Curtis Jones fired Liverpool seven factors clear on the high of the Premier League because the title favourites survived a scare of their 3-1 win towards struggling Leicester on Thursday.
Arne Slot’s aspect have been shocked by Jordan Ayew’s early strike at Anfield, however the leaders recovered their composure to equalise simply earlier than the interval via Cody Gakpo.
England midfielder Jones marked his one centesimal top-flight look with the second purpose quickly after half-time.
Mohamed Salah’s nineteenth purpose this time period wrapped up Liverpool’s eleventh win of their final 13 video games in all competitions.
Liverpool’s comeback lifted them seven factors away from second-placed Chelsea, who have been crushed 2-1 by Fulham earlier within the day.
The rampant Reds, who maintain a recreation in hand on Chelsea, have been crushed simply as soon as in 17 league matches this season.
They’ve gained 22 of their 26 video games in all competitions in a exceptional run since Slot arrived from Feyenoord within the close-season to exchange Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp led Liverpool to their final Premier League title in 2020 and Slot has them completely positioned to emulate that feat within the second half of the season.
“It is little bit of a boring reply, however as a supervisor you go recreation by recreation as a result of you understand how many you continue to need to play,” Slot stated of Liverpool’s title bid.
“You see particularly within the Premier League outcomes that you simply did not count on as a result of groups have a lot high quality. Perhaps if it was the Eredivisie it could really feel like this however not on this competitors.”
Additionally via to the League Cup semi-finals and high of the Champions League, Liverpool, who journey to West Ham for his or her final match of the 12 months on Sunday, will go into 2025 in rivalry of an unprecedented quadruple.
Third-bottom Leicester are one level from security after a 3rd consecutive defeat.
Salah practically gave Liverpool the proper begin as his close-range effort smacked the submit.
However on an evening when Anfield was surrounded by a murky mist, Liverpool’s defence was misplaced within the fog within the sixth minute.
Relentless stress
Stephy Mavididi surged away down the left wing and whipped in a low cross which Ayew managed adroitly earlier than spinning to smash a low shot previous Alisson Becker at his close to submit.
Liverpool’s defence was unusually lax within the early phases and Leicester’s Bilal El Khannouss was left unmarked for a volley that whistled over.
However the tide quickly turned and Darwin Nunez met Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross with a header that was deflected behind earlier than Salah’s chipped effort looped onto the roof of the online.
Andrew Robertson was inches away from equalising when the Liverpool defender’s header cannoned off the submit.
Slot’s males have been pouring ahead in waves and Salah’s roller ricocheted off the crossbar simply earlier than half-time.
Gakpo ensured Liverpool could be rewarded for his or her relentless stress on the stroke of half-time because the Dutch ahead stroked an outstanding strike into the highest nook from the sting of the world.
Gakpo’s tenth purpose in all competitions this season was a well-recognized sight for Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, who coached him throughout their time at PSV Eindhoven.
Leicester have not gained at Anfield within the Premier League since 2000 and their hopes of a historic victory have been in tatters simply 4 minutes into the second half.
Sweeping into the Leicester space in a blur of tempo and motion, Salah and Alexis Mac Allister teed up Jones to fit dwelling from shut vary, with the purpose surviving a prolonged VAR examine for a possible offside.
Patson Daka could not convert Mavididi’s cross as Leicester mounted a uncommon raid earlier than Nunez noticed his blast pushed away by Leicester ‘keeper Jakub Stolarczyk.
Salah put the ultimate flourish on Liverpool’s stirring fightback, reducing in from the correct flank to information a fantastic end into the far nook within the 82nd minute.
