Liverpool capped an excellent Boxing Day for them with what turned out to be a snug victory over Leicester. They’re gonna win it and so they bloody realize it.
The Liverpool hubris reached its peak forward of kick-off. Boxing Day had seen Manchester Metropolis fail to win once more, Chelsea miss the prospect to go inside some extent of Arne Slot’s facet as Fulham scored within the final minute to say victory at Stamford Bridge, and Manchester United fall to their fifth defeat in ten video games underneath their new supervisor in a consequence that makes no distinction in any respect to Liverpool’s possibilities of profitable their second Premier League title, however could have made for pleasant pre-game viewing for the Anfield lots, who should all have been chuckling in disbelief at how great the world may be. Bruno Fernandes even bought a purple card, FFS.
‘Some tasty leads to the Prem at present’ accompanied by the wide-eyes emoji was the thinly-veiled dig from one Liverpool-supporting pal in a WhatsApp group that includes very quiet followers of rival golf equipment. I can inform you now there wasn’t a soul in that group {that a}) thought there was any level in watching this Liverpool sport at Anfield in opposition to one of many Premier League’s worst groups, and b) wasn’t determined for a Miracle On Simple Avenue so we might ship him not less than one put-down in a season of far too few alternatives to take action: ‘None extra tasty than that one, mate.’ However no such luck.
The solely rational conceitedness of the followers made for a really unusual ambiance at Anfield after Leicester took an early lead. Stephy Mavididi discovered Jordan Ayew within the field after a tremendous run and cross, and the Leicester ahead took a contact, swivelled and located the nook of Alisson’s internet through a slight however essential Virgil van Dijk deflection. ‘What the hell is that this?’ seemed to be the Anfield consensus. ‘Do they not realise that is our day in our season?’
By the thirty fifth minute Slot’s facet had put 27 crosses into the field however had had only one shot heading in the right direction, and there was a combination of frustration and amazement emanating from the stands that Liverpool weren’t simply swatting Leicester apart with the disdain the distinction of their factors tallies known as for.
The Reds dominated the ball however Leicester held a menace, with Ruud van Nistelrooy’s facet a barely extra correct or better-weighted go away from an honest likelihood on not less than three events within the half-hour after they opened the scoring, as Anfield groans supplied the soundtrack.
Earlier than Cody Gakpo drew them degree with a phenomenal curled shot into the far nook, and with out the context of Liverpool being 4 factors clear with a sport in hand that clearly guidelines this out as a chance, it felt just like the type of temper in a stadium that precedes a facet being booed off at half-time. It was actually very bizarre.
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James Justin positively shouldn’t have let Gakpo reduce inside him so simply but it surely was a stunning end from the Netherlands worldwide, who deservedly claimed the Man of the Match award after a sport by which he was comfortably the very best participant on the pitch; no imply feat with Mohamed Salah enjoying on the other wing.
Salah did get his objective; a really Salah objective at that, chopping in and spinning the ball into the nook together with his left foot. Nevertheless it was made by Gakpo, who turned away from two Leicester gamers in midfield earlier than drifting the ball out vast for the unstoppable winger.
Curtis Jones had already given Liverpool the lead by that time with a really neat first-time end from a pushed Alexis Mac Allister cross after Slot had apparently informed his facet to cease p*ssing about and win one more sport of soccer.
And it was by no means actually doubtful. The Liverpool followers knew it. The Liverpool gamers knew it. Arne Slot knew it. The remainder of us all f***ing knew it. They’re a totally well-oiled machine with so many sensible footballers, significantly in these ahead positions, that off-days for people make no distinction to the end result as not less than certainly one of them – Gakpo on this case – will put in a efficiency that makes something aside from victory not possible in opposition to groups like Leicester.
The anticipate one thing to go mistaken continues, however the extra we see of Liverpool underneath Slot the extra it feels as if they might deal with setbacks; even important accidents to key gamers. Profitable video games of soccer is now ingrained to the purpose the place the rest simply feels mistaken, with minor bumps within the street as was the case within the first half right here in opposition to Leicester met with temporary incredulity forward of a swift return to the norm. They’re gonna win it, aren’t they?
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