That’s your lot, then. A reminder that Richard Jolly’s report is up. Clickity click! Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night.
Brendan Rodgers offers BT his take. “Tonight was not just about the result, but restoring pride, and you saw the fans at the end clapping the players off. They gave absolutely everything. They showed some real moments of quality and we took a really top team to the very end. It was much more like us. My only disappointment was in the final third of the pitch, where we lacked the final pass and a little quality. [Defending corners] has been an ongoing issue for us, zonal and man-to-man, it’s definitely an area that come the summertime, we have to improve on in terms of profile of player and having more dominance in there. We need to grind it through, there’s no magic formula, but we’ve suffered all season at centre half, and unfortunately for us that’s been a challenge. I’m not really worried about the table as we’re behind in games.”
Jurgen Klopp talks to BT. “Leicester is a really good team. They had football moments when we had to defend properly, but we had the better chances. It was not the best game we’ve ever played, but we deserved to win tonight. The second goal is a brilliant goal. The counter press, Joel with a genius moment that put Jota in the right place. The first goal is when you are in a goalscoring moment, you are there. I am really happy for him and us. The first thing we noticed was his potential, and he is still a young lad. We really thought he’d be an outstanding player. He was already, but he has improved. Luis Diaz looks natural, he had an outstanding game, involved in really good moments. I don’t think Manchester City smell our breath already, but we just try to win football games!”
The managers will have their say soon, so stay awhile. But why not open another tab, because Richard Jolly’s report has landed. Here ‘tis!
Liverpool’s two-goal hero Diogo Jota talks to BT Sport. “I always try to get in those decisive spaces. I was lucky enough for the ball to be there, it’s important to score first, that always give us more confidence. And we killed the game at the end. I want to keep adding, and keep helping the team. We always have to try to improve, we have more options now for the team.”
Liverpool cut Manchester City’s lead to a mere nine points. They’ve got a game in hand over the leaders and champions, and they’re still to visit the Etihad, so nothing’s decided quite yet ... but they need pretty much every slice to fall jam side up for the rest of the season if they’re to make it. City are still strong favourites, then, like that’s breaking news. Leicester meanwhile still haven’t won in the league in 2022, and after this round of matches have slipped from tenth to 12th. A little bit of pressure is beginning to build on Brendan Rodgers.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 24 | 43 | 60 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 23 | 41 | 51 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 24 | 30 | 47 |
| 11 | Aston Villa | 22 | -4 | 27 |
| 12 | Leicester | 21 | -5 | 26 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 23 | -3 | 25 |
FULL TIME: Liverpool 2-0 Leicester City
Just enough time for Alisson to secure his clean sheet by clawing a speculative Maddison curler away, and that’s that. Hard work for Liverpool, with Leicester putting in a shift, but it’s a deserved victory in the end.
Updated
90 min +3: Salah takes a first-time shot from the right of the D. He doesn’t quite catch it, and the ball sails down Schmeichel’s throat. He’s had an impressive cameo, though. As though he’s never been away.
90 min +2: BT Sport co-commentator Glenn Hoddle names Diogo Jota as man of the match. It’s hard to argue, given he’s scored the two decisive goals, though Kasper Schmeichel certainly staked a claim too.
90 min +1: Nothing comes of the corner, which is taken in the first of three added minutes.
90 min: Barnes curls deliciously in from the left. Iheanacho is waiting to trundle in at the far post. Van Dijk reads the danger and hooks behind for a corner.
89 min: The new boy Diaz goes off to a great reception. Minamino comes on in his place.
88 min: That goal was met with a roar of relief as much as one of joy. Liverpool must have been wondering if they were about to suffer one of the classic smash and grabs, Leicester having defended resolutely despite everything the hosts threw at them. Iheanacho had come fairly close only a few minutes previously, after all.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Leicester City (Jota 87)
Diaz busies himself down the left and rolls infield. Matip, on the edge of the D, nutmegs Ndidi to find Jota on the penalty spot. Jota spins and forces a first-time shot into the bottom left. Schmeichel got a hand on it, but couldn’t keep it out. It’s fair to say that had been coming.
Updated
86 min: Now it’s Robertson’s turn to win a corner down the left. Van Dijk wins yet another header, but can only send it harmlessly out to the right flank. But no matter, because ...
84 min: Jota wins a corner with some sterling work down the left. Leicester deal with this one easily enough. “I know it wasn’t a penalty,” begins Matt Dony. “I don’t want a situation where loads of penalties are suddenly given, and I do want to see defenders making strong challenges and blocks. I grew up playing central defence. It’s a physical position. But it’s always confused me how defenders can wipe out a striker just after they’ve taken a shot. If you slide into a midfielder just after they’ve played a pass, it’s usually a late challenge and a free kick. But there’s often carts blanche to steam through a player in the box, and as long as they’ve already had their shot, it’s all good.”
82 min: Salah dinks a pass down the inside-right channel to release Diaz into the box. He’s one on one with Schmeichel, albeit facing a tight angle. He just about forces his shot through the keeper’s legs, but the sting’s been taken off it, and Justin can hack clear.
81 min: Iheanacho bustles down the inside-left channel and works enough space away from Matip to take a shot from the edge of the box. It’s always heading high and wide, and Alisson had it covered. Even so, a few hearts in mouths there.
80 min: Leicester are struggling to get out of their final third right now. Robertson cuts back from the left and finds Alexander-Arnold, just outside the D. A wild shot flies deep into the Kop.
79 min: Well, that got the crowd going. Barnes comes on for Lookman.
78 min: Salah cuts in from the right and curls towards the top left. Schmeichel is beaten all ends up. The ball cannons off the junction of bar and post, and away. Diaz tries to return it with interest. The shot is heading towards the top left, but then curls back right, allowing Schmeichel to parry. Liverpool so close to doubling their lead!
76 min: Amartey made contact with Salah from behind, the split second after the shot and save, and Liverpool want a penalty. VAR checks, and they’re not getting one.
75 min: Dewsbury-Hall gifts Salah possession in the middle of the park. Salah is one on one with Schmeichel! He takes a heavy touch as he enters the box, and though he’s still able to attempt a chip over the keeper, Schmeichel sticks out a strong arm to save magnificently. That’s a stunning save!
74 min: ... and so Liverpool suddenly get it together, Elliott nutmegging Dewsbury-Hall on the right-hand edge of the box. Salah turns and reaches the byline, but can’t squeeze his shot past Schmeichel from the tightest of angles. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
73 min: It’s the Leicester fans doing most of the singing right now. Liverpool can’t quite get it together, and the visitors are still well in this match.
71 min: The ball springs up off Dewsbury-Hall’s boot and onto his arm, just to the left of the Leicester D. Liverpool scream for a free kick, but the appeal betrays their second-half frustration. Dewsbury-Hall’s arm was right by his side, and the ball only brushed it anyway. It would have been a bold decision to award that.
69 min: A lovely right-to-left flowing move by Liverpool, Thiago to Jota to Diaz, the latter striding into the box and lashing a shot deep into the Kop. Diaz looks desperate to hit the ground running with a goal on his first Premier League start. He got a big tight there.
68 min: Leicester have their tails up at the moment, though they haven’t created a big chance yet. They’re winning most of the 50-50s in the midfield, though, so it might not be long before something happens for them.
66 min: Lookman goes down fairly easily under attention from Alexander-Arnold. It’s a garden-variety free kick in midfield, but one that incenses Klopp, who comes to the touchline to berate the referee. The official orders him to pipe down.
64 min: All a bit hectic at the minute. Both teams pressing hard. Control coming at a premium.
62 min: Some aggressive, forward-thinking substitutions by both managers there. Don’t bank on this ending 1-0.
Updated
61 min: Iheanacho is immediately in the thick of it, winning a corner down the left. Alisson and Matip get in each other’s way, but do just enough to clear it.
60 min: Liverpool make a double change. Elliott on for Jones, Salah for Firmino. Huge cheers for the returning Salah. Leicester immediately respond with one of their own, replacing Soumare and Daka with Tielemans and Iheanacho.
58 min: Robertson swings the corner in from the left. Van Dijk wins another header. Jota scoops over the bar from six yards, albeit under plenty of pressure. Leicester are struggling to defend these corners.
57 min: Matip finds Diaz on the left with a raking crossfield ball. Diaz brings it down, cuts inside, and shoots. His effort is deflected off Amartey. Corner.
56 min: Robertson and Diaz combine down the left at pace. Robertson hits a low cross-cum-shot that Schmeichel parries into traffic. Thiago tries to ram home but Ndidi hangs out a leg and purchases a cheap free kick. Clever defending.
55 min: Salah ostentatiously warms up on the touchline. He wants on. Klopp looks the other way.
Updated
53 min: Thomas scuffs a clearance, and the ball breaks to Firmino, who twists and turns in the box, briefly thinks about going over having been lightly brushed, but opts to stay on his feet and try to work an opening instead. He can’t do it. Leicester hold firm.
52 min: The ball drops to Maddison, 25 yards out on the left. He goes for the spectacular across Alisson and towards the top right. The shot only just avoids going out for a throw. Still, if you don’t buy a ticket, etc.
51 min: Maddison whips the free kick straight into the wall. Uncharacteristically witless.
Updated
50 min: Dewsbury-Hall powers his way down the middle. Firmino, who had given the ball away earlier in the move, stretches desperately to win it back, but only succeeds in bringing his man down. A free kick, just outside the D, and a booking for Firmino. Maddison’s eyes light up.
49 min: Nothing comes of the corner. But the denizens of Anfield had been fairly mellow before that Jota shot, so if nothing else, it’s got them going a little.
48 min: ... so having said that, Liverpool spring into life, Jota skedaddling down the left, entering the box, and sending a curler towards the top right. Schmeichel, at full stretch, turns round for a corner.
47 min: ... so having said that, Liverpool stroke it around the back in the slow late-1970s style.
46 min: Jones, Diaz and Jota combine down the left, but can’t quite open Leicester up. The hosts quickly on the front foot again, though.
Liverpool get the second half started. They’re kicking towards the Kop now, which is the way they like it. No changes by either side.
Half-time entertainment. Well, of sorts. In its very loosest sense. It’s the Fiver!
HALF TIME: Liverpool 1-0 Leicester City
The goalscorer Jota is caught offside after an over-elaborate Liverpool free-kick routine, and that’s the end of the first half.
45 min +1: Jones rakes long down the right for Diaz, who can’t quite bring the ball down for a shot. The flag goes up for offside anyway.
45 min: Firmino and Jota execute a graceful one-two down the middle, setting up the latter for a shot just inside the box. Straight at Schmeichel. There will be two added minutes.
44 min: Liverpool ping it around patiently, something Leicester won’t mind too much. “I flinched when I read ‘Alisson punches’,” writes Peter Oh, “because I saw highlights of his recent performance for the Brazil national team in Ecuador, where he punched and kicked his way to no small amount of grief. With the intervention of VAR, he had two red cards rescinded! World-class stuff.”
42 min: Firmino works his way down the inside-right channel and sends a rising shot straight at Schmeichel, who gathers without fuss. Leicester could do with hearing the half-time whistle, with the hosts finally having worked up a head of steam.
Updated
41 min: Robertson, Diaz and Firmino combine down the left. Robertson crosses deep. Amartey heads clear. Robertson crosses again from the left. Schmeichel punches this one to the edge of the box. Thiago meets the dropping ball and sends a bicycle kick whistling inches past the right-hand post. Had that been on target, the keeper wasn’t getting there.
40 min: Meanwhile, a huge ovation for Salah as the Afcon runner-up does a few stretches along the touchline. Welcome back.
39 min: Leicester faff around with the corner, allowing Liverpool to counter at speed. Robertson tries to free Diaz with a long pass, but it’s intercepted by Albrighton, who gets his team out of all sorts of bother.
38 min: Soumare finds Lookman down the left. The ball’s shuttled further along the flank for Dewsbury-Hall, who wins a corner off Firmino.
36 min: Leicester try to respond immediately, Maddison looking for Lookman down the middle and into the box with a cute sliderule pass. Van Dijk arrives from nowhere to saunter off with the ball, whistling.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Leicester City (Jota 34)
Alexander-Arnold swings in the corner. Van Dijk wins a header and crashes it goalwards. Schmeichel parries, a superb reaction save, but the ball drops straight to the feet of Jota, who powers home from six yards. Anfield, having fallen a little quiet, erupts!
Updated
33 min: Alexander-Arnold places the ball onto the turf with great precision. He shapes to shoot, but dinks it instead. Thomas heads weakly, at least beating Van Dijk to the ball, but it drops to Firmino, who traps and shoots. Albrighton blocks out for a corner.
32 min: Jota skitters down the inside-right channel, a compact dribble that’s brought to an abrupt end by Ndidi’s bodycheck. A free kick 30 yards out.
30 min: Now it’s Daka’s turn to go down injured, having taken an accidental whack in the back from Thiago. Happily, he too is up and running again soon enough.
28 min: Robertson is quickly sitting up, and after a quick check, is good to continue. He even enjoys a small chuckle. Hey, it could have been worse, just ask Phil Babb.
Updated
27 min: Firmino refuses to admit defeat while chasing a pass down the right channel, and eventually forces Ndidi into shipping possession. The ball’s worked out to the wing for Jones, who hooks long. Jota flings himself at the ball and misses. Robertson flings himself too, and crashes into the post. Schmeichel calls for the trainer.
Updated
26 min: Liverpool respond with some sterile possession of their own.
24 min: Alisson punches Maddison’s corner clear with great confidence. This game hasn’t quite touched the heights yet, but there’s still promise.
23 min: Leicester reduce the tempo with some calm passing back and forth between their defenders. Suddenly Ndidi pings one down the right for Albrighton, who wins a corner.
21 min: Thiago releases Robertson into the box down the left. Robertson shoots. Blocked. The ball breaks to Diaz, who nearly reaches the byline with a hectic dribble, but loses control eventually. Plenty of involvement already for Liverpool’s full debutant, though.
20 min: Amartey, who has been here, there and everywhere so far, heads the corner clear.
19 min: Alexander-Arnold warms Schmeichel’s hands for the first time, dropping a shoulder to come in from the right and sending a riser straight at the keeper. It’s too hot to handle, and Schmeichel can only tip over the bar for Liverpool’s first corner of the evening.
Updated
18 min: Fabinho wedges a long pass down the right and nearly finds Jota. Schmeichel comes to the edge of his box and claims, just in time, with Jota preparing to extend a leg and attempt to lob goalwards. Fine play all round.
17 min: Albrighton waits for a dropping ball, shaping to hoof clear. He ends up hoofing Robertson instead ... but gets the free kick. We live in strange times.
15 min: Leicester have settled well, and Anfield has fallen quiet as a result. Task one for the visitors completed.
13 min: This is being played at a bracing 101 mph. Albrighton and Justin combine down the right, the latter reaching the byline and looking for Lookman in the middle. Lookman, his back to goal, six yards out, can’t control and Liverpool can clear their lines. Leicester are getting in behind Liverpool with absurd ease.
11 min: Acres for Robertson to romp into down the left. The ball’s moved to the other flank for Jones, whose cross looks for Firmino. Amartey heads clear. Then Justin blooters long in the hope of finding Daka, but Alisson comes miles out of his box to batter clear.
9 min: Now it’s Firmino’s turn to ship possession far too easily, allowing Soumare to shuttle forward for Maddison, who nearly releases Daka down the middle. Van Dijk gives the striker a little nudge in the back to unbalance him, allowing Alisson to come out and claim. Plenty of hope here for Leicester: after their slow start, they’ve had the better chances.
Updated
8 min: Maddison takes the corner himself, out on the right. Soumare flicks on, but Alexander-Arnold clears.
7 min: Maddison latches onto a loose Alexander-Arnold ball in the midfield. He exchanges passes with Lookman as he drives down the left, then enters the box and goes for goal despite facing a tight angle. Alisson’s strong arm tips over the bar for the first corner of the game.
Updated
6 min: A free kick for Liverpool out on the right. Alexander-Arnold teases it into the box. Firmino rises highest and sends a poor header miles over the bar. He hasn’t scored at Anfield for 14 months, according to BT Sport, and the wait goes on.
4 min: ... and now he’s nearly released into the box down the middle by Firmino’s dink, but once again Amartey comes to Leicester’s rescue. A bright start by the hosts.
3 min: Diaz goes on another probe down the left, but gets a bit too physical with Justin.
2 min: Leicester are kicking towards the Kop in this first half. So having phrased it like that, they’ve hardly had a touch in these very early exchanges.
14 sec: Nearly a dream start for Diaz on his full debut, as Alexander-Arnold sends him free down the left with a trademark raking pass. Diaz enters the box and opts to check inside instead of hitting a first-time shot. That allows Amartey to block.
Updated
Leicester get the ball rolling ... but only after everyone takes the knee, a gesture met with warm applause from all four corners. There’s no room for racism.
The teams are out! A classic look with both teams in their first-choice garb, Liverpool wearing red, Leicester blue. A quick blast of the music from Carousel, and we’ll be off.
The last Premier League round seems like an age away. It sort of was. The best part of three weeks ago. Here’s where tonight’s combatants left off.
Jurgen Klopp explains his selection to BT. “The natural speed of Luis Diaz, especially when Mo is not starting, helps us get some depth in our game. The rest is pretty natural. Hendo has a back problem, not massive, but enough to be out tonight. That’s the line-up. I like it! It was not Salah’s choice [not to start], it was my decision, but he understood it 100 percent. He is not here to be a tourist, he will come on definitely. As much as I like the fact he is back, we have to be cautious. Sadio came back last night and is now still in bed! It is an intense time for the boys.”
Brendan Rodgers speaks to BT Sport. “It’s natural: you have a disappointing result and performance, so in the next game you want to react. What better place to come and play against a top team, to show that resilience? We’ve freshened it up to give it a new energy. We have lots of games to play, though of course tonight is very important. We have good agility and mobility and you need that against Liverpool. It’s a big challenge but we’ll relish it.”
Liverpool make six changes to the side named for the 3-1 win over Cardiff City in the cup. Alisson, Joel Matip, Andy Robertson, Thiago, Fabinho and - making his first start - Luis Diaz replace Caoimhin Kelleher, Ibrahima Konate, Kostas Tsimikas, Naby Keita, Jordan Henderson and Takumi Minamino. Mohamed Salah is back from the Africa Cup of Nations, but only takes up a place on the bench.
Leicester City make five changes to the XI routed by Nottingham Forest. Kasper Schmeichel, Boubakary Soumare, Kieran Dewsbury-Hall, Marc Albrighton and Patson Daka replace Danny Ward, Caglar Soyuncu, Harvey Barnes, Youri Tielemans and Kelechi Iheanacho. Jamie Vardy is still out.
Updated
The teams
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson, Thiago, Fabinho, Jones, Jota, Firmino, Diaz.
Subs: Konate, Milner, Keita, Salah, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Tsimikas, Kelleher, Elliott.
Leicester City: Schmeichel, Justin, Amartey, Ndidi, Thomas, Dewsbury-Hall, Soumare, Lookman, Maddison, Albrighton, Daka.
Subs: Soyuncu, Barnes, Tielemans, Ward, Iheanacho, Perez, Choudhury, Ricardo Pereira, Vestergaard.
Referee: Chris Kavanagh (Lancashire).
Preamble
If we’re to have any sort of title race - and already, with Manchester City a dozen points clear at the top - Liverpool have to win this match tonight. Then keep on winning. It’s a tall order, though on the face of it, stage one of Mission: Nigh On Impossible should be well within their grasp. Second-placed Liverpool have won their last four matches in all competitions, while Leicester, now in the bottom half, have lost two of their last three, their most recent setback a 4-1 humiliation at local rivals Nottingham Forest that prised their fingers from the FA Cup.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 24 | 43 | 60 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 22 | 39 | 48 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 24 | 30 | 47 |
| 11 | Aston Villa | 22 | -4 | 27 |
| 12 | Leicester | 20 | -3 | 26 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 23 | -3 | 25 |
However. Leicester have a long history of form against Liverpool. They haunted Bill Shankly in the 1960s. They regularly troubled the Reds in their imperial phase of the 1980s. Martin O’Neill had their number. And now, Brendan Rodgers and his men are looking to make it three Premier League victories in a row against Jurgen Klopp’s side, having hit them with a late triple whammy at the King Power last February in a 3-1 comeback win, then seen them off again on their own turf this season, Ademola Lookman scoring the only goal, Mohamed Salah missing a penalty.
Leicester also came within seconds of knocking Liverpool out of the League Cup here just before Christmas, so the home fans will be taking nothing whatsoever for granted. Anything but a win for Liverpool would seriously compromise their already slim hopes of the title. Leicester just want to regain some form, and in that context have little to lose. All set up nicely, then. Kick off is at 7.45pm GMT. It’s on!
