As it happened: Leicester 1-2 Liverpool

Premier League
Saturday 01 September 2018 - 12:30 pm
King Power Stadium
Leicester1
2Liverpool
Show Match Events
10'Mane ⚽️
44'Firmino ⚽️
55' van Dijk
Albrighton off, Iheanacho on ↔️61'
Ghezzal61'
⚽️ Ghezzal64'
69'↔️ Salah off, Shaqiri on
69'↔️ Henderson off, Keïta on
Gray off, Okazaki on ↔️75'
Maddison off, Amartey on ↔️85'
Mendy88'
89'↔️ Alexander-Arnold off, Matip on
90' Milner
Ndidi90'
Possession %
5149
Total Shots
1210
Shots on Target
54
Shots Blocked
42
Offside
32
Hide Match Events

Liverpool head to the King Power Stadium in the weekend's first Premier League game.

The reds do not have a wonderful record for the early kick offs, and have lost two of their last three Premier League games away at Leicester City.

However, Jamie Vardy misses out through suspension - he has been something of a thorn in Liverpool's side in recent years.  And the reds have yet to concede a goal this season.

Leicester have had a good start to the season.  They were narrowly beaten in the opening game against Manchester United away but have won their next two games.

A win for Liverpool today would see them remain top, or at least joint top of the league, ahead of the international break.  After the international break the reds will begin to face some serious fixture congestion with domestic League Cup action and the return of the Champions League.

Follow the game with us below.

As it happened...

11:26 UK
Pre Match Stats

In total, Leicester have won 3 of their last 4 home Premier League games against Liverpool, whilst the reds will be aiming to win their first four games for the first time since the inception of the Premier League.

The reds last won their opening 4 games in 1990/91 - Kenny Dalglish's last season in charge (first time around).

If Alisson keeps a clean sheet today he will become only the fourth keeper to do so in the Premier League.  Following Alex Manninger (first six), Anders Lindegaard (first five) and Jose Reina (first four). 

11:31 UK
One change for Liverpool

Four games in and Klopp makes his first change to the starting line up - Henderson in for Keita.

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Milner, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Subs: Mignolet, Keita, Sturridge, Moreno, Lallana, Shaqiri, Matip.

11:48 UK
Leicester team confirmed

Looks like a team packed with midfielders from Leicester. 

No Vardy through suspension and Ihenacho and Okazaki named on the bench.  A debut for Rachid Ghezzal.

11:59 UK
Klopp on the Henderson-Keita change

The Liverpool boss has been explaining today's change to thestarting XI

'I thought it made sense for the game today. We have to, if you want, be rock solid, in all departments because Leicester is a good football-playing side, so we need to defend very well, to be really compact and all different things so it helps when the boys are used to this. 

'This midfield played pretty much the last third of the last season unchanged, so that’s the reason.

'On the other hand, it’s about being fresh and all that stuff.'

Keita is on the  bench today

12:05 UK
Milner 100

James Milner today joins the ranks of Rory Delap, Gareth Barray and the late Gary Speed.

All four of them made 100 Premier League appearances for three different clubs.

12:21 UK

Liverpool players undergoing their pre-match routine on the pitch.

We've got ten minutes until kick off.

It's the first day of Autumn in the UK but the sun is shining in Leicester and it's just above 20 degrees C.

12:31 UK
KICK OFF

Underway at the King Power Stadium

12:35 UK

4' Great chance there for the reds.  Firmino's shot rebounded - Salah is running in and he puts it .... WIDE!?

12:39 UK

8' Looping ball forward from Mendy in the Leicester midfield.  Alisson there to come and claim.

Cheer goes up around the King Power as van Dijk forced into an unusual mistake that concedes possession.

12:41 UK
GOAL

10' Robertson with the pass, Mane takes a touch then drills a left footed shot. 

1-0 to the reds.

12:47 UK

16' Gomez heads over from a cross.  Liverpool looking fairly solid in this opening quarter of the game.

12:54 UK

23' Good save by Alisson from Gray - and with that Liverpool clock up 7 and a half hours of Premier League football since they last conceded a goal.

12:55 UK
Mane's opening goal

12:57 UK

26' Spell of possession now from the home team.  Reaction save from Alisson sparked them into life a bit.

Liverpool trying to see it out and get back on the front foot.

13:05 UK

34' Far more competitive game now.  Leicester look like they now 2-0 could be curtains.  James Maddison looks lively and Mo Salah hasn't really sparked into action yet.

Plenty of attacking options on both benches so this game could switch momentum at any point.  

Leicester send in a free kick but Maguire signalled for offside.

13:09 UK

39' Andy Robertson down after a good sliding tackle.  Ricardo's studs hit the back of his head.  

He's not down too long. #MadeOfIron

13:10 UK

39' And now Firmino gives away a free kick for a high boot.

13:13 UK

42' Liverpool failing to create too much from midfield now.  Looks like they are missing Keita to create some kind of spark.  

Henderson, Milner and Wijnaldum all assisting at the defensive side but the reds are mounting a rearguard action.

Do they protect their 1-0 lead in the second half?

13:14 UK

43' Well finally another chance for Liverpool.  Salah with the shot from outside the box and Schmeichel tips it wide for a corner.

13:16 UK
GOAL!!!

44' Scratch all that - Roberto Firmino with his first goal of the season.  James Milner with the corner and Bobby heads in at the near post.

13:19 UK
HALF TIME

That's 13 goals for Liverpool in the past 4 and a half league games without conceding a goal.

Bright start from the reds, then Leicester enjoyed a good spell.  But the reds weathered the Foxes attack and scored an important goal just before the break.

It is looking good reds!

13:32 UK
KICK OFF

Back underway for the second half.

The reds 2-0 up and looking good to maintain their 100% opening.

13:35 UK

47' Ghezzal's shot/cross squirms across the face of goal.

13:36 UK

49' Good run forward by Salah, he's bringing the ball, Wijnaldum powers forward but Salah's pass goes straight into the path of a Leicester defender.

13:36 UK

50' Shot from Maddison edge of the box but it's straight into the gloves of Alisson Becker.

13:38 UK
Not too boring at all..

13:40 UK
Brilliant defending

53' Looked like a chance for Leicester to get a goal but brilliant defending tackle from Joe Gomez and the threat is cleared for now.

13:42 UK
Yellow card

55' van Dijk concedes a free kick just outside the box for a foul on Maddison.  He gets a yellow card.

13:43 UK

LFC wall stops the free kick causing any further issues.

13:44 UK

57' Been nearly all Leicester so far in this half.  Liverpool just about protecting that clean sheet and their two goal advantage.  But for how long?

13:45 UK

58' Salah with the ball - goes across the centre of the area then elects for a reverse pass but it's too far in front of James Milner and the opportunity is ended.

13:47 UK
Game is getting stretched

There are cheers around the ground as Harry Maguire sees off a challenge from Trent Alexander-Arnold before he sends in a pass directly to a Liverpool player.

More goals in this game coming - there has to be.

13:48 UK
First sub

61' Its for Leicester.  Ihenahco is on for Albrighton.

Ghazeel picks up a yellow card.

13:49 UK

62' Plenty of action amongst the Liverpool substitutes.  

Sturridge, who turns 29 today, amongst the players on the touchline.

13:51 UK
Goal

64' Oh dear.  Alisson has egg on his face.  He tries to take on Ihenahcho who disposseses him and Ghezzal fires in.

Bad mistake there.

13:53 UK

66' Leicester fancy a comeback now.  Maguire signalled offside from another conceded free kick.  Liverpool have not been great today and now find themselves under unnecessary pressure.

13:57 UK
Double LFC Sub

70' Henderson and Mo Salah head off - on come Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri.

13:59 UK

72' Keita's first touch is an overhit lob that goes out for a throw in.  Klopp doesn't look too happy about it.

14:03 UK
Leicester sub

75' Uh oh.  Shinji Okazaki on for Gray.  He's another one who does well against Liverpool.

14:11 UK
Final Leicester sub

84' We're well into the last ten minutes now and a final change for Leicester. Amartey on for James Maddison.

14:15 UK
Yellow card

88' Mendy picks up another Leicester yellow card.  Bit of intensity out of the game now.  Not long to go.

14:16 UK
And for the reds...

89' A final Liverpool substitution as Joel Matip is on for Alexander-Arnold.

14:17 UK
Hmm..

Five minutes of added time to play.  Not sure where that's come from.

14:20 UK

90+3 Schmeichel's come up for a Leicester corner.  He can't help them out and it's cleared.

14:22 UK

It was Virgil van Dijk who headed the corner away with Schmeichel next to him.

14:23 UK
FULL TIME

All over.

Leicester 1-2 Liverpool

Liverpool with their best start to a league campaign for 28 years.

14:25 UK

Big intake of breath from Alisson at the end of that game.  

Not a great performance from Liverpool but a flawless points return so far.  Is there something in that?

14:33 UK

Sadio Mane: 'Our attitude made the difference.  We kept on fighting and we deserved to win this game and get the three points.'

14:40 UK

Jamie Redknapp on Sky about Alisson Becker: 'I'm not a fan of the Cruyff turns.  There's a reason he plays in a yellow shirt - it's because he's not as good with his feet.  Leave it alone.'

14:42 UK

Thanks for joining us.  Check out the updated match stats and league table as well as our match report.

We'll be keeping our fingers crossed now during the international break because when our players return we have Spurs, Paris St Germain, Chelsea (twice), Napoli and Man City - all in the space of about 20 days!



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