Liverpool 2 Leicester City 0
As the Ides of March approach, the Title Race is still on.
As the Ides of March approach, the Title Race is still on.
Following yesterday evening’s 2–0 victory for the pace setting and table topping Manchester City over Brentford, it was imperative that the Reds of Liverpool won this evening and against an old historical FA Cup foe as well as a more recent footballing Boss in the shape of current Leicester City Manager Brendan Rodgers. Before a ball was kicked in anger this evening Manchester City held an intimidating 12 point advantage at the top of the table but the Reds still had 2 games in hand and we are still in the early days of February. There is a lot of football to be played between now and when the silverware is collected in May. The Reds matched the winning score line last evening of the light blues from Manchester City, are now 9 points behind with a game in hand and a trip to their title rivals to come and, in all honesty, tonight’s 2–0 victory was all rather a stroll in third gear under the Anfield Road floodlights.
Leicester started brightly, with energy and attacking zest through Marc Albrighton and particularly James Maddison who forced a brilliant save from Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker on just 6 minutes. But they had to wait another 75 minutes until substitute Kelechi Iheanacho blazed high and wide of Becker’s goal with 9 minutes left and when 6 minutes later Diogo Jota doubled his goal tally for the evening to make the score 2–0 the game was over, and indeed up, for the visiting “Foxes”. Jota’s second goal on 87 minutes was as smart and reactionary as was his first goal in the 34th minute and where Schmeichel parried a fierce header from Virgil van Dijk into the waiting path of Jota for his first he was unable to keep out the decisive strike with just 3 minutes left to play. At 2–0 the game was over and another precious 3 points had been bagged but this does not come close to telling the full tale of a game that almost took off but instead simmered to a pleasing win for the Reds.
Diogo Jota was awarded the TV “Man of the Match” but the real recipient could and should have been Leicester City’s goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. Face facts Liverpool fans and forget the anti United sentiment! If it wasn’t for the frame, agility, skill and pure bloody-mindedness of the Leicester City goalkeeper the score line could have resembled the proverbially pleasing “cricket score”. He first denied the ever impressive Trent Alexander-Arnold after the scouser had starting a sweeping move himself before forcing a fine save from the Danish Captain in the Leicester City goal, who then kept the score line at half time at just 1–0 with two strong saves in as many minutes from Roberto Firmino.
Aside from a dull and turgid 15 minutes just after the half time break, Liverpool forced the Leicester City goalkeeper into action through a Jota cross shot that Schmeichel tipped past the post for a corner and a near post save after a one/two move between the energetic Andy Robertson and new signing Luis Diaz. The league debut making Diaz also forced fine saves from the Danish goalkeeper twice in the final 12 minutes and either side of Jota’s decisive second goal of the evening. The returning Mo Salah ignited the game when he came on as substitute to a rapturous Anfield welcome back from the African Cup of Nations, and in a 4 minute cameo lit up that beautiful ground and the adoring crowd packed inside. First he forced a near post save from Schmeichel before running through on goal, one-on-one, but the keeper again thwarted him. Seconds later, Salah curled a beautiful effort that finally beat the “Great Dane” in the Leicester City goal but saw his shot cannon against the crossbar. The Reds had further chances that didn’t enlist the supreme defensive qualities of the City goalkeeper, this time via a brilliant bicycle kick from Thiago that narrowly past the post and the debutant Diaz blazed over before Jota’s second goal sealed a 2–0 win that could have been much, much more.
The starting XI this evening was as strong as possible and mightily impressive too when you consider the absence of Skipper Henderson, a rested Sadio Mane returning from the African Cup of Nations and Mo Salah starting on a substitute’s bench alongside Harvey Elliott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ibrahima Konate. It was as easy and carefree (almost) as could be and typified by the gazelle like (and Alan Hansen like) strolls into the opposition box from Joel Matip. Skipper for the night Virgil van Dijk was majestically untroubled and Fabinho just soars further into my loving affections with every passing game. Curtis Jones was the only minus this evening, but let’s not linger on a very minor negative. Let’s instead glow in the return of the Egyptian King, marvel at his 4 minute cameo and just be mightily pleased to be seeing him back in the mighty red shirt of Liverpool.
9 points behind, a game in hand and a trip to Manchester City to come. There are also 15 league games to go, 45 points to play for and we haven’t escaped the clutches of February, let alone those pesky ides of March and the delicious chocolate eggs of Easter. I stated at the start of the season, and with some enthusiasm for my being correct too, that the Reds may accumulate 90+ points and still not win the League.
That, my friends, is still a very real possibility, but the Reds are purring, and there’s a long way to go in this intriguing season of football.
Allez! Allez! Allez!
Thanks for reading. Linked below are a few match reports concerning the Mighty Reds, ancient and modern, and there are more contained within my archives.
Crystal Palace 1 Liverpool 3
A vital win in London but are Reds on Social Media still conceding the Title to Manchester City?medium.com
Tottenham Hotspur 2 Liverpool 0
“The Big Match” 30th April 1983. Despite the reverse, the Reds wrap up their 14th League Championship.medium.com
Arsenal 0 Liverpool 2
It’s no Partey for Arsenal as a Diogo Jota double fires Liverpool to Wembleymedium.com
Everton 0 Liverpool 5 — November 6th 1982
“Ian Rush is leading Everton a merry dance” and according to song writing legend, through a Red River Valley too. A…medium.com