Liverpool, the Premier League leaders, capitalized on a slip by their title rivals to secure a commanding 3-1 victory over Leicester City, moving seven points clear with a match in hand.
The opportunity arose earlier in the day when Chelsea suffered a surprising home defeat to Fulham, allowing Liverpool to assert their dominance against a struggling Leicester side. Despite an early setback when Jordan Ayew put Leicester ahead, the home team showcased their quality, particularly through the impressive Cody Gakpo, who equalized just before halftime. Gakpo’s goal marked his eighth in 14 appearances, although he had another effort ruled out for offside by VAR.
Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah, who scored his 19th goal of the season, added further goals for Liverpool, extending their unbeaten run to 22 matches. In contrast, Leicester, now in the bottom three following Wolverhampton’s win over Manchester United, has managed just one victory in their last ten league matches. Manager Ruud van Nistelrooy faces significant challenges, exacerbated by the absence of leading scorer Jamie Vardy due to injury.
Liverpool started strongly, with Salah’s volley from Gakpo’s cross narrowly saved by Jakub Stolarczyk, making his league debut after Danny Ward was dropped following a poor performance against Wolves. However, Leicester stunned the home crowd by taking the lead in the sixth minute. Stephy Mavididi broke down the left and delivered a low cross that Ayew converted, with his shot deflecting off Virgil van Dijk and beyond goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
With a surprise lead, Leicester attempted to slow the game down, frustrating the Anfield crowd. It wasn’t until the 24th minute that Liverpool began to threaten, with Gakpo’s shot going over the bar. The pressure mounted as Salah’s effort looped off Victor Kristiansen and onto the roof of the net, while Andrew Robertson hit the post.
Gakpo’s movement from the left continued to trouble Leicester, and just before halftime, Salah hit the crossbar. However, Gakpo eventually found the net, curling a shot over Stolarczyk and into the far corner after receiving a pass from Alexis Mac Allister.
In the second half, Darwin Núñez fired over before Jones scored Liverpool’s second, converting Mac Allister’s cross following a slick passing sequence involving Núñez and Salah. Leicester struggled to create chances, with Patson Daka missing a crucial opportunity during a counter-attack.
Núñez forced another save from Stolarczyk, and although Gakpo thought he had scored again, VAR ruled out the goal due to an offside in the buildup. Ultimately, Salah sealed the victory with a well-placed shot that curled past the defenders and into the net, confirming Liverpool’s strong position at the top of the table.
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