Liverpool 2-1 Leicester City: 3 reasons why the Reds won against the Foxes | Premier League 2019-20
Liverpool hosted Leicester City at home in the Premier League. The home side won the intense affair in the dying minutes of the game through James Milner's penalty.
Jurgen Klopp made two changes to his Liverpool side from the narrow 4-3 win against Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League. Jordan Henderson and Joe Gomez paved the way for James Milner and Dejan Lovren's inclusions in the team.
Liverpool took the lead through Sadio Mane's strike just at the brink of half time. James Milner's long through ball was picked up by Mane after Jonny Evans failed to intercept it. Sadio Mane reached his milestone of 50 Premier League games with his goal.
Leicester forced the issue and found an equalizing goal through James Maddison in the 80th minute. Brenden Rodgers made a defensive switch by introducing Hamza Choudhury for James Maddison in the 86th minute.
The game was well and truly heading for a draw but a clumsy last-ditch tackle on Sadio Mane by Marc Albrighton gifted a penalty to the home side. James Milner converted from the spot against Kasper Schmeichel as Liverpool kept their 100% win-record alive in the league.
The Reds will stay at least 5 points ahead of Manchester City at the end of the match week
Here are three reasons for the Reds' win at home.
#3 Liverpool neutralize the threat from Leicester's fullbacks
Leicester City's fullbacks Ricardo Pereira and Ben Chilwell are one of the finest duos in Europe. They have a case for being the 2nd best fullback partnership after the undisputed best duo of Robertson and Alexander-Arnold.
Liverpool started with a different set up with Roberto Firmino on the left and Sadio Mane on the right. Mohamed Salah started through the middle. Mane and Firmino supported Liverpool's defensive efforts on the wings as the output of Leicester's fullbacks was practically nil.
Ben Chilwell dropped a disastrous performance and Ricardo Pereira was fairly quiet without much threat. Mane tracked back well in the defence as did Wijnaldum and Milner.
The heatmaps of both Chilwell and Pereira show a bright red spot on the wing in their own half which goes to suggest that their threat was minimal. Chilwell and Pereira lost possession a combined 60 times and lost 15/23 ground duels. Their combined long pass completion was 4/15 and cross completion was 0/7.
Liverpool simply ate the Leicester fullbacks alive.