The nightmare after Christmas
City’s title hopes suffer Boxing Day knockout blow
EVEN the dreamers will be conceding the title now.
It has been a terrific first half of the season for Leicester City, but second against first has rarely been this one-sided. Liverpool are in another world.
And with the Reds’ lead at 13 points, even the most optimistic of City supporters will be turning their attentions to the race for a Champions League spot now.
What Liverpool provided, as Manchester City did a few days ago, was something for Leicester to strive for.
Brendan Rodgers’ men have been excellent but they are far from the finished article and they were dominated from start to finish on their own patch, a first home defeat of the season coming in emphatic fashion.
Roberto Firmino headed Liverpool into the lead half an hour into a first period that the Reds controlled and in which City were sloppy.
In the second half, just as Leicester looked like they might yet have an equaliser in them, Liverpool struck thrice in a devastating seven-minute period, James Milner, Firmino and Trent Alexander-Arnold sealing the victory and securing a scoreline that reflected their dominance.
For the fixture, Rodgers brought in Dennis Praet to replace Ayoze Perez, selecting the same line-up from the 2-1 defeat at Anfield.
And as was the case on Merseyside, the match was one-sided in favour of the team in red.
In the first half, Liverpool had eight shots to City’s zero. Two of their best chances came inside the first 90 seconds, Alexander-Arnold denied by Kasper Schmeichel after City allowed him to venture forward and, moments later, Sadio Mane misjudged his finish after he sneaked in to meet Mo Salah’s cross in the six-yard box.
The latter chance had been created, in part, by City giving the ball away, which was a theme of the first half.
Rodgers wanted more courage from his players on the ball - he felt they took the easy option and lumped it forward too often at Man City - and he got that, even if it meant his side gave the ball away in their own half occasionally.
Salah ballooned a short over after a misplaced pass from the usually faultless Jonny Evans, and then the Egyptian nearly scored on the break, rounding Schmeichel 35 yards out but finding only the side-netting from a tight angle after a heavy touch.
Jordan Henderson then saw a shot loop just wide after taking a big deflection off Wilfred Ndidi.
After the first quarter of an hour, City began to find their groove and their build-up play improved greatly, even if they could find no way past Virgil van Dijk and co to fashion any real openings.
They kept Liverpool at arm’s length for 10 minutes, but the pressure slowly built and the Premier League leaders then struck a crucial blow.
Alexander-Arnold curled a beautiful cross to the back post that just cleared Ben Chilwell’s head, Firmino meeting it to nod into the corner, the ball squirming under Schmeichel’s outstretched leg.
A defensive mix-up between Evans and Caglar Soyuncu let Mane in moments later, but
Schmeichel rushed out well to deny the Senegalese.
Liverpool dominated possession for the final 10 minutes of the first period to leave City fans feeling fairly hopeless as they headed for their half-time refreshments.
The Liverpool press was not quite so oppressive at the start of the second half and City were able to string a few passes together, Youri Tielemans seeing a shot deflect wide.
Liverpool were still having the better of the chances and Firmino should have doubled his tally from Andy Robertson’s cross, Praet giving the ball away.
Around the hour mark, City found some momentum and with it came a boost to the atmosphere. The supporters were seeing something to get behind.
But almost as soon as it started, it was over.
Soyuncu, very good in the second half, brainlessly stretched out his arm to block a corner, and substitute James Milner, as he did at Anfield, coolly finished from the spot.
The third and fourth followed shortly after as Liverpool took advantage of a demoralised, frustrated City.
City had been overloaded on their left all night, and that’s where both goals came from.
First, Alexander-Arnold drilled a cross low to Firmino, who had time in the box to control before placing the ball in the top corner.
Then the right-back got in on the act, striking low into the bottom corner with an excellent firsttime drive.
Jamie Vardy, who lacked service all evening, hit the side-netting late on, but by that point, many of the supporters were walking home.
City had suffered their heaviest defeat since April 2018 on what will be remembered as the most disappointing evening of a fine 2019 for the club.