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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
John Cross

Liverpool, Newcastle and Man Utd remaining fixtures as top-four battle goes to the wire

Jurgen Klopp celebrated with his familiar fist pump in front of the away end as Liverpool made it seven wins in a row.

Victory clinched a European place for next season but they are now breathing down the necks of Manchester United and Newcastle in the battle for a Champions League place, now just one point off the top four.

But, in contrast, Leicester are sinking fast and even their fans have all but given up hope after another woeful surrender at the King Power Stadium.

The Leicester fans were chanting: “We are going down” at their own players before singing: “you’re not fit to wear the shirt.”

Incredibly, it was two years to the day that Leicester won the FA Cup final at Wembley and just seven years ago they were crowned Premier League champions in a 500/1 success story that thrilled us all.

Five of that Cup winning team started against Liverpool but they are a fading force now as Jamie Vardy’s best days are behind him, Youri Tielemans looks shot to bits and James Maddison ’s value must be dropping with every defeat.

They were booed off at half time, booed off at full time and you had to feel for interim boss Dean Smith who looked lost on the touchline at the final whistle because his firefighting mission looks doomed for failure.

Leicester have got Newcastle away, West Ham at home and are running out of time to save themselves because they are stuck in the bottom three.

The very least you would have expected was them to show some fight but the reality was that Liverpool were good, played well and yet it was all too comfortable for them as well.

Curtis Jones scored twice and Trent Alexander-Arnold fired in a rocket from a short free kick routine in front of England boss Gareth Southgate who was sat in the stands.

It was a great night for the travelling support because Jones and Alexander-Arnold are two of their own, both Scouse heroes. Their Egyptian king Mo Salah also chipped in with three assists.

This is Jones’ best run in the team, starting the last nine Premier League games while Alexander-Arnold was superb again in his new role, playing the inverted full back and pushing into midfield. It makes the most of Alexander-Arnold’s quality on the ball and Liverpool are really beginning to look like their old selves again.

Liverpool had to wait until the 33rd minute to break the deadlock. Alisson’s long clearance started the move, Luis Diaz stayed just onside before Jordan Henderson found Salah whose cross was perfect for Jones to score at the back post.

Incredibly, it was Liverpool’s first shot on target and it exposed all of Leicester’s frailties as not even the fit-again Jonny Evans could seal them up at the back, especially as his central defensive partner Wout Faes allowed the long clearance to bounce.

Three minutes later, it was 2-0. Again it came from another Salah assist as his ball played in Jones who turned, swivelled onto the ball and smashed it like a rocket past Leicester keeper Daniel Iversen.

Leicester winger Harvey Barnes forced one half decent save out of Alisson before Liverpool made it 3-0, Evans bringing down Henderson on the edge of the box.

Salah’s back heel teed up Alexander-Arnold and his rocket flew into the top corner. That was job done. Liverpool are on the march and stopping them was way beyond Leicester.

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