Time for me to sign off. It was a good tight contest for half an hour, and then Curtis Jones made a non-game of it. Thanks for your company and correspondence, and many congrats to Mary Waltz on getting the Liverpool win she was reduced to wanting. Our match report, from Ben Fisher, is here.
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It’s Jonny Evans’ turn to be interviewed. “I thought first 25 minutes till they scored, we were playing well… It knocks your confidence, to concede.” The first goal? “We probably got caught under the ball a bit.”
Asked about the fans, he says “They were great with us tonight. They could see that we were running, working hard. I felt that from the crowd.”
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An email comes in from Luis, “from Liverpool but in Portugal”. “And both Uniteds play Chelsea,” he says. “Now Liverpool’s CL fate is in Frankie’s hands.”
Curtis Jones is talking to Sky. One of his best performances? “Definitely.” The day before each game, he says, he has a shooting competition with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fabinho. “The standard is very high.”
Alexander-Arnold is by his side now. ”He’s got a level now that he needs to hit every game.” After playing like a boss, Trent is sounding like a manager.
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The ramifications for the top four
Liverpool stay fifth but get another step closer to the Champions League places. Their sequence of seven wins has taken them up to 65 points from 36 games, one behind both Man United and Newcastle. Liverpool’s goal difference rises to 28, four behind Newcastle and no fewer than 18 up on Man U. But Liverpool have played 36 games to the others’ 35, so both Uniteds can see them off by winning two of their final three games. Newcastle’s next two fixtures are at home, where they are very strong – against Brighton and … Leicester.
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The ramifications at the bottom
Leicester stay 19th, with 30 points from 36 games – one point behind Leeds (31), who are one point behind Everton (32), who are two behind Forest (34). They have all played 36 games, so Leicester and Leeds have 180 minutes to save their skins.
FULL TIME! Leicester 0-3 Liverpool
That’s it, with no respite for Leicester. They let in five goals last Monday and now it’s eight in eight days. Liverpool, who were far too good, complete their seventh win on the trot.
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90+2 min The player of the match is Curtis Jones. The cameras find him on the bench, roaring with laughter, as well he may.
90+1 min There will be three added minutes. There could be 30 and poor old Leicester still wouldn’t have a sniff.
89 min Smith sends on Harry Souttar for Jonny Evans, whose return went from happy to miserable in four minutes.
88 min Now Salah goes off, to be replaced by Harvey Elliott. In the Liverpool box, Vardy manages an overhead kick.
“Re yr comment on the good night for Leeds Everton and Forest,” says Russell Richardson. “it’s a great night for West Ham, who cannot now be relegated (unless Leeds overturn an 11-goal difference in just 2 games).” Good spot! I was rather assuming they were safe already. Liverpool are making all sorts of people happy tonight. You never work alone.
86 min Leicester’s remaining supporters come to life as Konate is booked for a foul on Maddison. The free kick, taken by Maddison himself, curls harmlessly through to Allison.
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83 min The latest player to leave the fray is Curtis Jones. His only rival for man of the match is going to be Mo Salah, who has his first PL hat-trick of assists. Jones’s place is taken by Fabio Carvalho.
81 min Liverpool are knocking it around now, allowing me to catch up with some correspondence. “Think this is a good time,” says Espen Bommen, “to point out that no matter how many goals Curtis Jones scores today, or in his career, nothing will ever come close to the one he scored when we knocked Everton out of the FA Cup with our U-12s.” Ha.
78 min Leicester get into the Liverpool box but, as usual, nothing comes of it. Liverpool cruise up the other end, Salah is clean through – and he misses!
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76 min And Mo Salah hasn’t got a goal yet. He sniffs one now, but Faes produces a textbook tackle.
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75 min As some Leicester fans trickle out, Klopp makes some substitutions. On come James Milner, for Henderson, and Diogo Jota, for Diaz. Luke Thomas is on for Leicester too, in place of Pereira.
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73 min So Liverpool are heading for 65 points, one behind Newcastle and Man United, who both have a game in hand. At the other end, this is looking like a good night for Leeds, Everton and Forest.
71 min It was one of those rolled free kicks. Alexander-Arnold ran on to it as if he already knew it was going in the far corner. At this point Daniel Iversen might prefer it if I got his name wrong.
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GOAL! Leicester 0-3 Liverpool (Alexander-Arnold 70)
A screamer! And a nail in Leicester’s coffin.
68 min Henderson wins a free kick just outside the area, off Evans, who is most indignant.
“Danny Ward’s not playing tonight,” says Bert Fill. “n fact he’s not even on the bench! Daniel Iversen’s the (un)lucky man picked to play in Leicester’s goal.” Ah sorry. As the dad of a Dan myself, I should have done better.
66 min A chant is ringing round the ground and it seems to be all about Roberto Firmino, who is in the stand with Darwin Nunez. It brings a smile to Firmino’s face, not that that takes much doing.
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64 min Leicester manage a moment of possession, but Maddison, just when he’s looking foxy near the box, foxes himself and gives the ball away.
62 min The cameras find Gareth Southgate and his Scotland counterpart, Steve Clarke, who may be wondering if Curtis Jones has a Scottish granny.
61 min Yes, it’s Daka and Tete coming on. Smith sacrifices Barnes and Ndidi.
60 min Alexander-Arnold plays a gorgeous long ball, first time, on the half-turn, to Salah, but his lay-off to Henderson just brings a less successful crossfield pass.
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58 min Dean Smith is lining up some subs – Daka and maybe Tete.
57 min Diaz goes in high on Maddison and could well join Pereira in the book, but Craig Pawson doesn’t see it that way.
55 min Another glimmer for Vardy, swiftly extinguished by Konate.
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54 min Liverpool turn the corner into a counter and Pereira takes a yellow for the team. Salah has a chance but balloons it. Leicester’s fans dig deep and muster a bit of scorn.
52 min Leicester have a shot! Harvey Barnes curls a good one from the D, palmed round the post by Alisson.
48 min Slight technical hitch here – sorry. Alexander-Arnold floats a long ball forward and Danny Ward nearly gets into trouble, coming for the header and missing.
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The man of the moment.
Curtis Jones’ first half by numbers vs. Leicester:
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) May 15, 2023
88% pass accuracy
47 touches
36 passes completed
2/2 ground duels won
2 goals
1/1 tackles won
1/1 dribbles completed
1/1 long balls completed
1 key pass
Scored an exceptional second goal. 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/nIifXwUGGS
“If Gakpo leaves that chance,” says Tom Barneby, “Jones was right behind him and would have had a shout at quickest hat-trick ever.”
“Tim, greetings from California.” Mary Waltz, we’ve been expecting you. “A diehard Everton fan rooting for Liverpool. That is the pathetic state we have been reduced to.” Ha.
“Even though I am a closeted fan of Klopp it is still hard to root for the Red. Most of my California Premier League friends are fans of the traditional top 6 squads and I am constantly eating crow as a bottom feeding Everton fan. Nevertheless, go Liverpool, do your best and help save us from relegation.”
HALF-TIME! Leicester 0-2 Liverpool
What began as a mini-game of two halves turned into a tale of two goals, both scored by Curtis Jones. He scores with his left, he scores with his right. He had only amassed four PL goals before this, but apparently it’s not his first brace – he managed one at Lincoln in the League Cup. Lethal in the East Midlands.
Jones’s efforts have left Leicester on the brink. They actually started well, with James Maddison showing his class and creativity. But now they need a miracle, and Dean Smith has not been a miracle-worker so far.
45+2 min We’re having four added minutes. Leicester get the ball over the halfway line, twice, but only by lofting it, so Liverpool take possession again.
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45 min The free kick is cleared but Liverpool come again with Henderson powering down the right. His movement is about 10pc pace, 90pc determination. Leicester see off the danger but they look defeated. Vardy, who started strongly, has had four touches.
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44 min Leicester can’t get hold of the ball. Now Gakpo wins a free kick as Soumare commits a silly foul 25 yards out.
41 min Robertson pops up in the box, spins and shoots wide but he’s offside. That save a couple of minutes ago, by the way, was from Gakpo.
40 min A third of Curtis Jones’s goals in his PL career have come tonight.
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39 min Leicester threaten to concede a third! Mayhem in their box and a good save from (I think) Salah.
This one stands too!
The Wout Faes of this match is Curtis Jones.
GOAL! Leicester 0-2 Liverpool (Jones 36)
Jones keeping up with himself! With a more spectacular finish from the edge of the box. But again the crosshairs are coming out…
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35 min The move had begun with Alisson going long to Diaz, the player who may have been an inch offside.
The goal stands!
Ahhh, that was tight. So maybe fair enough – nothing clear and obvious.
Hang on, the crosshairs are coming out…
GOAL! Leicester 0-1 Liverpool (Jones 33)
It’s been coming! A neat finish from a chipped cross by Salah.
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31 min Curtis Jones puts in a surging run, then falls over and squeezes the ball to Fabinho, who blasts it into Row Z.
29 min Diaz is slipped through by a clever chip from Robertson. He has a shot at the near post, which is (a) wide and (b) the wrong choice. Klopp says this with his body language, making big eyes with his hands.
26 min Evans almost plays himself into trouble in the six-yard box, then does well to wiggle his way out. Defending – it’s like riding a bike. Harvey Barnes dribbles towards the centre circle but then gets caught in a red-shirted sandwich and needs some treatment.
25 min Leicester are suddenly playing like a team who are in the relegation zone, forming a low block, shrinking back into a 4-5-1. In an effort to launch them up field, Danny Ward goes long, but soon Alexander-Arnold and Henderson are pulling the strings again.
22 min Over the past ten minutes, Liverpool have had three-quarters of the possession. It’s been a miniature game of two halves.
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19 min Another Liverpool corner comes to nothing. The commentator points out that it’s two years today since the second-finest hour in Leicester’s recent history, their FA Cup win over Chelsea.
“Klopp is whining as much as Arteta,” says Jeff Sax. “A bad sign for Liverpool.”
16 min Press and counter-press and then Liverpool are away, with Henderson and Salah playing a smart diagonal one-two. Alexander-Arnold puts in a dink, wins a corner and takes it himself, but it all peters out with a Leicester free kick.
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14 min Liverpool come top the party with a spell of possession. It culminates in a cross from the right that Luis Diaz gets a touch to, but not a shot of any power.
12 min Another through ball, gorgeously struck by Maddison, sends Barnes away. He slips it to Vardy, whose shot is smothered by the onrushing Alisson.
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10 min Leicester still going for it: Alisson has to sweep up twice as the through balls keep coming. So far, the real Leicester are standing up.
7 min Up pops one of those panels saying Action Areas: 18pc in Liverpool’s attacking third, 43pc in Liverpool’s. Leicester are winning most of the second balls.
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7 min Corner to Leicester – well defended again.
6 min Cody Gakpo gets into two good positions in quick succession. The first sortie is stopped by a fine tackle, the second by the offside flag.
5 min Leicester, who have been sparky, win a free kick on the right this time, much to Jordan Henderson’s distaste. It’s cleared and the whistle has gone anyway.
3 min The ball gets into the Liverpool box, curling in from a free kick on the left. Nobody gets a touch, but the man who comes closest is Evans.
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2 min Mo Salah may have had a Red Bull. He’s already played a through ball and then, when it headed back towards him, nicked it off the nearest midfielder.
1 min Liverpool kick off and the King Power is rocking.
Jonny Evans leads Leicester out. It’s great to see him back – a case of desperate times, sensible measures.
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“Nunez,” says Jeff Sax. “Pity he is not playing with his stubbed toe, it may improve his completion percentages.” Oof!
It is a shame he couldn’t make it: he’s so watchable.
Anyone remember what happened the last time these sides met? I suspect Wout Faes does. He scored twice in eight minutes and still ended up losing 2-1.
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Roger Kirkby is back for more. “Prose is my middle name,” he says. “Just googled ‘squeaky stair time’ and it’s original – should I trademark it?”
Yes! And have a word with Dave O’Gorman.
“Nunez has a toe injury but is in the stands, so I hear,” says Patrick Crumlish. “Stubbed it against the table getting up from playing Xbox?” Ha. The first few words of this have been confirmed by Liverpool.
“This game,” says Roger Kirkby, “has everything for the neutral. Liverpool win, it’s exciting at the top. Leicester win, it’s exciting at the bottom. A draw is squeaky stair time for both teams – the bogeyman is coming for ya.”
That’s the first time I’ve ever seen the word “stair” when I was expecting “bum”.
Those changes in full
As well as Evans, who replaces Caglar Soyuncu, Dean Smith brings back Ricardo Pereira and Wilfred Ndidi. Victor Kristiansen and Dennis Praet drop to the bench.
Jurgen Klopp makes two changes, recalling Jordan Henderson and Luis Diaz in place of Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez. Jota is on the bench, Nunez nowhere to be seen, so maybe he’s injured.
The teams
Leicester (4-3-3): Iversen; Ricardo Pereira, Faes, Evans, Castagne; Tielemans, Ndidi, Soumare; Maddison, Vardy, Barnes.
Subs: Smithies, Souttar, Kristiansen, Amartey, Mendy, Praet, Thomas, Tete, Daka.
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz.
Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Matip, Tsimikas, Carvalho, Arthur, Milner, Elliott, Jota.
Referee: Craig Pawson.
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Heeeeere's Jonny!
Yes, Jonny Evans is back in the centre of Leicester’s defence after being injured for seven months. His absence may have sabotaged their season: is his return just in time to save it?
Preamble
Hello everyone and welcome to the edge of your seat. On planet maths, both these clubs can afford to lose. On planet earth, neither can: Liverpool almost certainly have to win to stay in contention for the top four, and Leicester surely have to get a point to stay in the Premier League.
Even that would only drag Leicester up to 18th, so they have to go for the win that would lift them above Everton and out of the bottom three. They are far too good to be 19th. With all those players who are still talked about as transfer targets, from James Maddison to Youri Tielemans, they have truly been Leics than the sum of their parts.
Five weeks ago you might have said much the same about Liverpool. On 11 April they were lying eighth with 44 points from 29 games – but the last of those 44 proved to be a turning point. From 2-0 down at home to Arsenal, Liverpool rallied to 2-2 and since then they haven’t looked back. Only two teams have won their last six games in the Prem: Man City and Liverpool, those old friends.
On form they will sweep Leicester aside, with Trent Alexander-Arnold running the show from his new home as an inverted right-back. But funny things happen at the end of the season and Leicester have shown the odd flicker of their former selves, with Jamie Vardy suddenly remembering where the goal is. Over the past six games, they may have managed only five points, but that’s one more than Chelsea or Spurs.
It’s so tight at the bottom, Southampton apart, that one win can make all the difference. Forest got theirs last Monday: can their neighbours follow suit? We will find out from 8pm onwards. Back soon with the teams.
