Liverpool vs Leicester LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Wout Faes nets two horror own goals
Liverpool 2-1 Leciester: The Reds moved within two points of the top four after Faes endured a miserable night with two own goals
Liverpool came from behind to beat Leicester City 2-1 but only after two calamitous own goals from visiting defender Wout Faes in their Premier League clash at Anfield on Friday.
The Belgian centre back miscued a clearance in the 38th minute to hand Liverpool the equaliser, after Leicester took a surprise fourth minute lead through Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and then put the ball into his net again on the stroke of halftime.
Liverpool, who stay sixth but move within a point of fifth-placed Manchester United, albeit having played a game more, will consider themselves lucky after a stuttering performance with both clubs guilty of missing good chances.
Leicester remain 13th, four points above the relegation zone, after they lost a 10th league game of the season.
Klopp pays tribute to Pele
Brazilian football legend Pele passed away yesterday at the age of 82 and the tributes have been pouring in for the three time World Cup winner who changed the game.
Jurgen Klopp spoke about Pele in the build-up to tonight’s match saying: “My Dad always said, whatever happens in the future he will leave us the best, don’t forget that.
“I saw him only as a kid playing but I met him once, around the World Cup in 2006. I have a signed shirt which he gave to me for my birthday which is pretty special, so it feels really tough to be honest.
“Let me say it like this, I believe in God, and whichever team he is playing for now has a decent player. Of course, it will be a massive loss and rest in peace.”
From one king to another
Mohamed Salah needs one more goal to climb to outright seventh place on Liverpool’s all-time top men’s scorers list after the Egyptian matched Sir Kenny Dalglish’s tally of 172 with his opener in the Boxing Day victory at Aston Villa.
The next opportunity for Salah to leapfrog Dalglish in the chart comes tonight as the Reds host Leicester City at Anfield in the Premier League.
James Maddison getting ‘special advice’ after returning from World Cup injured
Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that James Maddison would miss their clash with Liverpool on Friday.
The 26-year-old midfielder recently returned from World Cup duty with England, but did not feature in Qatar and was absent for the Foxes’ 3-0 defeat to Newcastle on Boxing Day.
Despite managing his knee injury out in Qatar, Rodgers told a pre-match press conference that Maddison would be unavailable and was in London seeing a specialist.
James Maddison getting ‘special advice’ after returning from World Cup injured
Despite managing his knee injury out in Qatar, Rodgers told a pre-match press conference that Maddison would be unavailable for Friday’s game with Liverpool
Can Leicester win at Anfield?
Leicester have not been in the bottom half of the Premier League table at the turn of the year since the 2016/17 season, when they were reigning champions.
They have recorded five wins against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in league and cup, a joint-high with Manchester City.
But, all five of the Foxes’ victories were at the King Power Stadium.
Liverpool vs Leicester team changes
Jurgen Klopp makes one change to the Liverpool team that defeated Aston Villa last time out. Fabinho drops out of midfield with Harvey Elliott replacing him.
There are two changes for Leicester City. Youri Tielemans and Dennis Praet are replacing by Wilfred Ndidi and Ayoze Perez.
Liverpool vs Leicester line-ups
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Thiago, Henderson, Elliott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah, Nunez
Leicester XI: Ward, Amartey, Castagne, Faes, Thomas, Ndidi, Soumare, Dewsbury-Hall, Perez, Barnes, Daka
See you next year!
Regardless of the result this evening Liverpool are guaranteed to be outside the Premier League top four at the turn of the year for the first time since the 2015/16 campaign, when Jurgen Klopp had been manager for fewer than three months.
Will they bounce back in 2023?
Cody Gakpo signing impacts Liverpool’s January transfer business, Jurgen Klopp says
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits the signing of Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven will impact what else he can do in the January window.
The club struck an initial £40million deal to bring the 23-year-old to Anfield after three days of intense negotiations over Christmas and made their move ahead of schedule to see off competition from rival clubs.
Another forward was not top of their list of priorities as Liverpool’s midfield still needs strengthening but their options in that department may be diminished due to their outlay on the Netherlands international.
‘We’ve put things right before'
Leicester City defender Luke Thomas believes his team can turn things around in the second half of the season and start to move themselves back up the Premier League table but acknowledges that the first step - tonight’s match at Anfield - will be difficult.
Speaking after the Foxes 3-0 defeat to Newcastle, Thomas said: “We’ve put things right before, and we know what we’re capable of.
“If we play our game, we can beat anyone. It’s going to be a tough test at Anfield, but hopefully we can come away with a positive result and the three points.”
Klopp excited to be back at Anfield
Liverpool boss, Jurgen Klopp, is excited to be back playing at Anfield in front of home supporters and says it feels like a long time since his team have had the chance to impress at home.
Writing in tonight’s matchday programme Klopp said: “It is a bit of a funny situation because usually at this time of year we have lots of home games but this is our first since we played Southampton in mid-November,
“The good thing is, this in itself is a reason for excitement and I know the players and all of the staff have been really looking forward to this moment.
“A lot has happened since we were last together, of course. To the players who represented their countries at the World Cup, I would like to congratulate them for doing so.
“Ibou Konate was part of the France team which reached the final and this is a major achievement even though he would have preferred a different outcome. Even so, all of the players who were involved should take great pride from playing in a World Cup.”
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