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Boxing Day Win for Reds!
15 Plays14 days ago
Liverpool beat visitors Leicester at Anfield on Boxing Day to strengthen their position at the top of the table. We'll go through all the main talking points and player ratings.
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Transcript
Liverpool's Dominant Victory
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to the Daily Liverpool Podcast brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network. I'm your host Jesse Sawa. Liverpool have extended their lead at the top of the Premier League after they beat Leicester 4-0 Anfield in the 8pm kickoff here in the UK. So another really good day for Liverpool and it seems like none of our rivals are either willing or able to really put pressure on the Reds.
Rivals' Missed Opportunities
00:00:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah These games, when you're playing first as Chelsea and Manchester City were, are so important. It's always a massive opportunity to put pressure on that team at the top. But both Chelsea and Manchester City couldn't take advantage. With Manchester City who drew 1-1 at home to Everton, Erling harling Harland missing from the spot as well. Is it now time to discount them from the Premier League title race?
00:01:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Surely it must be, must be out there reach now unless something truly dramatic happens because as it stands, City are now 14 points behind Liverpool and Liverpool still have a gaming hand. If they win that gaming hand, it's 17 points.
00:01:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
with Arsenal playing on Friday, um Nottingham Forest winning and moving into third place in the league to continue their just amazing um start to this season. City now really have to focus on ensuring Champions League qualification.
00:01:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Chelsea, who looked like becoming our ah kind of real serious title challenges, ah they kicked off at 3 p.m. in the West London Derby at home against Fulham, gave up a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1. So a big opportunity missed for Chelsea to go within one point of Liverpool to try and put some kind of pressure on them before that game against Leicester, but they couldn't hold on to that lead against a Fulham side that I think I've mentioned on this podcast a few times. I've really enjoyed watching them this season. What a job Marco Silva is doing at Fulham.
00:02:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
And when well done to former red Harry Wilson for scoring the equalizer and playing a part in the winner against Chelsea. That leaves Chelsea seven points behind Liverpool having played a game extra. Okay, we're going to go for a very quick break. ah We'll talk about the Leicester game right after this short message.
00:03:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, welcome back. Let's
Liverpool vs Leicester: Match Highlights
00:03:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
talk about the Reds now. um A convincing 3-1 win against Leicester. The game was an 8pm evening kickoff here in the UK, although there were suggestions that the game could have been cold ah called off because of the conditions. Very, very foggy. If you're watching the game on the television, you you would have seen that the fog was it wass pretty bad in the first half. It did begin to clear up.
00:04:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But the game did go ahead, Liverpool starting with Alisson in goal, a back four, a familiar back four of Trent, Gomez, Van Dijk and Robertson, a midfield three of Gravenberg, McAllister, Jones, and a front three of Salah, Nunez and Gappo.
00:04:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Liverpool were quick out of the traps. Jones ah very nearly putting Liverpool one up inside the first two minutes. um But it's it's actually Leicester that take a shock le lead after just six minutes. um They attack down the left.
00:04:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
doesn't really look like it's going anywhere but a speculative cross into the box and it's Jordan Ayu and to be fair he does really well to turn on the ball in ah in a really kind of tight position and slide the ball past Allison. It does take a crucial deflection off Van Dyck and I think that's um that that was critical because it just took it out of Alison's reach and it looks like that it really kind of knocks Liverpool back because Liverpool started very brightly and they go one nil down inside the first six or seven minutes through Leicester's first attack and the the visitors I thought they grew in confidence as that half went on
00:05:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
even though Liverpool were dominating possession. But they had a game plan. And that was to put 10 men behind the ball. And that one nil lead just gave them something to hold on to. And you can't blame them. ah yeah A team like Leicester who at the wrong end of the table, they are fighting for every point. um You know, you you can't go toe to toe with Liverpool. And so they were ah trying to frustrate Liverpool and they were succeeding and in doing that. So a very low block from Leicester meant Liverpool were being forced wide. They fired in over 30 crosses in that first half. Andy Robertson headed against the post. Salah had a few chances and he hit the bar just before half time. And you think maybe that's the chance gone for that first half. But that's when Cody Gackpo takes the initiative.
00:06:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
The move actually starts with the goalkeeper, Alison, plays it very quickly to Robertson, Robertson through to the midfield at McAllister and then to Gackpo. He gets the ball from out wide on the left, cuts inside and bends in a beautiful shot from outside the area to level the game and a really, really crucial game um ah for the Reds right before half time.
00:06:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean going in at half time you could see the spring and the step of the players as they headed into the tunnel and it was the spark that the team needed and really you just couldn't see any other result than a Liverpool win. We're going to go for another short break and we'll be back after this message.
00:07:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, so Liverpool came out for the second half and really just carried on where they left off um at the end of the first half. High energy, high intensity, and you could see they were playing more intricate passes in and around the Leicester penalty area. Instead of being forced out wide and kind of pumping in crosses,
00:08:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's that interplay that leads to Liverpool's second. Some really neat play between Curtis Jones, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Jones then follows up that move into the six yard area and finish ah finishes off that move really smartly to put Liverpool 2 on up just five minutes after the restart.
00:08:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
There is a VAR check and there's another VAR check later on in the game. ah The Jones goal is given but Gack Poe's goal later in the game is ruled out. Both really lengthy VAR checks and look I know that there's an argument that the most important thing is to just get the decision right. And and that's correct, to to some degree. But it just seems like this kind of forensic examination, that they're trying to find ways to rule out goals. um And it just made me think about the Carabao Cup.
00:09:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
last week watching that game with no VAR was just so stress free and you saw the players actually just getting on with the game. No real controversies, um no surrounding of the referee telling them to you know check VAR. The game just flowed much better.
00:09:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But yeah know that's that's a whole different podcast um on VAR, but you didn't need VAR to decide on the Mo Salah goal on 82 minutes. Mo Salah running down the wing, cuts in, just guides in a sublime finish to secure all three points for Liverpool. That's 16 goals in the Premier League for this season. He is just He's just a world class performer and if we win the Premier League and all the Champions League, he's got to win the Ballon d'Or, easily the best player in the world.
00:10:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
um let's Let's go through some player ratings.
Player Performances and Ratings
00:10:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's start off with Alison Becker in goal. I'm going to give him a 7 out of 10. A solid game. Really didn't have much to do. Not fought for the goal really. um it was a It was a kind of um a wicked deffliction deflection off of Van Dyck. So it couldn't really be forted for that. but you know, he's all round his handling, ah the way he kind of marshaled that back line good distribution. It was his quick ah goal kick that set up the move that led to get pose equalizer. So a typical kind of seven out of 10 performance from Allison
00:11:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'd say the same for Trent Alexander-Arnold. I'm giving him a seven as well, a solid game. A bit erratic with um his set pieces, particularly with corners, which is unusual, but overall I thought defensively, um you know, it it was a good game.
00:11:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Andy Robertson, full of industry, ah defensively very sound, ah constantly ah running up and down that that left wing, throwing in really dangerous crosses. I think he's playing himself back into form, Andy Robertson. It's really, really good to see. Van Dijk, I'd say another seven out of 10, possibly could have done better with the goal ah that was conceded, maybe a bit harsh that. but Certainly after that, I thought you marshalled the defence well and really just looked very um you know very solid. Joe Gomez, 8 out of 10. Another commanding performance.
00:12:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
um sweeping up ah whenever Trent went forward, um timing his tackles really well, his interceptions were really good, very comfortable on the ball. And at this rate, I think Canate will have a fight for his place back. I don't think he just walks into into the team, such is Gomez's form.
00:12:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
moving on to the midfield. um Ryan Graverburger, you know, a solid performance, a good performance, not as influential as other games, but at the very minimum, he kept Liverpool's possession ticking over, kept that tempo, that movement going, arm in arm with McAllister. Again, another seven out of 10 performance.
00:12:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
full-blooded midfield performance, um even took over from Trent in the second half for, for corners, which I thought he was much, much better at. Mo Salah, I thought it could have been a seven, ah you know, he he had a good game, but you know, he scores the crucial third goal to secure ah those points. And so, you know, a decisive performance, if not one of his best. So I'm giving him an eight out of 10.
00:13:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
nunes Nunez, what can you say about Darwin Nunez? um I'm going to give him a 5 out of 10, which may sound really harsh, but I thought he was all effort, not much ga guile,
00:13:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
um being caught offside one time too many for my liking, which is another feature of his game. um But the man of the match for me is Cody Canco.
00:13:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm giving him an 8 out of 10 constant threat down the left. um He's really kind of developed this in swing cross um when he cuts in from that left hand side and it's really is a real threat and he set up Mo on a number of occasions.
00:14:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it was his goal, ah you know, a fantastic equalizer at a really crucial part of the game just before halftime that I think was the springboard for Liverpool to go on and secure another vital win in the chase for this Premier League title, which is that's what it is. You know, we're looking to win the Premier League. We're in a very, very good
Liverpool's Title Prospects
00:14:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
position. I don't think we're quite at that stage.
00:14:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
where I hear some pundits saying, well, it's Liverpool's to lose. I think they're just trying to build a narrative there. I don't think it's anyone's to lose right now. I don't think a seven point gap is ah that kind of territory where you think, okay, the league is done, you know, and if you don't win it from here, you've kind of bottled it. ah I just don't see that.
00:14:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's a very healthy lead and Liverpool are favourites, but by no means is this done and dusted. There are just too many games ah too many games to play. and We've got to play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. We've got to play Arsenal. um and so you know These are big games that are coming up. and as this round of fixtures has also shown that you just can't take any of these games for granted. I mean, who would have thought Fulham were going to go to Stamford Bridge and and get all three points. So I think there are going to be twists and turns. I don't think Liverpool are going to go undefeated for the rest of the season. and um But I do think we're in a very, very good position.
00:15:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
So Liverpool 3-1 winners against Leicester ah to remind you
Looking Ahead: West Ham Challenge
00:15:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
seven points clear of second place Chelsea. Nine points ahead of Arsenal. Liverpool with a game in hand on both of those teams. So it's West Ham away up next on Sunday as the Reds look to continue this impressive run and cement that place at the top of the league.
00:16:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, that's all for today. You've been listening to the Daily Liverpool
Podcast Conclusion
00:16:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
podcast brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network. Give us a follow so that you get the very latest content when it drops. Follow us on social media at GSPN Liverpool, and you can email us gspndailyliverpool.com. Join us again tomorrow as we look ahead to the weekend's game against West Ham. Until then, thank you for listening.