Leicester City 1-2 Liverpool
Liverpool’s impenetrable defence has finally cracked, and it’s the man in between the sticks that gets the flak from the entire Premier League!
Liverpool still reign supreme at the top of the table as they easily cruised past a scrappy Leicester squad. The Reds’ superb attacking unit produced two goals that ensured their status at the top of the Premier League pyramid. Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino’s superb dominance from open play is a joy to watch for any neutral fan. Moreover, the defence made life more than difficult for Leicester’s own attackers to try and even out the score.
Unfortunately for them, they had to take a dink on their otherwise impenetrable defence after Alisson Becker did was can simply be considered as a straight-up blunder. If it weren’t for that, a lot of Leicester vs Liverpool predictions would have been correct.
Highlights of the game
The first half started with Liverpool immediately making their presence felt on the pitch. The Reds were inspired to keep their attacking streak going, and there were two close chances that almost got them ahead within the game’s first ten minutes.
Roberto Firmino fired a fine low drive from the edge of the box. Leicester and Denmark hero Kasper Schmeichel, who will likely play the rest of his professional career with the Foxes after signing a five-year extension, had to pull off a great save in the fourth minute. Mohamed Salah almost added to his tally the next minute, but his shot went narrowly wide.
Liverpool fans who took the A50 to see the Reds play didn’t have to wait long to see their club score. Andrew Robertson perfectly set Sadio Mane up for an easy shot in the middle of the Leicester danger zone. The Senegalese ace had all the time he needed and slotted the ball past the Leicester keeper to open Liverpool’s account.
Leicester then began to up the ante in order to get the game back on level ground. While Liverpool were still threatening to score at any moment, the Foxes did well in making sure that they will make the Liverpool defenders work hard on securing their lead. Young winger Demarai Gray had a chance when he controlled a pass at the edge of the box, but his shot barely bothered Alisson.
It seemed like Claude Puel would need to pep-talk his team into possibly winning the game in the second half. However, Roberto Firmino had other plans. In the 45th minute, Roberto Firmino was positioned in the right spot to meet the corner and head the ball past the keeper.
The Foxes started the second half with a desperate need to cut down on the lead Liverpool have built on their home. James Maddison showed his class as his shots and crosses managed to bother the defence.
Leicester finally had their goal in the 63rd minute, but the way they got on the board is bizarre and hilarious. Virgil van Dijk had to pass the ball back to Alisson due to Leicester’s high pressing. However, he tried to control the ball with his foot and pull off a Cruyff turn against KElechi Iheanacho. The former City striker strong-footed the ball out of the poorly positioned keeper. He made a pass to Maddison, who immediately gifted the ball to the more open Rachid Ghezzal to score.
The blunder gave birth to a myriad of reactions online, with some openly jeering at the former Roma stopper. However, that would be the last goal the Reds would concede as they managed to weather Leicester’s attacks and leave the King Power Stadium as 2-1 winners.
Key Statistics
Sure, Liverpool finally conceded a goal. Sure, the way they lost it will be the main draw of many Premier League 2018 news sites. However, their dominance on the attacking front proved the pre-match analysis made by many pundits: Liverpool are still the team to beat in the Premier League.
While Alisson’s error just makes you shake your head, but he did make four saves. He could have also saved Leicester’s goal if the action was just a tad bit slower.
The Reds also made the most out of their attacking chances. While they didn’t have as much goal attempts and shots on target as the Foxes, the quality of their strikers managed to help the Reds secure three points. Their attacks also forced the Foxes to commit hard fouls and incur three yellow cards.
What’s next?
SBOBET tips will be exciting for Liverpool’s next game because they will be Wembley-bound to square off against Tottenham Hotspur! Harry Kane and company are just as dangerous a team as they are, and the results of this match could dictate how the league will look like come May. Jurgen Klopp will definitely make sure that all of his top players are ready to play.
Meanwhile, Leicester head to the beautiful south coast to play AFC Bournemouth. The Cherries have become a tough team to play against, and Puel better sets things straight with his Foxes and plan carefully against Eddie Howe’s exciting Cherries.
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