Liverpool avoided an early scare to come from behind to defeat Leicester City 3-1 at Anfield on Christmas Day.
There was a real risk that the final Premier League The Boxing Day match would not be played. A pea-soup haze typical of post-war London hung over Anfield like a Christmas guest unwilling to leave.
As poor as the visibility was, Andy Robertson couldn’t blame the adverse weather conditions when he lost his grip on Jordan Ayew in the build-up to Leicester’s surprise opener. The side under fire was turned the wrong way by Ayew’s crisp pivot which quickly slotted into the bottom corner amid the mist in the sixth minute.
This was a Leicester side languishing in the relegation zone, a Leicester side that had conceded 82 shots in their previous four games, a Leicester side that lost their talismanic striker. Jamie Vardy and the club’s player of the season so far, goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. However, it was the Premier League leaders who stayed ahead until first-half stoppage time.
When Ruud van Nistelrooy’s PSV Eindhoven defeated Arne Slot’s Feyenoord in the Eredivisie two years ago, Cody Gakpo had a hand in all four of the winners’ goals that day. The Dutch forward was decisive again, but for the other technician. Cutting in with his stronger right foot from the left flank, Gakpo bent the ball beyond LeicesterJakub Stolarczyk, the third choice goalkeeper, to bring the Reds together on the cusp of the break.
The second half was not even four minutes old when Curtis Jones fired Liverpool ahead. The scrutinized figures at Stockley Park took nearly as long to confirm the validity of a close-range touch that came at the end of a suffocating spell for the hosts. Liverpool’s central duo of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez were hiding in the Leicester penalty area, which was packed with six other red shirts, when Jones struck.
Liverpool from then on they strengthened the control of the competition. Leicester barely ventured out of their own half after the break, pressed to within an inch of their lives by the emboldened league leaders. Cody Gakpo had a second of the night ruled out by a three-minute VAR check, but Mohamed Salah invariably found the back of the net. Latching on to a pass from his Dutch colleague, Liverpool’s soon-to-be free agent stroked his current employers into a 3-1 lead in the 82nd minute.
Leicester’s last shot of the game came in the tenth minute. The struggling visitors ended the day in the relegation zone afterwards Wolves’ previous win over Manchester Unitedwhile Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points.
|
player |
Valuation |
|---|---|
|
GC: Alisson |
6.5/10 |
|
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold |
7.8/10 |
|
CB: Joe Gomez |
7.9/10 |
|
CB: Virgil van Dijk |
7.8/10 |
|
LB: Andy Robertson |
7.9/10 |
|
CM: Ryan Gravenberch |
7.1/10 |
|
CM: Alexis McAllister |
8.6/10 |
|
A.M.: Curtis Jones |
7.9/10 |
|
RW: Mohamed Salah |
8.6/10 |
|
ST: Darwin Nunez |
6.7/10 |
|
LW: Cody Steele |
8.8/10 |
|
SUB: Dominik Szoboszlai (78′ for Jones) |
5.9/10 |
|
SUB: Diogo Jota (78′ for Núñez) |
5.9/10 |
|
SUB: Kostas Tsimikas (86′ for Robertson) |
N/A |
|
SUB: Wataru Endo (87′ for Gravenberch) |
N/A |
|
SUB: Harvey Elliott (92′ for Salah) |
N/A |
Subs not used: Caoimhin Kelleher (GK), Jarell Quansah, Federico Chiesa, Luis Díaz.
|
player |
Valuation |
|---|---|
|
GC: Jakub Stolarczyk |
6.3/10 |
|
RB: James Justin |
6.1/10 |
|
CB: Conor Coady |
5.8/10 |
|
CB: Jannik Vestergaard |
6.2/10 |
|
LB: Victor Kristiansen |
5.6/10 |
|
CM: Harry winks |
5.8/10 |
|
CM: Boubakary Soumare |
5.5/10 |
|
A.M.: Bilal El Khanous |
6.1/10 |
|
RW: Jordan Ayew |
7.9/10 |
|
ST: Patson Daka |
6.1/10 |
|
LW: Stephy Mavididi |
7.2/10 |
|
SUB: Facundo Buonanotte (64′ for El Khanous) |
5.6/10 |
|
SUB: Oliver Skipp (65′ for Winks) |
6.2/10 |
|
SUB: Bobby De Cordova-Reid (87′ for Mavididi) |
N/A |
|
SUB: Memeh Caleb Okoli (95′ for Coady) |
N/A |
Subs not used: Daniel Iversen (GK), Hamza Choudhury, Luke Thomas, Will Alves, Odsonne Edouard.
Man of the Match – Cody Gakpo (Liverpool)
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2024-12-26 22:00:00
