Liverpool moved level on points with Premier League leaders Tottenham Hotspur and thwarted Leicester City’s hopes of going top with an outstanding performance and victory at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s side remain behind Spurs on goal difference but the manner of the win – achieved amid an injury crisis – sounded an ominous warning to those hoping to wrest the title away from the champions.
Liverpool also established a new club record of 64 home league games unbeaten, breaking their previous best run, set between February 1978 and January 1981.
Klopp’s side took the lead midway through the first half when Jonny Evans nodded a corner into his own net and the advantage was doubled four minutes before half-time when a move of 30 passes ended with Diogo Jota heading in Andrew Robertson’s superb cross.
Liverpool added Mohamed Salah to their long list of absentees after he tested positive for Covid-19 in Egypt but the prolific Jota, signed from Wolves for £45m in September, once again stepped in – becoming the first player in the club’s history to score in his first four competitive home appearances.
Leicester improved marginally in the second half but it was still Liverpool who dominated, Evans heading against his own post and both Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane being denied by the woodwork and keeper Kasper Schmeichel.
Firmino was finally on target as he rose to send a fine header out of Schmeichel’s reach four minutes from time to give Liverpool the victory margin their superiority deserved.
Liverpool make light of absentees
There was a sense before kick-off that a depleted Liverpool, and their unbeaten Premier League home record stretching back to 2017, might be vulnerable to the in-form Foxes. Not a bit of it.
Liverpool were rampant from the first whistle and barely gave Leicester City a chance to hit the form that has made them so impressive this season.
And in Jota, Klopp has added another potent threat to go with his long-established world-class attack of Firmino, Mane and Salah.
The Portuguese forward has settled in seamlessly at Anfield, making that piece of history with his goal, but Liverpool were impressive in all areas and the final scoreline could and should have been more emphatic.
Liverpool pinned Leicester in their own half virtually from the kick-off and rivals looking for any signs of potential weakness in the absence of Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and Salah, would have been disappointed.
Klopp’s side were right at the top of their game, taking a stranglehold Leicester never threatened to loosen apart from the moment when Harvey Barnes steered a great first-half chance wide with the score at 1-0.
Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola and Frank Lampard, among others, will harbour ambitions of taking Liverpool’s crown. On this evidence, it will take some doing.
More to follow.
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Liverpool
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Squad number18Player nameMinamino
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Squad number27Player nameOrigi
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Squad number76Player nameN Williams
Leicester City
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Squad number1Player nameSchmeichel
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Squad number3Player nameFofana
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Squad number6Player nameEvans
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Squad number28Player nameFuchs
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Squad number11Player nameAlbrighton
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Squad number8Player nameTielemans
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Squad number24Player nameMendy
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Squad number2Player nameJustin
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Squad number10Player nameMaddison
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Squad number15Player nameBarnes
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Squad number9Player nameVardy
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Squad number19Player nameÃœnder
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Squad number26Player namePraet
Line-ups
Liverpool
- 1Alisson
- 7Milner
- 32Matip
- 3Fabinho
- 26Robertson
- 17Jones
- 5Wijnaldum
- 8KeitaSubstituted forN Williamsat 53′minutes
- 20JotaSubstituted forOrigiat 89′minutes
- 9Firmino
- 10ManéSubstituted forMinaminoat 89′minutes
Substitutes
- 13Adrián
- 18Minamino
- 21Tsimikas
- 27Origi
- 47Phillips
- 65Clarkson
- 76N Williams
Leicester
- 1Schmeichel
- 3Fofana
- 6Evans
- 28FuchsSubstituted forPraetat 62′minutes
- 11Albrighton
- 8Tielemans
- 24MendyBooked at 66mins
- 2JustinBooked at 45mins
- 10Maddison
- 15BarnesSubstituted forÃœnderat 62′minutes
- 9Vardy
Substitutes
- 5Morgan
- 12Ward
- 14Iheanacho
- 19Ãœnder
- 20Choudhury
- 26Praet
- 33Thomas
Live Text
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Match ends, Liverpool 3, Leicester City 0.
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Second Half ends, Liverpool 3, Leicester City 0.
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Attempt missed. Marc Albrighton (Leicester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Jamie Vardy.
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Attempt saved. Takumi Minamino (Liverpool) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Curtis Jones.
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Attempt missed. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the right is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Marc Albrighton.
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Curtis Jones (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by James Justin (Leicester City).
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Foul by Takumi Minamino (Liverpool).
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Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Substitution, Liverpool. Takumi Minamino replaces Sadio Mané.
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Substitution, Liverpool. Divock Origi replaces Diogo Jota.
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Attempt missed. Wesley Fofana (Leicester City) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by James Maddison with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Curtis Jones.
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Goal! Liverpool 3, Leicester City 0. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by James Milner with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Dennis Praet.
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Attempt blocked. Sadio Mané (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by James Milner with a cross.
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Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by James Maddison.
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Attempt saved. Sadio Mané (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Diogo Jota.
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Attempt blocked. James Maddison (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Dennis Praet.
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Foul by Curtis Jones (Liverpool).
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