The 1-0 win over Stoke on Saturday was an improvement to the 3-0 loss to West Brom on the opening day of last season and the Reds boss says it is a reflection of the squad’s mood

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes their is a distinctly different mood in the Anfield dressing room this season.

The Northern Irishman says there was a positive atmosphere within the squad ahead of their opening-day 1-0 win over Stoke, which is in contrast to last season when they suffered a 3-0 loss to West Brom.

And Rodgers is keen for the momentum to continue, with Arsenal’s conquerors, Aston Villa, up next followed by the visit of Manchester United on September 1.

“I remember last year and people saying to me ‘should we be losing 3-0 to West Brom?’ They were absolutely right,” Rodgers told the club’s official website.

“But we’ve got better and better as we’ve gone on. It’s a big job here.

“But I just got the feeling in the dressing room beforehand, when the players were getting together, some of our staff were saying that it just feels different this year.

“There’s a camaraderie and a togetherness there. Long may it continue.

“We haven’t won the World Cup, it’s a game of football. But the lads are happy, they’ve done their job. They knew this was a big three points.”

The England international missed most of the Reds’ pre-season preparations though injury, but returned in time to score the only goal in a 1-0 win over Stoke City

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has praised Daniel Sturridge’s mental strength in ensuring he was fit for the start of the season.

Sturridge struck the only goal of the game in Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Stoke City at Anfield as Liverpool began the Premier League campaign with an encouraging performance.

An ankle injury sustained while on international duty with England back in May had threatened to leave the striker unavailable to Rodgers for the opening month of the season.

The 23-year-old, though, battled back to full fitness ahead of schedule and Rodgers thinks the January signing from Chelsea is in excellent shape due to his commitment and attitude.

“I think the biggest credit you can give him is that in all the time he was off, he never put on any weight whatsoever,” said Rodgers.

“His body fat remained the same as when he was playing, which shows you how hard he was working.

“And I have to give credit to the medical team, because they’ve got to make sacrifices as well.

“Daniel was keen to get himself right, so he was ready to fire at the beginning of the season.

“For a bit of time it was touch and go, but once we saw his progress and how he was working, he was back probably three weeks earlier than what we anticipated, purely because of his attitude.

“I always believe he’s got a goal in him.

“That’s why we took him here. As long as he’s on the field, he can end up being one of the top goalscorers in this league.”

The Belgium goalkeeper, signed from Sunderland, saved a penalty in the final moments against Stoke City to ensure that the Reds took all three points from their opening game

Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has described his Anfield debut as a “dream” following his dramatic penalty save in the final minutes to ensure an opening day victory against Stoke City.

The Reds dominated for much of the game but had only a one-goal advantage, obtained by Daniel Sturridge, to show for it when the 25-year-old kept out Jonathan Walters’s penalty and he was thrilled to avoid a late-game slump.

“There is an unwritten law in football that, if you play well and don’t take your chances, there will be chances for the ­opposition,” the Belgian told reporters after the game.

“I was thinking that, the longer the game went on. I had a feeling they would equalise in the last minute, really.

“It was the debut that you dream of. I had hoped to do something like that but you never really think you will. Saving a penalty in the last minute, on your first game for Liverpool…

“It can have a damaging effect if you play well and don’t win,” Mignolet added. “We can now go to the next game being relaxed that we can do the same things we have done, rather than feeling anxious that we have to win.

“It does change things. This time we won and that hasn’t happened too often for Liverpool on the opening day of the season in recent years. This is very important to set our season off.”