Liverpool 4-1 Leicester City: Player ratings for both sides
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Sadio Mane of Liverpool celebrates scoring his sides second goal with team mates during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Leicester City at Anfield on September 10, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Liverpool beat Leicester City 4-1 in their first match at Anfield this season after its redevelopment. Player ratings from the match.
A sight long overdue for Liverpool fans: their beloved club playing at their beloved Anfield. And their beloved winning in fine form.
Liverpool played host to defending champions Leicester City and thoroughly dominated the match, bar one horrific mistake of biblical proportions from Lucas Leiva, giving Leicester their only goal of the match through Jamie Vardy.
On either side of the Vardy goal was two Liverpool ones: Roberto Firmino kicked things off in the 13th minute followed by a Sadio Mane strike in the 31st. After halftime, Adam Lallana got on the scoresheet on 56 minutes before Firmino closed the proceedings with a tap in after Mane’s work in the 89th.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were irresistible, playing some of the best football they have under his direction. The combinations were crisp, passes on target and runs always a few steps ahead of the Leicester midfield and backline.
The match was all about Liverpool.
In a vacuum, Leicester weren’t catastrophic. They didn’t gift Liverpool anything but they didn’t create anything for themselves. Their two best chances, the Vardy goal and long throw that Robert Huth nodded off the crossbar, were down to Liverpool’s inadequacies.
In all honesty, Klopp’s men could’ve had a few more and definitely should’ve had a shutout.
How’d all the individuals get on? Liverpool 4-1 Leicester City player ratings.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – September 10: Wes Morgan of Leicester City speaks to referee C Powson during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Leicester City at Anfield on September 10, 2016 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
GK Kasper Schmeichel: 5
Mixed from Schmeichel on the day. On one hand, he made some fantastic saves.
But on the other, he bombed to midfield to contest a ball that was hardly played ahead of Mane, one of the fastest players in the league if not the fastest, giving Liverpool the red carpet treatment for their fourth goal. Plus he got a hand on Mane’s first goal, though it’d be churlish to say he should’ve saved it.
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RB Danny Simpson/Luis Hernandez: 4
Didn’t matter who was here, and Simpson was withdrawn due to an injury after 34 minutes, they both weren’t up to the pace. A cumulative four to the pair for their combined 90 minutes.
Hernandez’s closest thing to a positive contribution was a long throw that Huth knocked off the crossbar, but that was only possible because Mignolet came storming off his line with no chance of getting the ball.
CB Wes Morgan: 5
Morgan had a few admirable plays, but it was a war of attrition by the Liverpool attack and Morgan couldn’t have possibly done anything to stop the onslaught. He carried on after picking up a knock that had him immobilized for a few minutes.
CB Robert Huth: 4
More elbows landed than passes or tackles. A day to forget for the big German.
LB Christian Fuchs: 5
One of the few attacks that Leicester worked themselves (rather than Liverpool gifting it to them) came through Fuchs. He’s quality going forward, too bad Leicester likes to play so deep.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Riyad Mahrez of Leicester City looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Leicester City at Anfield on September 10, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
RM Riyad Mahrez: 4
Oh yeah, he played? That’s right. Nearly forgot.
Mahrez didn’t do a thing going forward nor coming back, a truly uninterested performance from the reigning PFA Player of the Year.
CM Danny Drinkwater: 5
Drinkwater tried and he tried and he tried to put Vardy in behind but it was all for naught. The best through ball of the day was Lucas to Vardy.
Hard nosed defending from the Englishman but was chasing shadows in the Liverpool midfield as the machine had perfect synergy all day long.
CM Daniel Amartay: 4
Amartay was anonymous in the midfield, not just chasing Liverpudlian shadows like his teammates, he was chasing the shadows’ shadows. Steps behind play, nowhere near the others.
LM Marc Albrighton: 6
Albrighton shined on the defensive side of the ball, he was brilliant in tracking back. If it weren’t for him, Leicester could have stood to hemorrhage a few more goals than they leaked.
Unfortunately for the midfielder though, like the rest, he simply didn’t have much of a chance to do anything going forward.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Jamie Vardy of Leicester City scores his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Leicester City at Anfield on September 10, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Jamie Vardy: 5
Other than gaining +1 on his goal tally, Vardy deserves no credit for his goal. He didn’t even jump the pass; he literally just stood there and received the shocking mistake from Lucas and tapped it in.
The aphorism of “it’s the easiest goal he’d ever scored” is overplayed, but, it might be the easiest goal he’d ever score. Even with tap ins, he didn’t even need to make a run. Or chase down a defender. He split the center halves on a goal kick and just stood there.
Other than that, Vardy missed an opportunity that he got used to scoring last year when he had a one on one with Mignolet and smashed it into the Belgian’s legs– the only time Mignolet wasn’t getting hit in the face.
Shinji Okazaki/Ahmed Musa: 4
Okazaki was absolutely poor. It was a surprise to see his name on the team sheet ahead of Musa’s to begin with, but the Nigerian entered at halftime and… didn’t make an impact.
Leicester seemed to begin to get back into the game with the Vardy goal but wasn’t able to capitalize on the momentum at all. Like not even a little bit.
If the Leicester strikers were ruthless, they should have given Mignolet the picture every single time he touched the ball that Lucas was open. A press where he was pushed towards his left foot, take away the easy options and reap the rewards.
But they didn’t. Missed opportunities.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Simon Mignolet of Liverpool looks on following an injury during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Leicester City at Anfield on September 10, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
GK Simon Mignolet: 7
Mignolet’s face deserves its own match rating and trainer. The beleaguered Belgian took a head butt from Huth that drew a lot of blood from his nose and mouth, then an elbow from Vardy that drew more blood, this time from his eyebrow.
But that showed a side of Mignolet that wasn’t before shed light upon: constant bravery and confidence. It was great to see, but it’s too little too late.
More than likely whenever Loris Karius is fully fit, it’ll be the German in net.
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RB Nathaniel Clyne: 6
Can someone teach Clyne how to pass the ball forward while moving? Please?
He did good defensive work but he wasn’t asked to do much. In position in the final third he was shaky and didn’t accomplish much. That’s fine, Liverpool have enough attacking option, they only need his defensive prowess.
CB Joel Matip: 8
This Matip fella is pretty good, ain’t he?
Matip is the center back that Liverpool have been craving for years. He’s hard-nosed like Jamie Carragher, but much bigger and commanding. He’s big and can handle the ball like Daniel Agger, but he’s much better physically. He can attack a set piece and generally be painfully annoying to a striker like Martin Skrtel, but he understands where a center back *should* be positioned.
CB Lucas Leiva: 5
This is tough and this is probably a harsh rating based on the body of work. Usually, mistakes can be forgiven. But this one– unforgivable on the day.
Lucas received the ball as Liverpool were dominating 2-0 with instructions from Mignolet to pump it forward. He did not, he had a bad touch. Instead of then shielding the ball, or kicking it out for a corner, or trying ANYTHING other than what he did, he passed it straight to Vardy for a tap in.
Liverpool are lucky that Leicester didn’t capitalize on that and take momentum and get back into the game.
Outside of that, he was good, but it’s more than enough to drag him down.
LB James Milner: 7
Milner was terrific, he was staid and safe. Mahrez didn’t do a thing on his flank and Milner joined the attack willingly and in good balance.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Adam Lallana of Liverpool celebrates scoring his sides third goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Leicester City at Anfield on September 10, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
CM Jordan Henderson: 8
Sometimes when opinions are solidified and feet are entrenched in the quicksand when it comes to the opinion of a player, it’s much too late. Nothing will change that view. Henderson is a player that divides opinion for fans and I will never understand that.
Henderson was absolutely fantastic against Leicester, there’s just no two ways about it. But when it was 3-1 and about ten minutes left, he launched a shot from the penalty spot nearly out of the stadium. That’s the only play a lot of fans will remember, which is painfully unfair.
CM Gini Wijnaldum: 7
Wijnaldum performed better at Anfield than he had on the road through Liverpool’s first four competitive matches. He was better at home for Newcastle, and for Netherlands, last season, so maybe it’s part of his attribute, but it was a solid game from the Dutchman.
CM Adam Lallana: 8
Lallana ended last season in great form and stepped to another level this season, culminating in a better end product as he’s dropped slightly deeper into midfield.
It’s a brilliant spot for him. It accentuates his best attributes, close control and pressing, and gives him a chance to find more space in the attack as a late runner rather than a no. 10. The move has worked wonders.
Lallana just might have been created in a Jurgen Klopp Sports Performance Lab. He’s the perfect Klopp player.
Liverpool’s Brazilian midfielder Roberto Firmino celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Leicester City at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on September 10, 2016. / AFP / Paul ELLIS / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)
AMR Sadio Mane: 9
It feels odd even bothering to put a position next to Mane. One minute, he was running in behind on the right flank. The next, he was dropping into Henderson territory to combine or begin an attack. Then he’d occupy the central striker position when Sturridge would drop or make a run wide. He was ubiquitous.
Mane was brilliant. Equally as dangerous getting in behind as he was combining around the final third or starting the counter attacks, Mane was simply awesome.
AML Roberto Firmino: 9 (MoM)
Firmino gets the Man of the Match honors over Gucci Mane because of his constant impact, straight from the beginning of the game.
Leicester had the better of the play for the first 10 minutes or so, then Firmino grabbed hold of the game and didn’t let go.
Two goals later and a litany of brilliant play, Firmino stood above the rest.
ST Daniel Sturridge: 8
Sturridge is such a smart player who never gets credit for that because of his preternatural ability, unfortunate injury history and flair for the dramatic.
His run then back heel assist for Mane’s goal was brilliant, but on the did great work on the first goal. Sturridge sprinted back, won the ball, passed it, got back in position, noticed he occupied Morgan and could drag him out of space, did so then looked over his shoulder towards where Firmino was running, who received the ball and scored.
Sturridge knew the space he was opening. It was a decoy run, he knew he wasn’t the best option but he created an opportunity for his teammate.
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