Liverpool had to look to an odd source for motivation, but they overcame Leicester City after falling behind by one goal. Jürgen Klopp, though, will not have been fully satisfied with several parts of the performance.
Liverpool’s most experienced defense, led by Virgil van Dijk, was ripped apart once more for the game’s opening goal. Anfield was tense as the home team struggled to make a breakthrough.
In the end, it was Leicester, whose two own goals changed the course of the game. Liverpool will be grateful for their good fortune, but they can also learn from the performance, one of which was loudly praised by the Anfield fans.
Here are the four things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded:
Apologies galore
Liverpool has struggled to keep its record clean this year. Whether or not this is a silver lining, the majority of goals given up have been the result of structural problems rather than isolated instances of human error.
The issues from the previous game against Aston Villa persisted against Leicester, but the main annoyance was the looseness that had crept into Liverpool’s play. All too frequently, one would see a person dressed in red holding up an arm in remorse.
Andy Robertson was a persistent offender. He was really fortunate to escape punishment for a wayward ball that went towards midfield and appeared to spark a dangerous break. He rejected a rare clear-cut opportunity at the opposite end with a wayward cross that was obviously uncommon.
Andy Robertson was a repeat culprit. He was very fortunate not to be punished for a loose ball into midfield, which led to a dangerous-looking break. At the other end, he spurned a rare clear-cut opening with an (admittedly unusual) loose cross, which ballooned harmlessly out of play.Both times, he offered a sheepish raised hand to his teammates.
Jordan Henderson, too, was forced to ask for forgiveness, fluffing his lines with the simplest of passes and letting Leicester in. Without their freak brace of own goals, it was hard to see where the breakthrough would come from — Liverpool should not have needed that to sharpen up.
Anfield makes point
As things go, Wout Faes’ day at work wasn’t the best. He had scored three own goals by halftime, leading Liverpool to a comeback on his own.
First off, it was unacceptable, especially after Danny Ward shouted for people to leave the cross to him. The second, however, was more comprehensible because Mohamed Salah was drawing near and there was not much time to choose how to handle the ball.
Anfield did indeed make sure to give credit where credit is due. They responded after the game-winning goal with a chorus of “Nunez, Nunez” rather than torturing the young Belgian (who, it must be said, was the target of calls of “shoot” for much of the contest).
Although he won’t be given official credit for it, Darwin Nunez really scored the goal by bursting past the defense and chipping the ball over Ward. It appeared to be in all the way, but it painfully rebounded off the post, only for Faes to turn disappointment into humor.
Nunez will be keen for more opportunities to enter the game, but Liverpool supporters won’t care much. He is paying back that high price as long as he continues to achieve goals through his chaotic presence.
Van Dijk squabble
The manner in which Liverpool gave up the game’s first goal was cause for serious concern.
For starters, falling behind is an unwanted season-long motif that viewers will be anxiously hope is relegated to 2022. But what truly raised red flags was how quickly Leicester broke through.
Once more, this is by no means the first occasion Liverpool’s defense has been fragile at best, and the midfield also shares some of the blame for how easily Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall got through. But alarmingly, nobody seems to be certain of the solution.
That was clear from the response in the immediate aftermath. Van Dijk led the inquest, but everyone seemed to be shouting and gesticulating at each other, all at sixes and sevens. Until Liverpool can pinpoint what is going wrong, it will be very hard to set it right.
Thiago class shines through
Due to Fabinho’s absence from the Liverpool team due to personal matters, Klopp was in a difficult situation. Many would have preferred Stefan Bajceti, who has shown promise in recent cameos, but the final lineup opted against having a dedicated defensive player.
Thiago took on the additional responsibility admirably. Even though he may be a bit of a card magnet at times, he is a feisty and effective presence in the middle of the park who is frequently underappreciated for his defensive skills.
Against Leicester, he was imperious. Undoubtedly his crowning moment came with Liverpool a goal down in the first half, with a three-on-three break bearing down on him. He stopped the situation from worsening with a glorious challenge, before very nearly setting his side away at the other end with a raking pass.
That encapsulated his skill-set in a nutshell. When fit, he is such an asset to this team, and it is hard to imagine Liverpool getting three points in this one without him (and Faes).