August 8 is a very auspicious date.

Manchester United beat Tottenham 1-0 at Old Trafford to get the season off to a flying start.

The only goal was scored not by the home side's many attacking players, but by Tottenham's defender, an own goal by full-back Kyle Walker......

The Reds, who started the tournament first, immediately became the top of the table.

A day later, Liverpool took on their first-round opponents, Stoke City, nicknamed "The Potter", at Britannia.

Stoke City don't have much of an illustrious history, but they have always been a tough nut to crack in English football.

Not to mention...... In their final game of last season, they handed Liverpool a painful 6-1 and Gerrard a farewell game that will not be forgotten......

'I know some people are new here and they don't really know about our humiliation, but I have to say that if there are three games that have to be won this season, then those three games will be against Manchester United, Everton and Stoke City!'

Brendan Rodgers inspires his players in the cramped visiting dressing room:

"We should probably be thankful that the first game of the new season was ...... We can wash away our humiliation! ”

-

August 9th.

16pm UK time.

8 a.m. New York time.

Steven Gerald, who had just come out of the bathroom, sat on the sofa in the living room.

He subconsciously turned on the TV and switched the channel to a paid sports channel.

What catches your eye is a dozen familiar red backs:

Mignolet, Klein, Skrtel, Lovren, Bad Stuber (unfamiliar with this), Henderson......

yes, Captain Henderson.

Gerrard couldn't help but sigh a little, can this 25-year-old young man successfully take over his flag?

You know, the 25-year-old Gerrard is already a world-class super midfielder, and he also won that heart-wrenching Istanbul miracle at the age of 25!

The 25-year-old Henderson is not even a top player in the Premier League!

He...... It's still too tender!

Gerrard's gaze flashed over the new captain of the Reds, and then fell on the 25-year-old behind him.

Red jersey, white number.

Number 8.

Gerald's gaze seemed to freeze at this moment, and he thought he saw his own shadow.

There is no tradition in the world of football to retire a number, but all Liverpool fans have had a hard time accepting another number 8 for quite some time.

Gerald didn't have that thought in his mind.

So his mood is extremely complicated.

But when he saw that the new No. 8 position was further back than the new captain, his mood became a little strange.

Longshute ...... Do you really want to play at the back?

-

Liverpool's new No. 8 stands in front of the two central defenders, and the figure of 1.84 meters is not particularly tall, but people can't help but feel insurmountable.

Ronshette was joined by Brazilian Lucas at the back, while another Brazilian, Philippe Coutinho, played as a left wing-back (or in-cut left winger), with Jordan Henderson and James Milner standing side by side with Sturridge up front.

Although Rodgers wanted to use more of a three-centre-back system, he opted for the more cautious 4231 in the face of Stoke City, who had previously washed his own blood.

With the tactical level of Lonshette, the biggest weakness of this lineup is the right side, as a right midfielder, Milner does not have too good speed, whether it is dribbling or breaking, it seems clumsy, and the overall skill is far less flexible and delicate than Coutinho on the left, and the threat to Stoke City is naturally not great.

Behind Milner, although Klein, who served as a full-back, worked hard, he was not as strong as AC Milan's Abate, and could only rely on tireless running up and down to make up for the gap in strength, just like Ronshte when he first debuted......

And what about Longshute?

Former Liverpool outcast Charlie Adam is advancing with the ball in front of Ronshit, and the midfielder, who was once praised by Ferguson as "footwork is worth 10 million", has good footwork and is said to have the style of David Beckham.

Then he watched as he slowly flicked the ball in front of him, and then slowly picked up his left foot and took a side-by-pass pose......

Adam's left foot hadn't fallen yet, and the ball had disappeared without a trace, along with the red number 8 who had just defended in front of him!

-

This is the first time that Lonshette has broken the ball and counterattacked in the Premier League!

The Reds' No. 8 did not feel a sense of accomplishment as his opponent moved as slowly as he did in slow motion......

Stoke City also have an old rival in midfield, Dutchman Afelai, who has played for PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona, but he has only given Lonschert a background.

Maybe it's because there hasn't been an official game for too long, or maybe it's because he hasn't fully adapted to the position of the back midfielder, Long Shute's first reaction after breaking the ball is not to pass the ball, but to take the ball himself...... Kill the opponent's forbidden area!

Lucas and Henderson were directly overtaken by him, Coutinho, who was waiting on the left, also failed to receive the pass, and everyone watched a red figure drive straight along the middle, and the midfielders of the Hammers were left behind by him in the blink of an eye!

When Ronshette got up and shot before the Stoke City defenders, the Hammers players woke up!

It was as if they remembered it in an instant:

It's not what I'm facing

Unreasonable outbursts, unstoppable force, spinning footballs, and shots that go straight to the corner...... Stoke City's goalkeeper Butland has nothing to do!

Sky TV commentator Alan Smith stood up excitedly:

"After a year and fifty days, this green field is finally waiting for the comeback of the Chinese dragon! His first dribbling goal was a goal, and he proved his return with such a performance! ”

Zhan Tianjun, the commentator who returned to the Premier League, trembled slightly:

"415 days ago, the Chinese captain was leading the national team to his first World Cup, at that time he was in his prime, high-spirited, proud of the world, unstoppable, is the first person in world football for three consecutive years, even Ronaldo and Messi can only look at his back and shake his head and sigh.

But fate played a huge joke on him, even with the most advanced medical technology, shaking his head at the possibility of returning to the green field, and almost everyone thought that his football career was overshadowed at the peak of its prime.

But he was never the man who bowed to his fate, and the long wait was rewarded for a goal in the third minute of his debut.

Or a centimeter-accurate steal, or a speedy solo ride, or an eye-popping change of direction, or an antelope's horned shot to score......

He told the whole world in the most special way:

The dragon from the East is officially resurrected today! ”