Lookman Deals Liverpool Huge Title Blow

Written by Shane Brennan

Liverpool took on Leicester at the King Power stadium on Tuesday evening. The Reds went into the game hoping to reduce the gap to three points in the race for the Premier League title, however it was to turn out to be a night of utter frustration for Liverpool.

The first chance of the game came about in the 4^th minute when Kostas Tsimikas   crossed the ball into the box, the ball found Mohamed Salah, who’s header dropped kindly for Diogo Jota, he got his shot away but sadly got a massive block in to preserve parity for The Fox’s.

Then in the 8^th minute Trent Alaxander Arnold crossed the ball into the Leicester area, Daniel Amartey cleared the ball straight to Jordan Henderson who had a decent shot, but unfortunately the ball flew over Kasper Schmeichel’s cross bar. In the 14^th minute Liverpool won a penalty, when Trent Alexander-Arnold’s throw in found Jordan Henderson, whose flick found Salah and his trickery was just too much for Wilfred Ndidi, and Liverpool had the chance to go 1-0 up from the spot.

However, from the resulting spot kick, Salah’s shot was weak, Schmeichel dived down to his left to make the save, the danger was not fully cleared however because from the resulting save the ball came to Salah again, but his header came back off the crossbar and Leicester survived. In the 23^rd minute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain put a ball into the box, which evaded Henderson’s efforts trying to get on the end of it, in any case it was enough to call Schmeichel into action as he reacted really well to prevent the ball going into the net from a tricky cross.

In the 28^th minute a massive chance was to come about for The Reds when Sadio Mane’s cross found Henderson, he headed the ball down for Jota who got his shot away, but yet again Schmeichel was in the way to pull off a great save. 

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Then Kelechi Iheanacho put Jamie Vardy through on goal, but thankfully the returning Virgil van Dijk was able to keep up with him and clear the danger. In the 32^nd minute Henderson chipped the ball towards Salah, the ball deflected kindly for him off the crowded Leicester defence, and he smashed the ball at Schmeichel who pulled off yet another astonishing save. In the 35^th minute a big opportunity came about for Leicester when Timothy Castagne combined with Vardy to set the Englishman up for a shot on goal but Joel Matip came across to deny him in what was a heroic piece of defending.

In the 38^th minute Vardy got in a tussle with Tsimikas, Vardy won the battle and ran through on goal, he tried to pick out James Maddison who squared the ball across the box, fortunately Alexander-Arnold was on the line to clear the danger. In the 43^rd minute Liverpool won a corner which Alexander-Arnold   took, the ball found its way to Henderson who volleyed the ball over the top of the crossbar.  Just before the half time break Liverpool were to create one final opportunity when Alexander-Arnold  played the ball into the box, the ball fell for Jota who drilled his shot wide of Schmeichel’s  left hand post to leave the game level at the break.

The first chance of the second half fell The Fox’s way in the 52^nd minute when   Iheanacho combined with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, to allow Dewsbury-Hall to run clear and cross the ball into the Liverpool area, but thankfully Tsimikas was there to prevent the ball reaching Vardy, and the ball went harmlessly out for a throw in. In the 55^th minute Liverpool spurned a tremendous opportunity to take the lead when Jota put mane clean through on goal, but sadly his shot went high and handsomely over the cross bar.

In the 59^th minute Liverpool were made pay for all their missed opportunity’s, when Leicester city substitute Ademola Lookman raced onto a ball fromDewsbury-Hall, as he gleefully smashed the ball into the back of Alisson Becker’s net to give a resilient Fox’s side the lead on the night. From that point on Liverpool probed constantly for an equaliser, and the next chance of the game came in the 66^th minute when Matip found  Tsimikas  in space, he crossed the ball in, but the seemingly ever present Amartey was there to clear the ball for The Fox’s. In the 77^th minute Liverpool created half an opportunity, when Salah tried to pick out mane, but the ball just ran away from him in what was one of those nights for The Mighty Reds. 

In the 82^nd minute Liverpool won a corner, which Tsimikas took it found Jota, but he could only direct his header wide of the left hand post, as Liverpool were running out of time. In the 86^th James Milner crossed the ball into the box, the ball found its way to Van Dijk, who got his shot away, but Schmeichel was able to make the save.

In the 88^th Minute Liverpool had a great chance from a corner, when the ball found its way to Mane, but he could only guide the ball wide too as the writing was on the wall. As the game ebbed away, Liverpool gave it everything they had, but they couldn’t break down a fantastic Leicester defensive effort, as they held on for all three points. Next up for Liverpool is a must win game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.     

Written by Shane Brennan