Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points as they came from behind to beat Leicester City 3-1 at Anfield on Thursday evening.
The Foxes, who started the game in the relegation zone, put in a battling performance that began with Jordan Ayew firing them into an early lead.
However, goals from Cody Gakpo and Curtis Jones either side of half-time turned the match on its head before Mohamed Salah wrapped it up late on, ensuring the Reds capitalised on Chelsea’s slip-up against Fulham earlier on Boxing Day.
How the game unfolded
Liverpool seemed to signal their intent when Salah forced a save with a close-range volley just seconds from the first whistle. But it was Leicester who took the lead six minutes in, Ayew turning sharply to finish inside the box after great work from Stephy Mavididi down the left-hand side.
Inevitably, the hosts responded by piling on the pressure, but they were creating precious little from a string of crosses into the box, with an Andy Robertson header off the post the closest they came.
Leicester, meanwhile, looked lively on the break, and came within a Virgil van Dijk toenail of playing in Patson Daka for a chance to make it 2-0.
Unfortunately for the Foxes, the pressure began to crank up as half-time neared, with Salah cracking a shot off the bar from inside the box. And Liverpool were level shortly after, Gakpo directing home a trademark curler after cutting in off the left.
The Reds subsequently picked up where the left off after the break, with Darwin Nunez missing a golden chance in smashing a Ryan Gravenberch cutback over the bar. But they were ahead from a similar move moments later, Jones side-footing in from a Mac Allister cutback after a well-worked move down the hosts’ right-hand side.
To their credit, Leicester kept at it, and they would have been level had Daka not completely miscued a left-footed attempt from a cross after a quick break. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s wait for a goal that would settle the game was extended when a Gakpo strike was ruled out after a lengthy VAR check for an offside in the build-up.
But they were given breathing space in the final ten minutes as Salah curled a low finish in at the far post after dribbling into the area.
Check out the player ratings for Liverpool vs Leicester City here.
Having conceded eight goals across their last three games, Liverpool might have looked at this clash with Leicester as a chance to show that they aren’t quite as porous as they have looked of late. Instead, Alisson Becker was picking the ball out of his own net with just six minutes on the clock against a team mired in the relegation zone.
The Reds have now posted one clean sheet in their last six outings (against Girona), and lack the solidity that characterised their strong start to this season. Perhaps the imminent return of Ibrahima Konate will help, but Arne Slot will be desperate to find a solution either way.
Jurgen Klopp went as far as to apologise to Cody Gakpo last season for hurting his form by making too much use of his positional versatility. After the Dutchman made it eight goals in his last 12 appearances in a favoured left-wing position by scoring against Leicester, you can see the former Reds boss had a point.
Gakpo looks a player reborn this season and his form of late means he may even have edged ahead of Luis Diaz in the pecking order on that wing. It is certainly a selection headache that Slot will welcome.
After ‘new manager bounce’ gave way to heavy defeats against Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leicester fans had every reason to fear this trip to Anfield.
Instead, they will surely be encouraged by a disciplined, hard-working performance that on another day could have earned at least a share of the points. If the Foxes continue to show this level of togetherness going forward, then they will at least give themselves a chance of picking up further wins.
