Liverpool prolonged their lead on the prime of the Premier League to seven factors as they got here from behind to beat Leicester Metropolis 3-1 at Anfield on Thursday night.
The Foxes, who began the sport within the relegation zone, put in a battling efficiency that started with Jordan Ayew firing them into an early lead.
Nonetheless, targets from Cody Gakpo and Curtis Jones both facet of half-time turned the match on its head earlier than Mohamed Salah wrapped it up late on, making certain the Reds capitalised on Chelsea’s slip-up in opposition to Fulham earlier on Boxing Day.
How the sport unfolded
Liverpool appeared to sign their intent when Salah pressured a save with a close-range volley simply seconds from the primary whistle. Nevertheless it was Leicester who took the lead six minutes in, Ayew turning sharply to complete contained in the field after nice work from Stephy Mavididi down the left-hand facet.
Inevitably, the hosts responded by piling on the strain, however they had been creating valuable little from a string of crosses into the field, with an Andy Robertson header off the put up the closest they got here.
Leicester, in the meantime, regarded energetic on the break, and got here inside a Virgil van Dijk toenail of enjoying in Patson Daka for an opportunity to make it 2-0.
Sadly for the Foxes, the strain started to crank up as half-time neared, with Salah cracking a shot off the bar from contained in the field. And Liverpool had been stage shortly after, Gakpo directing dwelling a trademark roller after chopping in off the left.
The Reds subsequently picked up the place the left off after the break, with Darwin Nunez lacking a golden probability in smashing a Ryan Gravenberch cutback over the bar. However they had been forward from an analogous transfer moments later, Jones side-footing in from a Mac Allister cutback after a well-worked transfer down the hosts’ right-hand facet.
To their credit score, Leicester saved at it, and they might have been stage had Daka not utterly miscued a left-footed try from a cross after a fast break. In the meantime, Liverpool‘s anticipate a purpose that may settle the sport was prolonged when a Gakpo strike was dominated out after a prolonged VAR verify for an offside within the build-up.
However they got respiratory house within the closing ten minutes as Salah curled a low end in on the far put up after dribbling into the realm.
Take a look at the participant rankings for Liverpool vs Leicester Metropolis right here.
Having conceded eight targets throughout their final three video games, Liverpool may need checked out this conflict with Leicester as an opportunity to point out that they don’t seem to be fairly as porous as they’ve regarded of late. As a substitute, Alisson Becker was selecting the ball out of his personal web with simply six minutes on the clock in opposition to a crew mired within the relegation zone.
The Reds have now posted one clear sheet of their final six outings (in opposition to Girona), and lack the solidity that characterised their sturdy begin to this season. Maybe the imminent return of Ibrahima Konate will assist, however Arne Slot might be determined to discover a resolution both means.
Jurgen Klopp went so far as to apologise to Cody Gakpo final season for hurting his kind by making an excessive amount of use of his positional versatility. After the Dutchman made it eight targets in his final 12 appearances in a favoured left-wing place by scoring in opposition to Leicester, you’ll be able to see the previous Reds boss had some extent.
Gakpo appears to be like a participant reborn this season and his type of late means he could even have edged forward of Luis Diaz within the pecking order on that wing. It’s definitely a variety headache that Slot will welcome.
After ‘new supervisor bounce’ gave strategy to heavy defeats in opposition to Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leicester followers had each cause to concern this journey to Anfield.
As a substitute, they may certainly be inspired by a disciplined, hard-working efficiency that on one other day may have earned no less than a share of the factors. If the Foxes proceed to point out this stage of togetherness going ahead, then they may no less than give themselves an opportunity of selecting up additional wins.
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