Liverpool continues to pave its way toward a historic Premier League season. After finding themselves down early, the Reds showed why they are the best team in the league in a 3-1 comeback win over Leicester City at Anfield.
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While the first half was tight, the second half saw the Reds running riot in full flow to take control of the game, turning the result to further their lead in the league; meanwhile, Leicester sinks deep into trouble.
Ayew surprise, but Gakpo responds in kind
It took a mere six minutes for Leicester to send the Reds into shock as Jordan Ayew took advantage of one of those rare lapses in the Liverpool backline, netting his fourth of the season - one of the few bright spots of a wretched Foxes campaign.
Liverpool took the punch and refused to fall apart. After close calls from Robertson and Mohamed Salah, both from hitting the woodwork, in the 44th minute, the Reds pulled back. A spectacular strike, out of the box from Cody Gakpo as Leicester's defense could just look on. The goal came with more than just getting a leveler; all momentum had turned. Where the Sealing victory-
Liverpool did not waste any time in the second half. First, Curtis Jones finally put the hosts ahead five minutes after the restart, finishing off a fine cross by Alexis Mac Allister. From that point, Leicester could not handle the growing pressure.
Mohamed Salah continued his fairytale at Anfield with another chapter in the 82 minute mark. It was the third of the night for the Reds as the Egyptian superstar reached a staggering 100 home goals in the league, only the eighth man to ever reach such a feat. This season, in 27 goal contributions, Salah now boasts 16 goals with 11 assists as the Egyptian is proving indispensable to the Liverpool campaign.
Arne Slot celebrates the lead
Head coach Arne Slot was very pleased with Liverpool's performance and underlined the significance of coming back: "I'm very happy overall. I think we played the way we wanted throughout the game. Scoring before halftime really lifted us, and you could see that in the second half when we immediately got the second goal.
The Reds have been a resilient side this season, gaining 12 points from losing positions—a stat only bettered by Manchester City.
Leicester: effort falls short
This really was a golden chance for Leicester to steal points at Anfield, and they didn't capitalize. Head Coach Ruud van Nistelrooy acknowledged the effort of his players while pointing out some shortcomings of his team. "We had a great start going 1-0 up. It's a shame we couldn't hold it before halftime and right after it as well.
Despite their goalkeeper's outstanding performance, the Foxes remain in 18th place and desperately need results to move themselves out of the relegation zone.
Salah and Liverpool: numbers that impress
Mohamed Salah’s performance at Anfield further solidifies his status as one of the Premier League’s modern greats. In his 250th start for Liverpool, he reached 250 goal contributions in the league (171 goals and 79 assists). Only legends like Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, and Harry Kane have achieved similar milestones.
In addition, Salah has already matched most of his output from last season, despite playing fewer games. His consistency and decision-making remain the driving force behind Liverpool's success.
Impact on the standings
The victory saw Liverpool rise to 42 points, creating a seven-point gap ahead of Chelsea while retaining at least a six-point buffer from Arsenal, who still have a game in hand this round. This comfortable lead at midseason underlines the strength of Arne Slot's team in their quest for the league's most coveted title.
Leicester remain in a precarious situation, however. The defeat leaves the Foxes 18th with 14 points, one behind Wolverhampton. The pressure piles up, and their path to safety looks increasingly difficult.