Liverpool have kicked off at 8pm on a Boxing Day twice of their historical past. The primary time was in 2019, when Jürgen Klopp’s staff demolished Leicester en path to successful the Premier League title with ease. The second time ended with one other convincing defeat of the Foxes. That is probably not the one repeat.
Arne Slot’s hovering leaders moved seven factors away from their closest challengers for the title, with a recreation in hand, courtesy of a managed comeback towards Ruud van Nistelrooy’s facet. Leicester took a shock early lead via Jordan Ayew and, whereas Liverpool by no means hit the heights of their 2019 efficiency on the King Energy Stadium, objectives from Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah’s nineteenth of the season ensured the result remained the identical.
Anfield was shrouded in fog for the night-time kick-off however for Liverpool there was a chance to place daylight between themselves and Chelsea after an ideal set of outcomes elsewhere on Boxing Day.
The league leaders’ prospects appeared wholesome towards a Leicester staff that had been soundly crushed of their earlier two fixtures and had a Premier League debutant in objective. Jakub Stolarczyk changed Danny Ward on account of the cruel barracking the Wales goalkeeper acquired from his personal supporters in Leicester’s 3-0 defeat by Wolves on Sunday.
“It’s not best,” admitted Van Nistelrooy beforehand. “However the circumstances with Wardy have been intense, all of us felt it, and it places you able the place it’s a must to make selections.”
The Leicester supervisor’s determination paid early dividends as Stolarczyk and his struggling guests tormented Liverpool till first-half stoppage time. The Polish keeper produced a superb double save to disclaim Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones from Liverpool’s first significant assault. Trent Alexander-Arnold switched play beautifully to Gakpo on the left, and his pushed cross discovered Salah arriving unmarked on the again put up. Stolarczyk denied Liverpool’s main goalscorer from shut vary earlier than flicking the ball away from Jones’ toes when the midfielder tried to pounce on the rebound.
A short lived let-off assumed extra significance two minutes later when Leicester took the lead by way of a medical counterattack. The spectacular Bilal El Khannouss, a tireless and artistic pressure, launched Stephy Mavididi in house down the left. Mavididi’s low cross someway discovered its method throughout the Liverpool penalty space to the toes of Jordan Ayew, who turned Andy Robertson with ease earlier than discovering the underside nook of Alisson’s web.
Ayew’s shot took a slight deflection off the heel of Virgil van Dijk en route. Leicester’s sizeable and delirious travelling contingent couldn’t have cared much less.
Cue the inevitable Liverpool response, albeit one disrupted by too many errant passes, careless touches and overhit deliveries. Mavididi might have had a second help after Victor Kristiansen intercepted a unfastened cross-field ball from Darwin Núñez. Patson Daka sprinted right into a gaping gap within the centre of Liverpool’s defence however this time Mavididi misplaced his move and Liverpool escaped.
Robertson nearly teed up Gakpo with an impressive ball over the Leicester rearguard however the Netherlands worldwide was flagged offside. Salah noticed a shot loop off Kristiansen and simply over the crossbar after a poor clearance by Stolarczyk gifted possession to Robertson. From the ensuing nook, Alexander-Arnold crossed on the second try and the Scotland captain’s header struck a put up. The ball rebounded towards the Leicester keeper and rolled out.
Salah, having volleyed one other inviting Gakpo supply throughout objective, additionally struck the woodwork when Harry Winks misplaced possession deep within the Liverpool half and the hosts countered incisively. The Egypt worldwide minimize inside on to his trusty left foot and curled a shot towards the bar.
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Frustration was mounting, not least when solely two minutes have been added to the top of the primary half. It proved lengthy sufficient. Receiving an Alexis Mac Allister move on the nook of the penalty space, Gakpo swept throughout James Justin and curled an unstoppable shot inside Stolarczyk’s left put up. It was the ahead’s tenth objective of the season and lifted the stress, although not the fog.
Cody Gakpo curls in a chic equaliser for Liverpool towards Leicester. {Photograph}: David Klein/Reuters
Liverpool have been instantly in management after the restart. Núñez fired over when Ryan Gravenberch pulled the ball again from the byline. Mac Allister discovered himself in an identical place to his midfield accomplice after a flowing one-touch transfer involving Jones and Salah. The Argentina midfielder fired low throughout the six-yard field and Jones was completely positioned to transform. A prolonged wait ensued because the video assistant referee checked for a potential offside towards Salah earlier within the buildup. There was a second tedious break in play when VAR took an age to find out that Núñez was offside earlier than Gakpo rifled residence what would have been Liverpool’s third.
Núñez might have made it three himself earlier than Gakpo’s disallowed effort however Stolarczyk made a superb response save from the striker’s first-time shot. Daka ought to have at the least examined Alisson when Mavididi broke and delivered one other pinpoint cross from the left. The Leicester ahead acquired in entrance of his marker however swiped at skinny air.
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Salah banished any prospect of a Leicester fightback – a slim prospect admittedly – with an excellent trademark end. Gakpo’s lofted move discovered the striker in house on the proper. Solely Salah noticed the opportunity of sealing victory as he superior on Kristiansen. Having surveyed the choices, he swept an outstanding shot between the Leicester left-back and Jannik Vestergaard into the far, backside nook. Salah, and Liverpool, look unstoppable.
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