In one of the more convincing league displays all season by the Champions of England, Jurgen Klopp’s men ran out comfortable 3-0 winners over Leicester City on Sunday, as a Mohammad Salah-less attacking line was quite apt in their abilities to trouble the Foxes defence over the course of 90 minutes at Anfield.
An own goal from Leicester City centre-back Johnny Evans was followed up by strikes from Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino on either side of the half to seal all three points for Liverpool FC and putting the Merseysiders back to joint first in the Premier League standings.
TEAM NEWS
As seven first-team regulars sat out the weekend showdown at Anfield, Klopp had to make a number of major changes in his XI to take on the Foxes, but to the Liverpool FC boss’s delight, Fabinho returned to the centre-back spot alongside Joel Matip following a month-long layoff.
Curtis Jones stepped in for the injured Jordan Henderson in the midfield three, as did Naby Keita and Gini Wijnaldum, the latter of whom was making his 200th Liverpool FC appearance.
MATCH PROCEEDINGS
As club football returned for the Reds fanbase after a two-week international break, it was much to the delight of the Liverpool FC supporters to see their side dominate the early proceedings at Anfield.
Sadio Mane was the first to get a clear chance to open the scoring for the hosts, however, his glancing header off a James Milner corner delivery could only rattle the side-netting.
An in-form Diogo Jota looked dangerous all throughout the game, and the 23-year-old’s blasting effort from outside the box needed a deftly diving save from Leicester City No.1 Kasper Schmeichel to keep the scoreline level.
However, Schmeichel was helpless to prevent the Reds from going ahead when his own teammate Johnny Evans managed to head the ball into the back of the Foxes goal as a result of yet another great corner kick routine from Milner.
The visitors got a chance to trouble Alisson Becker on the other end of the pitch immediately after going behind. but Harvey Barnes sliced the ball wide despite being set up in a perfect fashion by Jamie Vardy.
Set-pieces were seemingly doing the trick for Klopp’s side, and this time it was Roberto Firmino who got extremely close to doubling the Liverpool FC lead after Joel Matip managed to keep the attack alive by heading the ball back across the goal.
Liverpool FC’s tight hold on the game was finally awarded as Andy Robertson’s brilliant ball into the centre of the box was headed past Schmeichel by the lurking Diogo Jota.
Going into the start of the closing 45 minutes, it looked clear that it was the hosts who had managed to tharwt the challenge often posed to teams by Brendan Rodger’s men since the turn of the season.
Post the second-half whistle, a number of moments did seemingly affect the Reds’ fortunes on the pitch but did little to defy Jurgen Klopp’s side from going on the up when on the attacking side of the pitch.
First, it was Naby Keita who was taken off the pitch, as the Reds No.8 pulled up with a potential injury, and Klopp wasted no time in bring on the young Neco Williams as Keita’s withdrawal was clarified as a mere precaution post-match.
Both Jota and Firmino came tantalisingly close to put their side three ahead, but luck favoured the Foxes on both occasions, and the Reds were left searching for a third goal to add on the scoresheet before the final whistle was blown.
And it was Firmino, who has come under fire very so often this season for lack of his goalscoring returns in recent times, who headed a Milner corner delivery into the bottom corner.
Sunday’s win was a landmark one for the Anfield outfit, as Klopp’s men stretched on their unbeaten home run to 64, breaking a club record in the process.
