Leicester City 0-4 Liverpool
It would be easy to be critical of the standard of the Premier League after matches like this.
Because quite frankly, with the exception of the reigning champions Manchester City and their likely successors as champions this season Liverpool, the overall quality of the top flight is not what it was with the other leading sides either in decline or transition.
However, it would be grossly unfair to disparage either of these sides as one dominated from start to finish against opponents who have taken full advantage of others’ fall from grace to actually go into this match in second place.
The truth is that this was only a top-two clash on paper. Only one side really deserves top billing.
Highlights of the game
They produced plenty of Premier League highlights along the way too.
Roberto Firmino’s header from a fine Trent Alexander-Arnold cross gave them an interval lead they thoroughly deserved before three goals in seven minutes in the second half underlined their superiority and slashed further their SBOBET Premier League betting odds.
In fact, it would take a collapse of incredible proportions for them not to end their long wait for a league title this season as they currently hold a 13-point lead at the summit with a game in hand.
When the further goals arrived, they were slick and perfectly executed.
Centre-back Caglar Soyuncu handled in the 71st minute allowing James Milner to score from the penalty spot just seconds after coming on.
Alexander-Arnold then set up Firmino again as the Brazilian produced a cool finish before the attacking full-back fired a thumping right-foot drive into the net for number four from about 20 yards.
This heavy defeat, on the back of an equally convincing loss to Manchester City, should finally put an end to foolhardy suggestions that the Foxes are ready to mount a title challenge.
Brendan Rodgers is a decent manager and his side can be proud of their first half of the campaign but no more than that as Liverpool showed, brutally quashing the hosts and subduing the cacophonous pre-match atmosphere from the outset.
Utterly dominant, determined Liverpool are utterly certain to be this season’s champions.
Key statistics
Leicester have lost five of their last six Premier League meetings with Liverpool and drawing the other, with their most recent victory a 3-1 win in February 2017.
Liverpool have won three consecutive top-flight away matches versus Leicester for the first time.
This was Leicester’s first home defeat in 12 matches in all competitions (W8, D3) since a 1-0 loss to Newcastle in April.
Leicester have lost back-to-back league games for the first time since Rodgers succeeded Claude Puel as boss in February.
Liverpool have won five successive Boxing Day Premier League matches for the first time, triumphing by an aggregate score of 15-0.
The Reds have won 30 Premier League games in 2019. They have only once managed more victories in a calendar year, recording 33 in 1982.
Liverpool are 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League table. In English top-flight history, the only side to be at least 10 points clear at Christmas and not win the title were Newcastle United in 1995-96.
Liverpool have won 26 of their last 27 Premier League matches drawing the other, including 17 of 18 this season.
They are unbeaten in 35 league fixtures (W30, D5).
The Merseysiders have scored two or more goals in 24 of the last 27 league fixtures. They are the only side to have scored in all 18 Premier League games this season.
Firmino’s second goal was the 500th Liverpool have scored under Jurgen Klopp in all competitions.
Milner has scored 17 of his 19 Premier League penalties, including 13 of the 14 he has taken for Liverpool.
Leicester have lost a home Premier League game by a four-goal margin for the first time since a 1-6 defeat to Tottenham in May 2017.
Leicester have won just two of the 11 Premier League games under Rodgers in which Jamie Vardy has failed to score.
Liverpool full-back Alexander-Arnold has registered 20 assists in the Premier League since the start of last season, more than any other player.
What’s next?
Leicester who clearly suffering a dip in form, now have to try and bounce back with another game in less than 48 hours – ridiculous timing unless it is the same for all clubs. They travel to West Ham on Saturday teatime.
Liverpool host Wolves the following day on December 29.
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