Liverpool FC’s Premier League lead is now 13 points as the Reds comfortably beat second-place Leicester City 4–0 on Boxing Day. The World Champions showed no signs of fatigue from their 9000-mile roundtrip journey to Qatar as they dominated their opponents.
Liverpool Sit Comfortably on Top of The Premier League
Steven Gerrard’s Heir
Defender Trent Alexander-Arnold isn’t just a key player for Liverpool, the young scouser is running games from right-back. On current form, it’s hard to make the case that there is anyone better in his position in Europe.
In the first minute of the game, the youngster hit a swerving shot that required a good save from goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. But it was later in the match when he really made an impact.
A ball broke to Alexander-Arnold and he played it into the middle for striker Roberto Firmino to calmly head in. The pair combined again for the third goal as Firmino crisply placed an Alexander-Arnold cross into the top corner. The scouser now has a whopping eight assists in the Premier League with half of the season remaining.
But the young man wasn’t happy with just his assists. As time was running down, he latched onto winger Sadio Mane‘s pass and fired a fine first time shot into the bottom left corner. His technique was reminiscent of Carlos Alberto’s strike in the 1970 World Cup final.
Alexander-Arnold’s all-around game was also brilliant. He was key in the Reds securing a clean sheet as the 21-year-old made one tackle, clearance, and interception, while also being successful with 76 percent of his passes.
His performance certainly didn’t go unnoticed by manager Jurgen Klopp.
“Is there a better full-back than Trent? We’re not looking for one,” the German told reporters after the game. “He played a really good game.”
And the Reds will hope that the young scouser’s form continues into the New Year.
Missed Chances
But it wasn’t just Alexander-Arnold’s performance that stood out – Liverpool, in general, were brilliant. The Reds had 60 percent of the ball and made sure that Leicester, the home team, didn’t have a single shot on target.
Last year, Liverpool dropped points to West Ham and Leicester after going for warm-weather training. But this time was different – despite coming off a trip to Qatar, the Reds controlled this game.
But Liverpool does need to improve one aspect of their play. Klopp’s men struggled with their finishing – their manager’s frustrations captured by one moment in particular.
Midway through the first half, winger Mo Salah broke away from the Leicester defence and rounded Schmeichel. But, despite his good work, he failed to roll the ball into the empty net. An irate Klopp threw his hands in the air in frustration. In total, the Reds missed six big chances throughout the match.
And Liverpool’s inability to finish meant that they struggled to double their lead. After Firmino opened the scoring in the first half, it took until the 71st minute for James Milner to score the second with a well-placed penalty.
This is an aspect of their game that must improve.
Onwards and Upwards
With half the season gone, Liverpool’s Premier League lead is at 13 points. But any let up could allow Manchester City back into the chase. If they want to seal their first title win in 30 years, then they cannot let their level drop now.
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