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Given that it’s Boxing Day, it feels good to take the opportunity to pause and recall one of the most comprehensive performances the Premier League has seen in recent years and, one could reasonably argue, ever.
It is of course Leicester City 0-4 Liverpool at the King Power Stadium, exactly one year ago today. Everyone remembers him for Trent Alexander-Arnold’s impressive solo display, two sublime assists and a phenomenal finish to cap off a brilliant getaway, and Roberto Firmino’s majestic double, first and foremost.
As a collective, Liverpool were absolutely imperious from back to front and from start to finish. It was one of those rare occasions where every player, without exception, produced at least a performance of eight out of ten, with several nines and tens in the mix. In the best league campaign in Liverpool’s 128-year history, this was the crescendo, the masterpiece, the definitive climax.
While they still needed to rack up another 34 points before finally confirming their status as Champions of England for the first time in 30 years, the title was symbolically closed that day (even if it took Mohamed Salah’s iconic last goal against Manchester United at Anfield). the following month to extinguish any last semblance of doubt). You could see it in Alexander-Arnold’s eyes as he looked away, arms crossed, watching the sea of glee unfold in front of him, Jordan Henderson letting out a throaty roar beside him. I knew how much it mattered.
Aside from the result and its consequent impact on the league’s rankings at the time, it was the sheer and emphatic nature of the performance that made it such a powerful statement that it told everyone (as if they needed a reminder) that this time , Liverpool went the distance, squashing the mere notion of a title race that continues into the New Year.
However, it was not just the game itself that made this one of the iconic moments of Jürgen Klopp’s tenure at Liverpool, a game that will be talked about with immense pride for many generations to come. It was also the context around him that made him so incredibly special. Just four days earlier, Liverpool had returned from Qatar after playing twice in four days in stifling and energy-draining conditions against Monterrey and Flamengo to become World Champion, going all the way to extra time in the final. Therefore, they had very little time to recover sufficiently, let alone train and prepare specifically for the trip to Leicester.
Meanwhile, Leicester entered the game ahead of Manchester City as Liverpool’s closest rivals, albeit 10 points behind having played one more game. But still, Brendan Rodgers’ team had a chance to narrow the gap to seven points against what most expected to be a mentally and physically tired Liverpool, at least putting Some pressure on league leaders. They also had every reason to be confident, as despite losing to Manchester City in their previous outing, Leicester came in with an unbeaten home record of seven wins and two draws at that point in the season. Although it still seemed far-fetched to consider them true title contenders, their eight-game winning streak between mid-October and early December (with the 9-0 beating of Southampton) was enough to suggest that they deserved to be taken seriously.
It had all the makings of a banana peel for Liverpool, and under the circumstances even one point would have been more than adequate, which is why showing up and simply dismantling them so nonchalantly was an astonishing sight to behold, even from one side. he had collected 49 points out of the first 51 on offer beforehand. Everything got even sweeter when the Wolves came back from a 2-0 defeat to beat Manchester City at Molineux the following night, adding an additional layer of importance to Liverpool’s own triumph.
A couple of intriguing details about the game are easily overlooked in hindsight, but they are worth checking out.
• Despite Liverpool’s excellence from the first whistle, the game was in the balance until quite late, as Liverpool only extended their lead from 1-0 to 2-0 in the 71st minute after Çağlar Söyüncü touched a Alexander-Arnold corner.
• In the 70th minute, just before the penalty, Klopp replaced Naby Keita and Mohamed Salah, replacing them with James Milner and Divock Origi, which might suggest a couple of things. Either they felt Liverpool were beginning to suffer physically and needed fresh legs, or they were quite happy to protect the 1-0 lead at the time instead of doing their best for a second goal (or a combination of both).
• Goals are the main thing that stands out, but Liverpool were also impeccable defensively, so much so that Leicester failed to register a single shot on goal throughout the game.
• Keita was absolutely brilliant during his 70 minutes on the field and was instrumental in setting the pace alongside Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum. It remains one of his most impressive performances for the club, proving that when fully fit and on pace, he has all the tools to be a hugely influential and effective cog in Klopp’s midfield.
In terms of where he stands in Liverpool’s pantheon of great performances, he has to be among the best ever, the perfect 90-minute distillation of the 2019/20 title-winning vintage. Specifically in the Klopp era, Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona will almost certainly always be the pinnacle due to the caliber of the opponent and the extent to which the odds stacked against him after the first leg, while the recent demolition job 7 -0 against Crystal Palace is one of the most sublime finishing displays we’re likely to see.
Yet for full-spectrum dominance throughout the duration of a match, that night at King Power Stadium stands out in a category of its own. For years to come, it may well be regarded as Klopp’s Liverpool masterpiece.
What I read on Liverpool.com
Mark’s article on Roberto Firmino’s most underrated skill is worth reading.
Also, try the Liverpool.com Christmas quiz if you haven’t already. Christmas may have passed, but the questions look more to the calendar year as a whole. We haven’t seen any 100% scores yet, so let us know how you do!
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