STANDING FIRM
FOXES NO MATCH FOR CHAMPIONS AS REDS SET UNBEATEN HOME RECORD
JAMES MILNER hailed Liverpool’s formidable form at Anfield as the champions set a new record of 64 home league matches unbeaten by beating Leicester 3-0 on Merseyside last night.
Jonny Evans’ own goal and headers from Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino moved Jurgen Klopp’s men joint-top of the Premier League with Tottenham.
Milner told Sky Sports: ‘It’s never been an easy place to come and we’re missing the fans at the moment but it shows the intensity we bring. It’s impressive we’ve kept it going without the fans.’
Liverpool paid tribute before kick-off to former goalkeeper Ray Clemence, who played 655 times for Liverpool and died last week aged 72.
Once the game began the hosts got a helping hand from Evans as the defender headed Milner’s corner into his own net as he tried to fend off Sadio Mane.
Jota saw a goal disallowed for handball while at the other end Harvey Barnes missed a great chance for Leicester before Jota made it 2-0 before half-time.
The Portugal forward glanced home an Andrew Robertson cross to become the first player in Liverpool’s history to score in each of his first four home top-flight league appearances for the club.
Mane and Firmino both hit the woodwork in the same move after the break, Marc Albrighton clearing off the line.
But Firmino had the final say on 86 minutes, heading in another Milner corner to put the seal on a new Reds record.
Klopp – missing the injured Jordan Henderson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez and Mohamed Salah, who has Covid – also lost Naby Keita to injury in the second half and said of the performance: ‘I don’t take things like this for granted. The boys were on fire.’