Player ratings: Liverpool 3-0 Leicester City
Where to start on the statement performance of the season so far. High flying Leicester were a potential banana skin, especially with the players missing. You’d have to go back to 2018 to find the last game neither Virgil or Salah started for the reds, a game where Ragnar Klavan scored a last minute winner against Burnley. Feeling nostalgic? No, me neither. Let’s see how the lads fared as we swatted Leicester aside.
Alisson (7) – A more comfortable night than he will have anticipated. Made a couple of saves you’d expect him to make but a virtual spectator for large portions of the game. Classy social media post about Clemence after the game.
Milner (9.5) – What a professional Milner is. First Premier League start of the season, began the game at RB and struck up an instant understanding with Jota, playing a number of passes that sent Jota through and caused Leicester no end of trouble. Took the corner that led to the opening own goal and it was another of his corners that led to Firmino (finally) scoring. Switched to midfield after the injury to Keita and continued to excel and was unlucky not get another assist after sending Mane clean through on goal. Given his game changing contribution and limited game time this season, his display was enough to earn him this week’s McMOTM.
Matip (8) – I mentioned in the last ratings that he’d left his passing boots at home but he’d remembered them last night as he made a number of excellent long passes and midfield splitters. Brought the ball out well from the back and was dominant in the air. Please stay fit Joel, we need you.
Fabinho (8) – Had previously been lining up as the right sided CB with Gomez. It switched to the left last night, which is another testament to his footballing intelligence and ability to read the game. Kept Vardy quiet throughout and like Matip, was dominant in the aerial duels.
Robertson (9) – Unlucky to miss out on McMOTM as this was close to the perfect LB display. Ilija posted his stats on the match thread that basically showed he succeeded in everything he tried, from dribbling, to tackling, to aerial duels. Got himself an assist and could have had another couple. I said to John on the thread that for me, Robbo is now our most consistent player and has surpassed even Virgil in that regard. I hope Tsimikas enjoys bench warming duty, as good luck shifting Robbo out this team.
Wijnaldum (7) – Gave the ball away a few times in the opening 20 minutes before getting to grips with the game. Played a very disciplined role in front of the backs four, closing off the the routes to Maddison and Vardy, the former of whom you wouldn’t have known was playing. Come on Gini, sign that contract.
Jones (7.5) – Started very brightly and was good to see his swagger back, something that has been missing in his last couple of outings. Forced Schmeichel into a decent stop but it was defensively he impressed me more. He’s got to grips with our pressing game now and showed a real maturity to keep his discipline throughout, against a dangerous team. His inexperience became more apparent when Neco came on but that’s to be expected. With Keita’s injury, expect to see plenty more of Jones in the coming weeks.
Keita (6) – Deja vu anyone? Naby was putting in a decent performance, pressing well and some nice passing but then what a surprise, after playing a total of two games for his country, he’s now injured again. Keita has never managed more than five consecutive games for us and personally, I’m now ready to write him off. We’ll struggle to sell him now though I would think. Nobody wants an expensive crock.
Jota (9) – Another who was unlucky to miss out on McMOTM. Scored another excellent header but was causing no end of problems for Leicester the entire game. They couldn’t handle his movement as he kept making runs between the CB’s that Leicester’s defence just couldn’t get to grips with. His speed of thought and game intelligence are second to none as well. Gem of a player and wrote his own piece of history last night, becoming the first LFC player to score in his first four home games in the top flight. £45 million looks cheaper by the week.
Firmino (8) – Showed great skill in the build up to him hitting the post but when the rebound was cleared off the line with just a centimetre of the ball still to cross, I really thought he was never going to score again and he must have felt that way himself. So pleased for him then, when he found himself unmarked in the box to expertly head home Milner’s corner. You could see from the reaction of his teammates how delighted everyone was for him. Here’s hoping he takes some confidence from that goal and starts to find a bit of form.
Mane (8) – Will feel he should have got on the scoresheet last night and would be right as he squandered two really good opportunities when clean through on goal. Even when he doesn’t score however, he’s a nightmare for the opposition, relentlessly probing with his skill and physicality. Four games without a goal though. By Mane’s standards, that’s a drought.
Subs:
Williams (6) – His inexperience is very obvious at times and it may have been an idea for Milner and Jones to have swapped sides in midfield so we didn’t have both youngsters on the right but put in a steady display. Still lots to work on though.
Minamino (N/A) – Still exists.
Origi (N/A) – Him too.
Klopp-watch (10) – No matter what problems are thrown at our manager, he always seems to have a solution. The mentality and team spirit he’s instilled in this team is remarkable and his tactics work far more often than not. His rent might be going up though if we keep pumping Leicester the way we have the last couple of times we’ve played them.
Summary
How anyone can have watched that game and not have us as strong favourites for the title, I don’t know. To be without 3 of our usual back 4, our captain, our top scorer and our chief creator and still wipe the floor with one of our title rivals is a credit to the strength and depth of the squad Klopp has put together. If the game had finished 7-0 Leicester couldn’t have complained, such was our dominance. The reality is, other teams have one or two talismanic players. We have them all through the squad.
A clean sheet was a fitting tribute to the late, great Ray Clemence and we set a new record for consecutive home games unbeaten – 64 games, 53 wins and 11 draws, spanning a five year period. That is just incredible and something few would have thought possible when Klopp took the reins.
Some of the elder statesmen among us (cough, Stu, cough) can remember the glory days when we set the old record but for those of us who can’t, savour every minute of this team as we are witnessing history and we ain’t done yet!
Atalanta next then, let’s win that, get the champions league group boxed off and that takes some of the pressure off in terms of fixture congestion, as it will allow us to heavily rotate in our final two group games.
Anyway, I had a lull in battle at work and have literally smashed these ratings rapid style while sitting in my work van in a car park so gotta dash now. Walk on!!
Recent Comments