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Liverpool thrashed a strong Leicester City outfit by a 3-0 margin in the Premier League earlier today. The reigning English champions are now unbeaten in an astonishing 64 Premier League games at Anfield and have managed to set a new club record.
Goals from Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota and an unfortunate own goal from Jonny Evans gave Liverpool the impetus to coast to a comfortable victory. Liverpool are now level on points with Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the Premier League table and will want to build on their recent uptick in form.
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Liverpool and Leicester City looked to attack each other right from the outset and pushed forward in search of the opening goal. Liverpool were the better team for most of the first half and their pressure yielded results as an inexplicable own goal from Jonny Evans gave the Anfield outfit the first goal of the game.
Leicester City did attempt to hit back on a few occasions and Harvey Barnes missed his golden opportunity to level the playing field with a misguided effort from an excellent position. Liverpool took full toll of Leicester City's missed chance and doubled their lead with an exceptional header from Portuguese winger Diogo Jota.
Liverpool started the second half in dominant fashion and continued to push Leicester City into their own half. Diogo Jota was one of Liverpool's best players and consistently threatened the goal with his mazy dribbles.
Roberto Firmino had two excellent chances to increase Liverpool's lead but failed to find the back of the net. Sadio Mane also forced Kasper Schmeichel into a good save and was a lively presence on the left flank alongside Andrew Robertson.
Liverpool went on to add further salt to Leicester City's wounds with Roberto Firmino getting a well-deseved goal through an exceptional header. The Merseyside giants were far too clinical for Leicester City today and picked up an important victory.
#5 Roberto Firmino repays Klopp's faith with positive outing for Liverpool
Roberto Firmino has copped several blows from the press in recent months and has been criticised for a severe dearth of attacking returns. The Brazilian forward has always received public backing from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and often plays a key role in his side's fluid system.
Roberto Firmino was instrumental to Liverpool's victory today and proved his mettle with his link-up play yet again at Anfield. The Brazilian struck the woodwork on two occasions in the second half before scoring a well-deserved goal with a pinpoint header towards the end of the game.
The Brazilian forward found plenty of space between Leicester City's lines and served as the ideal link between the midfield and the forward line. Roberto Firmino will have to work hard for his place at Liverpool and performances like these will certainly improve his prospects at the club.
#4 Set-piece woes haunt Leicester City
Leicester City looked uncharacteristically fragile in their own half against Liverpool and were guilty of lapses in concentration on several occasions during the game. The Foxes' defensive performance today will be a major source of concern for Brendan Rodgers going into a hectic schedule.
The away side conceded the advantage in the worst possible fashion in the first half with an own goal that gave Liverpool a shot in the arm. The Merseyside outfit also troubled Leicester City with corners as Joel Matip and Fabinho won headers in the penalty area with consummate ease.
Leicester City failed to make significant improvements in the second half and conceded yet another goal from a corner as an unmarked Roberto Firmino added to the Foxes' misery. Leicester City have been defensively robust this season but will need plenty of work with set-pieces.
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#3 Joel Matip and Fabinho step up admirably in the absence of Liverpool stalwart Van Dijk
Liverpool's defensive woes this season have been well-documented. The Reds have struggled to keep clean sheets this season and this performance against Leicester City will give the Reds a massive boost of confidence ahead of a difficult schedule.
With first-choice centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez out of contention with long-term injuries, the onus today was on Joel Matip and Fabinho to maintain Liverpool's defensive lines. Leicester City struggled to move into Liverpool's penalty area and were largely thwarted by the new-look defensive duo.
Matip and Fabinho also brought their distinct ball-playing ability to the fore and played several long balls to Liverpool's enigmatic wide players. The two defenders are Liverpool's best defensive bets at the moment and will need to be at their best to defend the Premier League title.
#2 Leicester City's promising streak meets disappointing end
Leicester City have been thoroughly impressive in the Premier League so far and announced themselves as top-four contenders with an astonishing 5-2 victory in September. The Foxes were on a six-game unbeaten streak before this game and had scored an impressive 15 goals in the process.
Liverpool did have the home advantage and were the favourites going into this fixture but the manner in which Leicester City conceded this Premier League game will not go down well with Brendan Rodgers. The Foxes were uninspiring at best and consistently looked to an isolated Jamie Vardy to provide a spark in the final third.
Leicester City missed out on the top four last season after a string of disappointing performances and cannot afford to make the same mistake in this campaign. Brendan Rodgers' side currently has 18 points from nine games and may drop out of the top four by the end of the week. Leicester City have clearly defined goals for this season and will have to take it up a notch in the coming weeks.
#1 Record-breaking Diogo Jota gives Liverpool distinct cutting edge
Liverpool have never had a problem with chance creation in the final third and have one of the most feared front-lines in the Premier League. Diogo Jota, however, seems to have taken Jurgen Klopp's formidable attack to another level.
With Mohamed Salah sidelined as a result of the coronavirus, questions have been raised regarding Liverpool's potency in the final third. Diogo Jota made a massive statement with his performance today, however, and became the first Liverpool player in history to score in his first four Premier League games at Anfield.
The Portuguese starlet took his goal brilliantly in the first half and was a constant threat down the flank for Liverpool. Jota also created a few chances for his teammates in the second half and was one of the best players on the pitch on the night.
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