Watching the game through the fog that enveloped Anfield was difficult enough at times, so it wasn’t a night to spot an off-the-ball incident. But we’ve put together five facts you may have missed from Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Leicester.
Jordan Ayew’s surprise early goal may have cast doubt on the outcome of the game for 40 minutes, but Liverpool’s performance was never in doubt as they continued to put Leicester under pressure.
With 19 shots on target for the visitors, Arne Slot’s side controlled proceedings and were rewarded through Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones and, of course, Mo Salah.
Where Mo Salah aimed for the goal
? Run under the wings?
King Salah of Egypt???#PLonPrime #revplay pic.twitter.com/lcCBwlAeFw
— Amazon Prime Video Sports (@primevideosport) December 26, 2024
We had to wait 82 minutes for Salah’s goal against Leicester. It was shocking. But when the goal arrived, the Egyptian scored with extreme precision.
What made his strike even better was the way he deceived his opponents by cutting across the pitch without looking at goal, swinging the ball around Viktor Christiansen and past goalkeeper Jakub Stolaczyk.
This may not be one of Salah’s most memorable goals, but it was one of the most clinically astute goals we’ve seen in a long time.
Are they booing or cheering for Ibrahima Konate?
Liverpool fans booed Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolaczyk for wasting time as Ibrahima Konate rushed down the touchline. He thinks they are shouting his name and waving their hands.
— Lewis Steele (@LewisSteele_) December 26, 2024
This moment may not have been captured on camera, but the thought of Ibrahima Konate receiving cheers from fans and facing angry faces made me smile.
Despite making his Premier League debut, Kiefer Stolaczyk wasn’t afraid to break the rules and waste time while his side were tied.
Liverpool fans were not happy with his antics and booed the goalkeeper. Konate, who was injured, thought this was the sound of fans chanting ‘Ebow!’ This is something we’ve heard often this season!
Waves for Isaac
Arne is giving Isaac a little wave at tonight’s game ????? pic.twitter.com/hv3kAjezfs
— Isaac Kearney (@isaackearney) December 27, 2024
On Christmas Day, Liverpool released a video showing six-year-old Isaac Kearney meeting Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah.
The Liverpool youngster, who suffers from Wolff-Hirschhorn syndrome, made several friends on his trip to the training ground. Among them was Arne Slot, who was later seen as the mascot during a match against Manchester City.
Slot was once again delighted to see Isaac’s little mate waving at him at the Leicester game after being pointed out in the crowd.
Coordinator’s curls
@toychw Cody Gakpo goal against Leicester City on Boxing Day #CodyGakpo #Liverpool #LIVLEI #LeicesterCity #Anfield #Boxingday ? Original sound – Toy Chew
While those watching on tele sometimes struggled to make out every detail of the game, from lower on the floor the action was crystal clear.
This fan had the best position at home to watch Gakpo send the ball into the far corner for Liverpool’s equalizer.
The angle this photo was taken from really shows just how many curls Liverpool’s number 18 had to produce to win the ball back outside the post line.
Was this really offside?
In the 68th minute of the first half, Gakpo thought he had scored his second goal of the day. However, after a VAR check that lasted nearly 4 minutes, the goal was ruled out.
The decision was made after Darwin Nunez was flagged for offside after Salah played the ball across the box as the ball went into the path of the defender.
The images we’ve received aren’t particularly clear, but it certainly seems harsh to say this is definitely offside.
If a semi-automatic offside actually helps the situation, it can’t come soon enough.
