Liverpool 1 – 0 Reading: Sterling inspires Liverpool to first home league win

Raheem Sterling scored his first career goal as Liverpool finally ended their winless drought at Anfield in the league this season.

Coming off the back of a week when the club announced plans to stay at Anfield and expand the current stadium, Liverpool went into the game looking to get a monkey off their backs in front of the home supporters.

Luis Suarez’s beautiful through ball found the imaginative run from Sterling, who required two touches before slamming the ball past Alex McCarthy in the Reading goal.

In scoring, Sterling became the second youngest goalscorer in the Premier League behind Michael Owen.

Liverpool’s dominance and creativity was not matched by their finishing again as Suarez, in particular, failed to convert numerous chances that would have comfortably sealed the points.

Reading had a couple of chances of their own in the second half, but Brad Jones, deputising for the injured Pepe Reina, pulled off a couple of good saves to deny the visitors an equalising goal.

Liverpool’s lack of a traditional number 9 could come back to haunt them at times this season. You feel January is going to be a big month at Anfield as they look to strengthen their strikeforce in the transfer window.

So far this season, Liverpool have had more to talk about off the pitch with the Hillsborough documents being released and the plans to redevelop Anfield, but Brendan Rodgers will be hoping to use this victory as a springboard to greater things on the pitch.

Man of the Match: Raheem Sterling. This boy should be practising his samba skills because he is going to Brazil in 2014.

Paul Jones, Football correspondent