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Leicester City may have felt that form, fortune and omens were on their side as they prepared to face Liverpool at Anfield.
Brendan Rodgers’ side could have risen to the top of the Premier League with a victory, testament to their good start to the season, while Liverpool were short of star players in all parts of the squad.
And for the statistically minded, Liverpool entered the game having equaled their previous longest unbeaten home league streak of 63 games, ended by Leicester City in January 1981 after nearly three years.
Instead, the Foxes came out of Anfield heavily beaten by the reigning champions, who added that history-making 64th undefeated home game for their 3-0 victory.
Leicester is still in the top four and only two points behind the top two, with Tottenham leading the league against Liverpool on goal difference. So it’s not a time of crisis, just a reality check similar to the one they got last Christmas when Jurgen Klopp’s team beat the Foxes, then second, 4-0 at King Power Stadium.
As much will be said about Liverpool’s injuries, it should be mentioned for context that Leicester is also currently without key personnel such as Ricardo Pereira, Caglar Soyuncu, Wilfred Ndidi, Timothy Castagne and Daniel Amartey.
However, this was a very cold shower for them. They have come a long way with Rodgers, but there is much more to go before their fans can harbor the dream of repeating their glorious and miraculous Premier League title victory in 2015-16.
Liverpool were simply too strong, too fast, too powerful and too powerful from the first whistle to the last, and only the woodwork and excellence of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel saved them from overwhelming.
Leicester did not move the ball with his usual rhythm, while Jamie Vardy, who would have imagined his chances against a Liverpool defense stripped of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold, was left isolated. It would stretch the point to even suggest that he was eating leftovers.
On the contrary, Liverpool were relentless, despite a list of no-shows that also included Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson and Mohamed Salah, who tested positive for Covid-19 while on international service with Egypt.
If this is Liverpool without those influential names, then it is a terrifying prospect for those who wish to take the title away from them. The manager stayed behind to vent about the game scheduling this condensed season later, but his team still keeps pace at the top.
Spurs, with series winner José Mourinho, appear to have a say in reshaping the title, especially after beating Manchester City, while Chelsea may quietly harbor similar aspirations as they move under the radar.
City and Pep Guardiola should also be included in the equation, but there is something fragile about their current team, a flaw that undermined their chances last season.
It is Liverpool, however, that remains the team to beat, as Leicester painfully discovered at Anfield.
If there was a moment that summed up an imperious performance, it was Diogo Jota’s second goal, who has settled at Anfield as he was born.
The play featured 30 passes and ended with a lethal header from the 45-million-pound Portuguese striker, who showed movement and technique to make the most of a magnificent cross from left-back Andrew Robertson.
Klopp pushed his fist down the tunnel at the final whistle, beaming with joy after congratulating his Liverpool players and commiserating with the defeated opponents. He knew this was a potentially difficult task with his team under somewhat reduced circumstances, but they handled it with outstanding style.
Leicester abandoned their usual standards and, at times, lacked the ambition and self-confidence to be able to seize the opportunity Liverpool injuries presented.
As others have discovered in recent years, there is no shame in leaving Anfield well beaten. It has happened to many others, but for Rodgers and his players, this was a missed opportunity.
