Whether it be from left-back, right-back or central midfield, James Milner always fulfils his Liverpool role with plenty of aplomb. And, with the assistance of a Jonny Evans own goal and headers from Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino, the veteran once again proved his Liverpool importance in a record-breaking victory over Leicester City.
The 3-0 win confirmed the breaking of Liverpool’s Anfield record with it now being 64 games without defeat. It is another record for Jurgen Klopp’s side who will go down as one of the greatest Anfield has seen.
Milner Proves Importance in Record-Breaking Liverpool Victory
Milner Steps up Again
With the injuries seemingly forever mounting at Anfield for Jurgen Klopp, the need for a utility man was more prominent than ever; the need for someone to slot in, no questions asked, to complete the job necessary wherever needed. So up stepped James Milner, who fits the aforementioned job description to perfection.
Questions were posed of the 34-year-old ahead of the game against Leicester City. At 34, with a lack of game time prevalent, would Milner be good enough to act as a temporary replacement for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold? Milner, of course, has since answered that question with a resounding yes.
The former Aston Villa man, as he so often does, slotted straight in before guiding Liverpool to the crucial three points. The limelight will be aimed away from the midfielder, turned fullback, but, the fact is, in such a dominant display, James Milner provided the Reds with a crucial platform to succeed.
The stats alone speak for themselves. The 34-year-old gained possession nine times- the most in the game- completed 57 out of 67 passes, created five chances- the most in the game- and, to round off the most impressive of performances, registered an assist.
Both defensively and offensively, Milner replicated the work of Alexander-Arnold and so much more to prove his importance, despite his age, in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
The Perfect Night for Liverpool
Ask any Liverpool fan before the game what the perfect night would entail and, three points, a clean sheet, and a Roberto Firmino goal would have been their instant answer. Now, 90 minutes later, Reds fans can tick the box for all three on a perfect night.
Firmino’s goal, in particular, added the cherry to the cake of Liverpool’s record-breaking night as the Brazilian’s luck finally turned. It looked as though it would be another night of fine margins for the Liverpool number nine, but, come the 86th minute, his infamous smile was once again shining brightly amid the goalscoring celebrations.
The win takes Liverpool second on goal difference, level on 20 points with Tottenham Hotspur.
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