FOXES NOT AT SUNDAY BEST
CITY MISS OUT ON TOP SPOT IN HUMBLING ANFIELD NIGHT
LEICESTER City failed to regain top spot in the Premier League last night as their early season title dreams were given a wake-up call by reigning champions Liverpool.
An early own goal by Jonny Evans, bizarrely heading past Kasper Schmeichel, gave Liverpool an advantage that City never really looked like wresting away from them, and further goals by Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino finished
off City on a sobering night.
An under-strength Liverpool had seemed vulnerable before the game, but instead they turned in what pundit Mark Lawrenson called their best performance of the season, while on Twitter number one City fan Gary Lineker was magnaminous enough to hail “an empathic victory from a superb side”, adding: “Massive credit to Jürgen Klopp for conjuring up such an exceptional display despite the injuries.”
Brendan Rodgers, speaking to the BBC afterwards, said his team paid the price for a lack of aggression.
“In the first half, in particular, we were too passive and gave away poor goals,” he said. “We had a good opportunity on the counter with Harvey Barnes, but overall when you are passive like that your football is not quite the same, we weren’t aggressive enough.
“The second half was a little bit better, we were more aggressive in our press, and that allows us to play better football, but Liverpool deserved to win.”
Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp was delighted, saying: “The boys played an incredible game against a top opponent. I don’t take things like this for granted. The boys were on fire football-wise.
“I like the overall performance – the result and clean sheet – we defended incredibly well.”