Brendan Rodgers cited faith in young talent as one of the reasons for his Reading tenure ending in the sack after 23 games. Three years and one transformation later, he received vindication in front of the man who fired him, the Reading chairman, John Madejski, as 17-year-old Raheem Sterling gave Liverpool their first home win in the Premier League this season.
The Jamaican-born England prospect produced a fine first-half winner as Reading, for whom Jason Roberts appeared as a late substitute having refused to wear a 'Kick It Out' T-shirt before kick off, were left waiting for a first victory of the campaign. They rallied to cause a nervous finale, but Liverpool were worthy of maximum points.
There was an inevitability to Liverpool's lead – courtesy of the first senior goal of Sterling's career – with their patient, probing display the dominant feature of the opening period. Nevertheless, it was also timely because their half-hour struggle to punish a mediocre Reading team had threatened another trying afternoon at Anfield.
Liverpool were in control from the start. Reading offered nothing more than resistance, starting with an excellent tackle by Kaspars Gorkss inside his own area as Glen Johnson looked to capitalise on a return pass from the hugely influential Luis Suárez. With Fabio Borini out for three months with a fractured right foot and Andy Carroll resident at West Ham, where Rodgers appears inclined to leave him for the season, there is even greater responsibility on the Uruguay international to provide the cutting edge that Liverpool often lack. It should also be shared among his team-mates irrespective of problems up front, naturally, and, thankfully for Rodgers, Liverpool were inclined to agree.
Sterling and Johnson were a constant outlet down the left, the England international pushing forward at every opportunity and testing Alex McCarthy in the Reading goal. With better delivery, and luck, Sterling could have produced the breakthrough long before it arrived. The 17-year-old was on the receiving end of a ticking off from Suárez after cutting inside and trying to score instead of finding the better-placed striker. Shaun Cummings spared Reading with a desperate block on that occasion.
The Liverpool winger then hesitated over a cross when released down the left and ran the ball out of play with Suárez screaming for the pass, before – having learned the lesson – finding Nuri Sahin when put into an identical situation seconds later. The on-loan Real Madrid midfielder blazed over.
The Reading midfielder Jem Karacan was injured in a 50-50 challenge with Steven Gerrard and was eventually withdrawn, the visitors becoming more open as a consequence. Suárez sent an audacious chip just over from the edge of the box, created a clear opening for Sahin, who completely missed the ball under pressure from Jobi McAnuff, and was inevitably involved when the breakthrough finally came. A first-time flick over the defence enabled Sterling to beat Cummings for pace and, taking the shot early, he finished expertly into the far bottom corner. He is Liverpool's second-youngest goalscorer after Michael Owen.
The reception for Sterling's goal was matched only by the crowd's amusing reaction to a free-kick awarded in favour of Suárez just outside the Reading area. Initially there were ironic cheers as the referee, Roger East, punished Gorkss's challenge, but they soon grew, complete with standing ovation, for a rare call in Suárez's favour. And it wasn't even a foul.
Reading did not have an attempt on goal until the 41st minute, a woeful shot over by Mikele Leigertwood. Brad Jones was given a comfortable first Premier League start in Liverpool's goal in the absence of José Reina. The second half, however, provided a sterner test of the Australia international and more of a contest, as Reading finally displayed some adventure.
Substitute Gareth McCleary should have levelled early in the second half when he broke in behind Andre Wisdom, but he prodded a tame effort against the keeper's legs, much to his obvious disgust. McAnuff forced Jones into a decent save with a 20-yard drive and Jimmy Kébé's centre across the face of Liverpool's goal forced Jonjo Shelvey into a vital clearance. But Liverpool could easily have made the game safe counter-attacking an exposed defence. Suárez squandered two clear chances and was denied at close range by McCarthy. Gerrard's shot squirmed under the keeper, but wide of the far post, and – latching on to a fine cross from Suárez – Shelvey was caught in two minds whether to shoot or control. He achieved neither, the ball bouncing off his shins and to safety.
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