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Sports News for Monday, November 23, 2020
Source: goal.com
2020-11-23
Jurgen Klopp’s men are nowhere near ready to hand over their job
Crisis, what crisis?
If this is Liverpool when they’re stretched out, then the rest of the Premier League should be scared.
Jurgen Klopp’s men, it seems, are nowhere near ready to step down as the best dogs in English football.
The Reds may have a longer injured list than anyone else in recent memory, but they impressively ignored it, beating Leicester City 3-0 at Anfield to even the points with Tottenham at the top of the table.
It means they set a new club record in the process. They now have 64 unbeaten league games at home, a streak that notably dates back to April 2017: a world of fans in the stadiums, of Sam Allardyce and Christian Benteke celebrating, a world where the idea of a challenge for the Liverpool’s title was still a bit far off.
A different world.
Now they’re thinking about the title, that’s for sure. This was a victory that will send a message to the challengers.
If you come for the crown, you better be prepared for the fight of your life.
This, remember, was a team without three of their four first-choice runners, with their captain offside, their summer signing absent, and their isolated top scorer after testing positive for coronavirus. Without Virgil van Dijk, without Joe Gomez, without Trent Alexander-Arnold, without Jordan Henderson, without Thiago Alcantara, without Mohamed Salah.
And they faced a team that many had spoken of as a contender, a team that had already beaten Manchester City and Arsenal on the road, that had cleaned the track with Leeds United and that had started the weekend at the top. of the Premier League.
Leicester, however, barely put a glove on the champions. Defeated twice by the Reds last season, Brendan Rodgers’ men were put in their place once again here. “The best team won,” the Foxes boss admitted afterward, making an early claim for the understatement of the season.
Most of the damage came in the first half, which Liverpool dominated from the get-go and was rewarded with an own goal by Jonny Evans and a superbly crafted second courtesy of Diogo Jota, who spearheaded Andy’s delicious delivery. Robertson at the end of a fluid team movement.
Jota, bright, slippery and dangerous, continues to impress. The Portugal international has already scored in all four of his home league games for the club, the first player in Reds history to achieve such a feat. As several pointed out, he has scored more goals at home this season than Manchester United.
He was the man of the match here, but he had a lot of competition. Klopp had asked the players to step up in the absence of so many stars. His wish was granted, and more.
Jota led the way, but how nice it must have been for Klopp to see Curtis Jones, for example, perform so admirably in midfield. This was only the third start of the 19-year Premier League, but it seemed like he had been there his entire life.
Confident, robust and tactically flawless, he certainly outshone another England hopeful, James Maddison, in opposition.
Jones is undoubtedly the future, but he was equaled in his excellence by Liverpool’s senior statesman. James Milner turns 35 in January, but you’d never know by watching this.
He started as a right back and ended up in midfield, his corners creating two of the Reds’ three goals; their experience, nous and quality set the standard for this patched XI. What a player he has been and continues to be for Klopp.
Of course, being this Liverpool there was still another injury to deal with. Naby Keita had been excellent on his return to side, but his evening was interrupted by what looked like a hamstring problem early in the second half. At least you’ll have plenty of company in the treatment room …
Liverpool, however, overcame that blow like they outmatched everyone else. They extended their lead through Roberto Firmino at the end, a welcome goal for the Brazilian, who posted a much better performance. Only he, and goalline technology, know how he failed to score another goal.
However, don’t worry. One was enough for Firmino, three for his team.
Maybe one day we will learn, huh? Eliminate Liverpool at your own risk. The names may change, but the story cannot.
This is, and still is, a great soccer team.
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