Liverpool 3-1 Leicester City: Reds defeat fog, Foxes at Anfield

On December 27, 2024By Littum

Liverpool ran their Premier League unbeaten run to 13 games with a 2-1 comeback win over Leicester City at a wet and foggy Anfield on Boxing Day.

Alexis Mac Allister netted two goals, Cody Gakpo had a goal and an assist and both Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah scored in the win, which moves Liverpool seven points clear of the Premier League chase with a game in hand against Everton.

WATCH FULL REPLAY

Jordan Ayew put Leicester City ahead after just half a dozen minutes, but the Foxes struggled to find more chances and ultimately saw their fate decided by the table-favourites.

Leicester slip into the bottom three, a point behind Thursday’s wins over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Can Arne Slott’s Reds retain Klopp’s famous Mentality Monsters nickname?

Too Right – We know Jurgen Klopp coined the Mentality Monsters moniker for his Liverpool team, but this one looks as steely, silky and solid as ever. Buoyed by Mohamed Salah to victory, the Reds are brimming with confidence. Going 1-0 down with a healthy lead on a rain-soaked, fog-shrouded Boxing Day against desperate visitors, any team could have been tempted to distract or even just go through the motions. It was no problem for Arne Slots Røde. They just kept coming in waves, fighting through the rain and firing shots at first-time PL goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk, who did very well for the Foxes. However, victory felt inevitable. That word is overused, but it never felt like the Reds were going to lose this game at Anfield. Who’s surprised they didn’t? Liverpool have the feel of a champion with an underdog’s drive because they have been both. They feel like a mix of Liverpool and Manchester City in 2022-23. It’s going to take an outrageous run from someone else to catch these Reds, especially as it looks at this point that it will require winning head-to-head against Castle’s men.

Liverpool vs Leicester City player ratings

(from fotmob.com)

What’s next?

Leicester City host Manchester City at 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday, just before Liverpool travel to West Ham United at 12:15 p.m.

That’s how you see Liverpool v Leicester live, stream link and start time

Kick off time: 3 p.m. ET Thursday (December 26)
Meeting place: Anfield – Liverpool
TV channel: United States
Streaming: Watch live on NBC.com

Liverpool vs Leicester City live score: 3-1

Jordan Ayew 7′, Cody Gakpo 45+2′, Curtis Jones 49′, Mohamed Salah 82′

Liverpool vs Leicester City Live Updates — By Nick Mendola

Full time — Liverpool 3-1 Leicester City

Mohamed Salah goal – Liverpool 3-1 Leicester City (83rd minute)

That was about all this game was missing, a goal from the red-hot Salah.

It’s a perfect shot that weaves its way through a sea of Leicester defenders to shake hands with the side netting.

It’s his 16th of the Premier League season and it’s fantastic.

Salah puts Liverpool ahead 3-1 over Leicester City

Mohamed Salah calmly guides his effort into the far corner of the goal to give Liverpool a commanding 3-1 lead over the Foxes at Anfield.

Szoboszlai yellow cards

It is a fifth for Szoboszlai in his first 19 games of this Premier League season, so he will miss Liverpool’s next game.

Liverpool substitutes

Dominik Szoboszlai and Diogo Jota come on for Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez.

2-1, 78′.

Cody Gakpo goal but confirmed offside after long review

Gakpo buries a Mohamed Salah rebound but the flag is offside.

Time for a review. And it’s a long review.

Still going.

Offside. 2-1, 71′.

Leicester City substitutes

Bilal El Khannouss and Harry Winks come off, with Facundo Buonanotte and Oliver Skipp taking their places with around 26 minutes to play at Anfield.

Stolarczyk holds 2-1

Nunez has it on a plate but can’t get his first shot past Stolarczyk.

It’s out for a corner and Andy Robertson’s left-footed service is partially cleared by the keeper.

Alexander-Arnold swings it back into the mix and Stolarczyk catches the ball.

2-1, 64′.

Curtis Jones goal – Liverpool 2-1 Leicester City (49th minute)

Alexis MacAllister takes a quick pass from Mohamed Salah and flies towards the six.

Mac Allister gets his second assist of the game as he shoots across goal and sees Curtis Jones snap the ball over the line.

A VAR check reveals that Salah is inside the build-up.

Jones makes it 2-1 for Liverpool against Leicester City

Liverpool take the lead thanks to Curtis Jones’ close-range finish to make it 2-1 against Leicester City at Anfield.

Up and running again

No substitutions at half-time for either Arne Slot or Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Cody Gakpo goal – Liverpool 1-1 Leicester City (45+2′)

The Dutchman does it himself from the other side of the box.

Gakpo swirls it over the scrum and Stolarczyk’s head, a beautiful shot inside the far post.

Gakpo’s belts bring Liverpool level v. Leicester

Cody Gakpo cuts in to his right foot and curls his effort into the top corner to grab Liverpool’s equalizer just before half-time at Anfield.

Salah clips the crossbar

Oh, Mo! It’s a beautiful high diagonal shot from the back right of the box towards the far post.

Salah just clips the bar!

The fog continues and the Reds keep pushing

Liverpool have taken seven corners, the seventh coming in the 35th minute and handled by the Foxes.

The Reds are swinging crosses into dangerous territory but have yet to beat Stolarczyk, the Polish youth international, seeing his first Premier League action at the age of 24.

Liverpool are approaching

Leicester City goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk does well to reach Andy Robertson’s header from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross.

The corner is taken by Leicester, who are still leading in the 27th minute. The shots are 6-4 to Liverpool.

Outright miserable weather

Is the foggy field, the soaked track and the rainy weather good for the underdogs, or just good for nobody?

It’s a mess out there, and Leicester probably won’t mind too much with their 1-0 lead at Anfield.

Jordan Ayew goals! Liverpool 0-1 Leicester City (7th minute)

Well, that’s Boxing Day for you.

Liverpool had all the possession and almost scored twice in the first two minutes.

Five minutes later, from nowhere, Leicester lead when Jordan Ayew spins in the box and fires a low shot that takes a turn from Virgil van Dijk to beat Alisson Becker inside the near post.

Ayew blasts Leicester City ahead of Liverpool

Liverpool find themselves behind early in the first half as Jordan Ayew turns and drills his shot past Allison to give Leicester City a 1-0 lead at Anfield.

Liverpool lineup

Alisson, Robertson, Gomez, Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones, Gakpo, Salah, Nunez

Leicester City lineup

Stolarczyk, Justin, Coady, Vestergaard, Kristiansen, Winks, Soumare, El Khannouss, Mavididi, Ayew, Daka

Liverpool vs Leicester City Preview — By Andy Edwards

Fresh from a 6-3 win at the weekend, Premier League leaders Liverpool will be brimming with confidence when they host relegation battlers Leicester at Anfield on Boxing Day.

Arne Slott’s side dismantled Tottenham with ruthless efficiency on the counter, harkening back to the days of Jurgen Klopp’s heavy-metal football long, long ago. The win was as important as it was decisive as Chelsea had drawn Everton earlier in the day, where a win would have put the Blues at the top of the table for a few hours. Instead, Liverpool are four points clear at Christmas with a game still to play. Slot has lost just 1 of his last 54 games as a manager, dating back more than a year (December 3) to his final season at Feyenoord.

After picking up a win and a draw in Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first two matches, Leicester came back to reality last week as they were beaten 4-0 and 3-0 by Newcastle and Wolves respectively. Worse, the Foxes are set to play Liverpool, Manchester City and Aston Villa in their next three PL games. The gap between Leicester (17th) and Wolves (18th) and Ipswich (19th) is just two points.

Liverpool team news, focus

OUT: Ibrahima Konate (knee), Conor Bradley (hamstring)

Leicester team news, focus

OUT: Wilfred Ndidi (thigh), Ricardo Pereira (thigh), Abdul Fatawu (knee out for season) | QUESTION: Mads Hermansen (groin)

Liverpool v Leicester forecast

The high-tempo game was what was required of Liverpool against Spurs, but this will be a game of patient possession and make Leicester defend non-stop. An early goal opens the floodgates again. Liverpool 4-0 Leicester.