Liverpool storm by the Foxes… Report by Simon Mack

Leicester City 0 – 4 Liverpool

26^th December 2019 8pm

King Power Stadium

Liverpool confirmed their status as ‘champions elect’ for the season with a resounding victory against a lacklustre Leicester City.

Brendan Rodgers made one change from the side that lost at the Etihad at the weekend with Dennis Praet coming in for Ayonze Perez and the starting eleven exactly mirrored the side that so narrowly lost to the reds at Anfield in October.

From the first whistle Liverpool where the only side that looked a threat in this match that was billed as the mammoth clash of the top two sides in the league, and as the foxes brought pressure on themselves with repetitive defensive mistakes Liverpool had early opportunities to take the lead with Trent Alexander-Arnold getting in behind the city defence and Sadio Mane missing a chance just in front of the Leicester goal that he should have done better with.

Whilst the visitors looked ruthless in their execution of their game plan Leicester looked nervous and tentative in their approach and Liverpool had the lion’s share of the possession and creative play as a result, and around the 10’ mark Mo Salah rounded an outrushing Kasper Schmeichel in the foxes goal but  blasted his shot into the side netting.

The pressure was heaping onto the city back line and the majority of this game’s existence was within the Leicester defensive 3^rd of the pitch. When attacking opportunities for the reds did break down the foxes were persistent in playing the ball out from the back and on more occasions that I can recall the strategy ended up with Liverpool being gifted the ball back well into the city half and the pressure being exerted once again back onto the foxes defensive numbers.

On the half hour the deadlock was broken when Roberto Firmino nodded home from a stunning cross from man of the match Trent Alexander-Arnold to give the reds the lead.

Into the second half with just one goal separating the sides despite Liverpool’s dominance of play no changes were made by foxes boss Brendan Rodgers and the game kicked off and continued in almost exactly the same vain as had been on display in the 1^st period. As the hosts pressed onto the city back line time and time again it seemed as if Leicester could not find a way to get a foothold in the game and that it was only a matter of time before the visitors increased their lead.

Marc Albrighton was introduced to the game in the place of Harvey Barnes just before the hour but like his team mates to that point struggled to get anything going in the city cause and 10 minutes later the visitors were awarded a penalty after the ball made contact with Caglar Soyunchu’s arm having taken a deflection from another high quality Alexander-Arnold corner. James Milner (who had only been on the pitch a matter of seconds) stepped up and tapped the ball into the back of the net to double Liverpool’s lead and put the result beyond any doubt.

The foxes reminded me on the night of a side almost infected with the flu? ‘Off colour’ seemed to be the nature of the home side’s performance and despite Ricardo’s ever passionate efforts to drive opportunity from the right the city moves just kept breaking down in the face of the Liverpool onslaught, and another Firminho goal was crowned by a rasping drive from Trent Alexander-Arnold to make the final score 4-0 to the top of the table side who remain unbeaten this season and have only dropped 2 points this entire term.

For Liverpool there will be no talk of the title yet despite their 13 point lead at the top. Jurgen Klopp  has been hugely vocal is his detest for the Christmas fixture scheduling and he alluded post-match to the challenge ahead of his side as his squad continues to pick up knocks and bumps including in tonight’s game as sub Ayonze Perez’s challenge caused red’s captain Jordan Henderson to withdraw with ice on his calf.

For Leicester the two massive festive match ups against the recent giants of this league had ultimately both ended in defeat and a learning & healing process for the city boys. Post-match Kasper Schmeichel was fast to point to the inspiration that the two games had given the Leicester squad to aspire to perform to their level. Brendan Rodgers went on to congratulate Liverpool and point to some flashes of more positive play for city in the second half. In truth the foxes never managed to build a passage of attacking play that ever looked like a dangerous opportunity on goal and some of the Leicester players looked ‘gassed’ from the 1^st whistle including a lost looking James Maddison on the night who appeared to be toiling with a wider role that put him all too often in the firing line of Alexander-Arnold who was simply sensational on the night.

Despite the disappointment my mind can’t help casting itself back to the summer and our hopes of a top 6 finish this season and even though the last three league performances have not been up to the exceptional displays we’ve seen of late Leicester City still lie 2^nd in the table with a 10 point cushion over Tottenham in 5^th and a cup semi-final berth for their season’s hard work to boot. At the start of the season I for one would have been absolutely delighted with that, and as we head into 2020 in spite of the ‘learning’s’ from the past few league games what a cracking platform our lads have built to go on to ensure European football is played at King Power Stadium next season.

watch the match highlights here…!