Liverpool avoided an early scare to come from behind and defeat Leicester City 3-1 at Anfield on Boxing Day.
There was a real risk that the final Premier League fixture on Boxing Day would not be played. A pea soup fog befitting post-war London loomed over Anfield like a Christmas guest who wouldn’t leave.
As poor as the visibility was, Andy Robertson couldn’t blame the adverse weather conditions when losing grip of Jordan Ayew in the buildup to Leicester’s unexpected opener. The under-fire full-back was left spinning the wrong way by a crisp pivot from Ayew who promptly picked out the bottom corner amid the mist in the sixth minute.
This was a Leicester side languishing in the relegation zone, a Leicester side which had conceded 82 shots across their previous four matches, a Leicester side missing their talismanic forward Jamie Vardy and the club’s player of the season thus far, goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. Yet, it was the Premier League leaders who trailed 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 goals for the victors that day. The Dutch forward proved decisive again – but for the other manager. Cutting onto his stronger right foot from the left flank, Gakpo bent the ball beyond Leicester’s third-choice goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk to haul the Reds level on the cusp of half time.
The second half was not even four minutes old by the time Curtis Jones fired Liverpool in front. It took almost as long for the scrutinised figures at Stockley Park to confirm the validity of a close-range tap-in which came at the end of a suffocating spell from the hosts. Liverpool’s centre-back duo of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez were both skulking on the of Leicester’s penalty box – which was stuffed with six other red shirts – when Jones struck.
Liverpool tightened their grip on the contest thereafter. Leicester scarcely ventured out of their own half after the interval, pressed to within an inch of their life by the emboldened league leaders. Cody Gakpo had a second of the evening ruled out by a three-minute VAR check, but Mohamed Salah invariably found 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 match was in the tenth minute. The struggling visitors finished the day in the relegation zone after Wolves’ earlier victory over Manchester United, while Liverpool extended their lead at the Premier League summit to a yawning seven points.
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
|
Player |
Rating |
|---|---|
|
GK: 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 Mac Allister |
8.6/10 |
|
AM: Curtis Jones |
7.9/10 |
|
RW: Mohamed Salah |
8.6/10 |
|
ST: Darwin Nunez |
6.7/10 |
|
LW: Cody Gakpo |
8.8/10 |
|
SUB: Dominik Szoboszlai (78′ for Jones) |
5.9/10 |
|
SUB: Diogo Jota (78′ for Nunez) |
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 Diaz.
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
|
Player |
Rating |
|---|---|
|
GK: 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 |
|
AM: Bilal El Khannous |
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 Khannous) |
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.