STAND AND DELIVER
Firmino leads rout of champions as Reds crown Anfield opener in brilliant style
DRINKS were being taken. Leicester’s players were trying to come to their senses and Liverpool’s were catching their breath when the noise started.
What started out as a song in the 33rd minute became a clapping, seat-rattling, foot stamping din, a sound that was unique; Jurgen Klopp had asked Liverpool’s fans to turn the new Anfield, with its giant £115million Main Stand, into a fortress and this was them showing what it has the potential to become.
Supporters, however, can only do so much and they were merely responding to what they were seeing. Liverpool will achieve Klopp’s ambition of making Anfield a place that visitors will dread if they maintain the breathless tempo that enabled them to rip Leicester apart.
They scored four times — two from Roberto Firmino, one apiece for Sadio Mane and Adam Lallana — but could have doubled that advantage had it not been for the valiant Kasper Schmeichel. This was a day that could not have been scripted better.
Before the game Liverpool had organised a parade of legends, highachievers whose feats are chronicled on the brickwork of the towering new structure; they provided a timely reminder to the current generation of the standards to which they must aspire.
In the blue corner of the stadium, meanwhile, there was more evidence of what they must somehow try and achieve. ‘Champions of England, that’s what we are!’ crowed the Leicester fans, rightly still basking in the glow of their remarkable, history-making story.
The side that looked like title winners, however, were wearing red. Liverpool were superb, pressing, passing, surging forward and feeding off the energy in the stadium. Claudio Ranieri, Leicester’s urbane manager, looked uncomfortable.
It came as no surprise, then, that Liverpool took the lead with just 13 minutes gone, Firmino ensuring he will be immortalised in a quiz question by becoming the first scorer at their redeveloped home. It was a fine goal, too.
James Milner may be needing to get used to a new position at leftback but he is not struggling in this unfamiliar role and he was the architect, sliding a wonderful ball through a raft of blue shirts into the feet of Firmino, who turned Robert Huth inside out before crisply finishing. Firmino is a huge figure for Klopp. Yes, he chips in with goals — this was his 10th in the Premier League in 2016 — but it is what he does without the ball, snapping and pestering, hassling and harrying, that sets the tone and so enthuses his manager.
His goal transformed the atmosphere and for the period that followed Liverpool looked irresistible, the FSG hierarchy bouncing in their seats as Klopp’s men looked capable of battering through Leicester’s defences at any given moment.
Only a magnificent save from Schmeichel stopped them doubling their lead in the 26th minute after Mane and Lallana combined to tee up Daniel Sturridge but the Danish keeper evoked memories of his father, Peter, unfurling himself with a star jump to turn the ball away.
That proved to be a temporary respite; five minutes later Lucas Leiva rolled the ball out from the back into Firmino who in turn found Jordan Henderson. The captain drilled a ball forward to Sturridge, whose magnificent back heel gave Mane an opportunity he could not miss.
So thrilled was Klopp with the manner in which his side had carved Leicester open, he turned around and punched the air with such glee his glasses fell off. Only a smart catch prevented him needing to invest in another new pair. Celebrating is becoming an expensive business for the German.
Everything looked to be going to script but then, inexplicably, they allowed Leicester back into the game. There seemed little sign of danger when Simon Mignolet ushered a ball towards Lucas but his touch was heavy and the Brazilian compounded the error by passing straight to Jamie Vardy.
From a position of dominance, Liverpool horribly lost their way. Luis Hernandez, on as substitute for Danny Simpson, caused mayhem with a long throw into the area, Mignolet missing with an intended punch, but Huth could not capitalise and his header grazed the crossbar.
Liverpool needed half-time to arrive but their uncertainty lingered for a spell after the re-start as Leicester zipped into tackles and looked for the slightest invitation. Vardy, especially, was like an irritating wasp to Joel Matip and Lucas.
Then, though, came the strike that settled the nerves and ensured this grand ceremony would not be ruined. In the 56th minute, Liver- pool had decamped outside Leicester’s area when the ball fell to Gini Wijnaldum, the £25million man who was having his best game since arriving from Newcastle.
He had options to his left but, wisely, chose the one to his right and his set-up was perfect for Lallana, who unleashed a piercing drive that was destined for the roof of Schmeichel’s net from the moment it left his white-footed boot.
Klopp, perhaps conscious of his falling spectacles, managed to contain himself but nobody else did. Lallana chose to hurtle towards the Main Stand rather than celebrate in front of The Kop and was pursued by his team-mates. Lucas, in particular, made a point of thanking him for the goal.
It would have been interesting to see how the game played out had Vardy managed to reduce the deficit once more but, just past the hour, Mignolet managed to elongate his leg to turn away a drive from the England striker to preserve Liverpool’s healthy buffer.
As it was, Liverpool continued to stream forward and their dominance was confirmed in injury-time when Firmino rolled in his second after a rare Schmeichel error. Leicester, then, head to Bruges for their opening Champions League fixture with much to ponder.
Liverpool, by contrast, can attack the season hoping to be in Leicester’s shoes next year.