; Diouf, Allen, Whelan, Imbula, Walters; Crouch