Premier League: Liverpool 3 (Gakpo 45, Jones 49, Salah 82) Leicester City 1 (Ayew 6)
Liverpool have kicked off at 8pm on a St Stephen’s Day twice in their history. The first time was in 2019, when Jürgen Klopp’s team demolished Leicester en route to winning the Premier League title with ease. The second time ended with another convincing defeat of the Foxes. That may not be the only repeat.
Arne Slot’s soaring leaders moved seven points clear of their closest challengers for the title, with a game in hand, courtesy of a controlled comeback against Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side. Leicester took a shock early lead through Jordan Ayew and, while Liverpool never hit the heights of their 2019 performance at the King Power Stadium, goals from Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah’s 19th of the season ensured the outcome remained the same.
Anfield was shrouded in fog for the night-time kickoff but, for Liverpool, there was an opportunity to put daylight between themselves and Chelsea following a perfect set of results elsewhere.
The league leaders’ prospects appeared healthy against a Leicester team that had been soundly beaten in their previous two fixtures and had a Premier League debutant in goal. Jakub Stolarczyk replaced Danny Ward as a result of the merciless barracking the Wales goalkeeper received from his own supporters in Leicester’s 3-0 defeat by Wolves on Sunday.
“It’s not ideal,” admitted Van Nistelrooy before kickoff. “But the circumstances with Wardy were intense, we all felt it, and it puts you in a position where you have to make decisions.”
The Leicester manager’s decision paid early dividends as Stolarczyk and his struggling visitors tormented Liverpool until first-half stoppage time. The Polish keeper produced a fine double save to deny Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones from Liverpool’s first meaningful attack. Trent Alexander-Arnold switched play superbly to Gakpo on the left, and his driven cross found Salah arriving unmarked at the back post. Stolarczyk denied Liverpool’s leading goalscorer from close range before flicking the ball away from Jones’ toes when the midfielder attempted to pounce on the rebound.
A temporary let-off assumed more significance two minutes later when Leicester took the lead via a clinical counterattack. The impressive Bilal El Khannouss, a tireless and creative force, released Stephy Mavididi in space down the left. Mavididi’s low cross somehow found its way across the Liverpool penalty area to the feet of Jordan Ayew, who turned Andy Robertson with ease before finding the bottom corner of Alisson’s net.Ayew’s shot took a slight deflection off the heel of Virgil van Dijk en route. Leicester’s sizeable and delirious travelling contingent could not have cared less.
Cue the inevitable Liverpool response, albeit one disrupted by too many errant passes, careless touches and overhit deliveries. Mavididi could have had a second assist after Victor Kristiansen intercepted a loose cross-field ball from Darwin Núñez. Patson Daka sprinted into a gaping hole in the centre of Liverpool’s defence but this time Mavididi misplaced his pass and Liverpool escaped.
Robertson almost teed up Gakpo with a magnificent ball over the Leicester rearguard but the Netherlands international was flagged offside. Salah saw a shot loop off Kristiansen and just over the crossbar after a poor clearance by Stolarczyk gifted possession to Robertson. From the resulting corner, Alexander-Arnold crossed at the second attempt and the Scotland captain steered a header against a post. The ball rebounded against the Leicester keeper and rolled out.
Salah, having volleyed another inviting Gakpo delivery across goal, also struck the woodwork when Harry Winks lost possession deep in the Liverpool half and the hosts countered incisively. The Egypt international cut inside on to his trusty left foot and curled a shot against the bar.
Frustration was mounting, not least when only two minutes were added to the end of the first half. It proved long enough. Receiving an Alexis Mac Allister pass on the corner of the penalty box, Gakpo swept across James Justin and curled an unstoppable shot inside Stolarczyk’s left-hand post. It was the forward’s 10th goal of the season and lifted the tension, though not the fog.
Liverpool were immediately in control after the restart. Núñez fired over when Ryan Gravenberch pulled the ball back from the byline. Mac Allister found himself in a similar position to his midfield partner following a flowing one-touch move involving Jones and Salah. The Argentina international fired low across the six-yard box and Jones was perfectly placed to convert. A lengthy wait ensued as VAR checked for a possible offside against Salah earlier in the buildup. There was a second tedious break in play when VAR took an age to determine that Núñez was offside prior to Gakpo rifling home what would have been Liverpool’s third.
Núñez could have made it three himself before Gakpo’s disallowed effort but Stolarczyk made a fine reaction save from the striker’s first time shot. Daka should have at least tested Alisson when Mavididi broke and delivered another pinpoint cross from the left. The Leicester forward got in front of his marker but swiped at thin air.
Salah banished any prospect of a Leicester fightback – a slim prospect admittedly – with a brilliant trademark finish. Gakpo’s lofted pass found the striker in space on the right. Only Salah spotted the possibility of sealing victory as he advanced on Kristiansen. Having surveyed the options, he swept a superb shot between the Leicester left-back and Jannik Vestergaard into the far, bottom corner. Salah, and Liverpool, look unstoppable. - Guardian
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
