Huge win for Leicester City, probably a damaging one for Liverpool
Both Liverpool and Leicester City met each other in the EFL Cup a week ago and now they met again in the Premier League. For both sides, this was their final game of the calendar year.
Liverpool head into this match relatively refreshed. As Klopp’s men avoided the Boxing Day match with Leeds United thanks to a Covid-19 outbreak in the Whites camp.
Meanwhile, for Leicester, they were looking for the redemption of last week’s defeat at Anfield. Also, they were looking to pick themselves off the canvas following a brutal defeat at the hands of Manchester City.
The Reds started the game on a brighter note and looked threatening offensively. Thus, as a result of which early on in the game, the visitors were awarded a penalty after Mo Salah was tackled wrongly.
However, Liverpool’s star man missed the penalty and could not convert it in the follow up as well. Liverpool fans could not believe what they saw. The world doesn’t witness such misses from the Egyptian King. Thus, it was rather an unusual sighting for the Reds fans.
Meanwhile, Leicester fans celebrated as if the Foxes scored.
The first half ended with 0-0, as Liverpool completely dominated the game but somehow Liverpool couldn’t put the ball back of the net.
In the second half, Leicester City surprisingly took the lead to make it 1-0 for the host. Former Everton man Ademola Lookman scored after coming off the bench.
Liverpool still looked threatening offensively, but couldn’t capitalize on those chances. It was one of those days when you can’t score.
All front three forwards had their chances but couldn’t put the ball past Foxes Goalie Schmeichel.
Brendan Rodgers gets one over his old club – and Jurgen Klopp will be left to rue a potentially shocking loss in the title race. Full-time at the King Power Stadium, it finishes Leicester City 1-0, Liverpool.
Key Numbers
Leicester city registered back-to-back wins for the first time against Liverpool in the English topflight since April 1999.
Meanwhile, Brendan Roger became the first manager who previously was in charge of Liverpool to go on to secure consecutive victories against the Reds in the Premier League.
Liverpool’s loss to Leicester means for the first time in 29 League matches, Klopp’s men were unable to score.
Liverpool also lost their first game in December, since 4th December 2016(3-4 to Bournemouth), ending a run of 35 such fixtures without the defeat (W27 D8).
Leicester City vs Liverpool: Post match reactions
Klopp responds on how he reflects on the game
We were just not really ourselves tonight. So, we started OK, I can’t say differently, like what I said to all your colleagues outside. I think we started OK. I didn’t like 100 per cent the intensity even in the beginning, but sometimes you have starts like this. But then we lost rhythm and never found it really back.
When asked about the fact Manchester City could be 12 points ahead before Liverpool play again
Yeah, Chelsea and us play against each other so we cannot both have the points obviously. I know, sorry for that. But it was not our plan tonight to give City the chance to run away or whatever. But if we play like tonight we don’t have to think about catching up with City. But if we play our football in games we have to see how often, how many points we can get and we will see what that means.
Klopp reacts to Salah’s penalty miss
There’s not a little bit of blame or whatever. He scores usually from these situations but tonight he didn’t. It was a little bit like the whole game was.
Klopp reacts to on seeing the run of scoring in 34 consecutive games come to an end
We needed obviously some effort not to score tonight; we had quite a few chances and we were close. It would have made the game better actually, but if I would sit here – and I know it’s easy to say – and we had won it 2-1, which was obviously possible, I wouldn’t have liked the game anyway. You can say these things like the dirty games are very important and that’s all true, but tonight I didn’t like a lot in our football game, to be honest.
What’s next for Liverpool?
Liverpool will play against Chelsea in the Premier League on 2nd January in the New Year. Both sides are currently level on points at 41 points.
With both teams now looking to catch up with Man City at the top, it will be an intriguing game at Stamford Bridge.
