Match Report
Trent Alexander-Arnold scored the winner on his return from injury as Liverpool closed in on the Premier League title with a 1-0 victory at Leicester City.
The No.66 quickly made the difference after coming off the bench in Sunday’s game at King Power Stadium, with his 76th-minute strike settling matters in the visitors’ favour.
Arsenal’s win at Ipswich Town earlier in the day means the Reds must wait longer to be officially crowned champions.
Three more points are now needed from five remaining games to be mathematically certain of the title, but Arne Slot’s side will be able to celebrate an unassailable lead at the top should Crystal Palace beat Arsenal on Wednesday night.
Team news
Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai replaced Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones in Liverpool’s starting XI as Slot made two changes from last weekend’s win over West Ham United.
Darwin Nunez joined Alexander-Arnold in being back in the matchday squad, with the No.9 also among the substitutes.
First half
Mohamed Salah went so close to putting the Reds into an early lead but the No.11’s rolled finish bounced off the inside of one post and onto the other, somehow staying out along the way.
It was then Leicester’s turn to hit the woodwork through a low drive by Wilfred Ndidi, a situation from which Liverpool broke at speed and Salah forced Mads Hermansen into a good save.
Those opening 10 minutes were action-packed by comparison to the remainder of a pedestrian first half.
Alisson Becker was a near-spectator but the lack of tempo to the visitors’ attacking play meant Hermansen was, in the main, untroubled too.
The Foxes goalkeeper made comfortable saves from Szoboszlai and Gakpo before Ibrahima Konate glanced an Alexis Mac Allister corner goalwards, only for Ndidi to clear the danger.
Arguably Liverpool’s best move of the half came in its closing minutes, but Kostas Tsimikas’ cross arrived at an awkward height for Salah, who could only volley over the crossbar.
Second half
There was a greater urgency to the Reds’ work immediately after the restart and Szoboszlai, Luis Diaz and Tsimikas all had meaningful attempts on goal before Salah curled just wide on the hour.
Slot then introduced Jota and the forward’s first involvement of note saw him direct a diving header, from Szoboszlai’s inviting delivery, wide.
After Conor Coady had a goal disallowed for a clear push on Alisson by Patson Daka in the build-up, Alexander-Arnold and Harvey Elliott were brought off the bench.
And, within five minutes, the vice-captain had broken the deadlock.
Salah and Jota both hit the woodwork amid a scramble following a Liverpool corner and the ball fell to Alexander-Arnold, who punched a vicious half-volley with his left foot under Hermansen before peeling his shirt off and celebrating in front of the away end.
Slot’s team were now buoyant and threatened to pull away, with Jota going close before Salah’s low shot was blocked by Coady.
The second goal did not come but Alexander-Arnold’s intervention puts Liverpool on the cusp of the championship and confirms Leicester’s relegation from the top flight.
