Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson insists that the club are motivated by the fact they return to the scene of their 6-1 hammering by Stoke for their first game of the 2015-16 season.
Henderson, 25, was part of the side that capitulated on the final day of last season when Mark Hughes' side humiliated the Reds at the Britannia Stadium.
However, Liverpool have made seven new signings this summer and Henderson maintains that he and his teammates are not afraid of returning to Stoke less than two months after their defeat.
"That is the way you have got to look at it," Henderson said in The Times. "There couldn't be a better place for us to start and put what happened there last season to bed. It doesn't matter what happened last season now.
"They are a good team but so are we. We will be stronger with the new players that we have got. We are a young team, but we have brought in quality.
"We have been performing well during preseason and have got great quality in the team. We have got togetherness and we need that going away to Stoke.
"The fitness levels are good but we have got to be ready mentally. We know what to expect. They are a good team. We know what happened in May but this is a new season, we have got new players and we will go there with a lot of belief that we can get a good result."
Henderson takes on an even more important role this season, having succeeded club legend Steven Gerrard as captain. But the England international is sure that he won't need to motivate the players who were there that day.
"You can do that," Henderson said. "But the lads who were playing that day will remember it for quite some time. It was a horrible day for everyone involved.
"We have a determination to do better, to improve as a team. We just want to focus on the positives and move forward. I think the quality we have added will make a big difference."