Liverpool's preparation for the new season began perfectly with a 4-0 victory away to Preston North End to win the Shankly Shield.The friendly was arranged to celebrate the impact that Bill Shankly made on both teams, as a player at Preston and as the legendary manager at Liverpool in the year that he would have celebrated his 100th birthday.
Liverpool gave starting debuts to Simon Mignolet and Kolo Toure in a side of youth and experience but it was the youth that shone the brighter early on as Coutinho forced former red John Welsh to concede a penalty and the Brazilian stepped up to cooly slot home to open the scoring.
The lead doubled in the 36th minute via a superb long range strike from Jordon Ibe who notched his first goal for the club and Liverpool went into the break with a 2-0 lead.
The second half saw Luis Alberto and Iago Aspas make their debuts as part of ten changes which meant only Mignolet would play in both halves.Aspas was influential in Liverpool's third in the 64th minute through fit again Raheem Sterling who linked with Aspas before sliding the ball home for a well taken goal.
Aspas was rewarded for his earlier assist with the fourth and final goal of the afternoon in the 74th minute with a sweet strike from 25 yards which looped in and capped a good performance for Liverpool.
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