By John Percy, at the King Power Stadium
While Liverpool continue to dream of the Champions League, Leicester now appear doomed to the Championship.
These two clubs are heading in dramatically different directions and there will not be many times when Everton supporters celebrate a Liverpool result with such jubilation.
A magnificent seven victories in a row mean Jurgen Klopp’s hopes of achieving “a miracle” finish remain alive, with Liverpool now one point behind fourth-placed Manchester United with two games to play.
Klopp still has a genuine chance to salvage a mediocre season with a top-four finish, while this result also hands Merseyside rivals Everton the opportunity to shape their own destiny as they battle to avoid relegation.
Yet hope is draining away with misery intensifying for Leicester, and this felt like the end of their nine-year existence in the Premier League.
When Trent Alexander-Arnold bent in a sumptuous free-kick 19 minutes from time, chants of “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” were directed at Leicester’s shellshocked players.
It is now 22 defeats this season and relegation could be confirmed with another at Newcastle United next Monday night. This latest capitulation leaves them two points adrift of safety.
Quite how a team containing the likes of James Maddison, Youri Tielemans, Jamie Vardy and Harvey Barnes can be staring down the barrel is a shocking tale of underachievement.
These players have been sleepwalking towards the abyss for months and even at this point it seems the penny is yet to properly drop. The club’s motto “Foxes Never Quit” has been tarnished.
It is a masterclass in negligence and the inquest into this nightmarish campaign will be painful and extensive.
Klopp had described this game as Leicester’s “last chance, pretty much”, and it has been a remarkable decline for a club who taught football supporters across the country how to dream.
Seven years ago they lifted the league title, while even 12 months ago they were competing in a European semi-final against Jose Mourinho’s Roma.
Before every Leicester home game, a video montage including those magical moments from recent history flash up on the screens. Yet the highlights reel from this season will be virtually non-existent, and this was another grim experience at the King Power Stadium.
Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, the chairman, is coming under heavy scrutiny after such a poor campaign and was desperately attempting to remain positive.
“Our fight to stay in the Premier League has already had unexpected twists and turns and may yet have one or two still to come,” he wrote in his programme column. “We must stand and fight together for the result that we need – until the very end. Everything is possible if we all believe.”
Tension was lingering in the air and after the abysmal 5-3 defeat at Fulham, there had to be a response. Leicester were full of attacking intent at the start, with Maddison proving influential, while Liverpool were being tested by the pace of Vardy and Barnes. Vardy had a shot smothered by goalkeeper Alisson as Liverpool struggled for fluency.
There could still be a memorable end to this most peculiar of seasons for Klopp, ahead of the anticipated summer rebuilding job. He wants at least two new midfielders and the absence of any creativity was glaring here for long periods despite their possession.
The direction of the game was then transformed within the space of three minutes.
Liverpool’s opening goal was coming and landed 12 minutes before half-time as the frailties of Leicester’s defence were once again exposed. Timothy Castagne was badly out of position and, when Mohamed Salah crossed from the right, Wout Faes was too slow to react, enabling Jones to prod the ball home at the far post.
It is now 21 Premier League games without a clean sheet for Leicester – stretching back to mid-November before the World Cup break – and Jones added a second goal just three minutes later.
Leicester were defensively poor again, allowing Jones far too much room to swivel and direct a fine half-volley past Daniel Iversen into the corner.
Cody Gakpo should have scored a third goal for Liverpool almost straight after play resumed, and now Leicester’s heads were dropping with the mood turning mutinous. The boos at half-time seem to have been the soundtrack to this sorry season.
It is impossible not to feel some sympathy for Dean Smith, Leicester’s interim manager, who was parachuted in last month with just eight games left to play.
The time had clearly come for Brendan Rodgers to leave, but his dismissal so late in the season was another poor judgment call by Leicester’s board.
You also have to wonder why Leicester deliberated in two home games against Aston Villa and Bournemouth, hoping that caretakers Mike Stowell and Adam Sadler could mount a revival. Those games both ended in defeat and it now appears like a missed opportunity.
Leicester did show snarls of defiance in the second half, with Barnes’s shot tipped over by Alisson, but never looked capable of a dramatic fightback.
Fans started to stream towards the exits when Alexander-Arnold crashed in a wonderful free-kick from 20 yards in front of England manager Gareth Southgate, who was watching from the stands.
Liverpool could have added even more goals, with Salah missing the target by inches, and they will face Aston Villa this weekend with renewed confidence.
A few weeks after Klopp said the top four was “completely out of sight”, United will know the fight is on. For Leicester, the fairy tale is surely over.
Leicester City 0 Liverpool 3: as it happened
10:48 PM
Thanks for following
this extended Monday Night Football blog with us. Sky Sports’ excellent feature with Howard Webb is detailed at the bottom/the start of this page.
As for the match itself, it went much as expected: one side in terrific form, another side in turmoil, and once the first goal went in it was all over.
Cheers for reading and we will see you soon.
10:46 PM
The game in numbers
Leicester are the only side in the big five European leagues without a clean sheet in league competition since the 2022 World Cup in December, conceding in each of their 21 games since then.
Liverpool have won nine of their last 12 Premier League encounters with Leicester (D1 L2), as many victories as in their previous 21 against the Foxes (D5 L7).
Leicester have picked up just five points in their eight Premier League games under Dean Smith and Adam Sadler/Mike Stowell (0.6 pts per game – W1 D2 L5), a lower average than the Foxes registered under Brendan Rodgers this season (0.9 pts per game – P28 W7 D4 L17).
Leicester have conceded the opening goal in each of their last 12 home Premier League games, the longest such run in the competition’s history.
Mohamed Salah registered three assists in a game for the first time in any competition for Liverpool while he is only the fourth player to do so for any side in the Premier League this season (also Roberto Firmino for Liverpool v Bournemouth in August, Leandro Trossard for Arsenal v Fulham in March and Michael Olise for Crystal Palace v Leeds in April).
Since his debut in December 2016, Trent Alexander-Arnold has been directly involved in 65 goals in the Premier League (12 goals 53 assists), more than any other defender.
10:41 PM
Jurgen Klopp
“We needed 15 minutes to work out how to build control. Then we got everybody on the ball facing the right way. We mixed it up, as you saw for the first goal. Top second goal, with the passing. I think we should have scored straight away after that as well, Cody missed it. I think this means we are in the Europa League at least.
“They wanted to make a proper fight. We put them under pressure with our press. The boys are in a good moment. Third goal, what a lovely little routine, I love it.
“Two difficult games, Aston Villa my God they have had a good second half of the season.
“That freekick routine we should have had more goals with it this season but we defended one ourselves. One hit…. well I won’t say his name, you can find on YouTube! [Interviewer names Henderson]. Ha yes. But yes that was my goal [his freekick routine he means].”
10:35 PM
Sky pundits pass the guilty verdict…
Carragher: “I don’t know how they lift themselves for Newcastle away. That’s probably the hardest place to go in the PL right now. With the fans chanting ‘you’re not fit to wear the shirt’.”
Neville: “I think that is the end of Leicester tonight.”
10:30 PM
Dean Smith speaks
“Started really well for first 30 minutes. But then one ball from their keeper beats our back four, then they score another a couple of minutes later and then you are chasing the game about a supremely talented, athletic team.
“We misread the header for the first goal. It is tough to come back against teams that dominate possession. Marginally onside for both goals.
“Third goal kills it. It is never a freekick. Hendo has over-run the ball, Evans has won the ball, it is not a freekick.
“Two goals against us that were marginally onside.”
“We have to have clearer minds and think more clearly under pressure.
“The crowd are here to see us win football games, they have seen too many defeats this season. That is only my third home game, first defeat. Crowd were magnificent vs Everton and Wolves and today for the most part.
“The reason I am here is because we couldn’t fathom why (they have done so badly this season compared to recent years).”
10:24 PM
On Trent Alexander-Arnold
Jamie Carragher: “He’s probably been the most talked about full back in the Premier League ever.”
Gary Neville: “Everybody wants to be him! Nobody wants to be a Gary Neville.”
10:16 PM
Neville on Leicester defensive positioning
for the first goal.
“I don’t see the benefit of pushing up so much. Alisson has the ball, he is going to lump it, and these goalkeepers these days can play the ball like central midfielders. I just don’t see the point in standing there (ie on the halfway line). Liverpool have so much pace up front.”
It did indeed seem daft – just inviting the ball over the top and allowing Diaz, Salah, Jones etc to get a gallop on them.
10:13 PM
Jonny Evans
“The second goal kills it for us. You are at your most vulnerable when you concede, it knocks your confidence.
“First goal, it is one of them as a centre back. We got caught under the ball. You can see it happening but we cannot get back.
“Crowd great, showed a lot of support. I think they could see we were working hard.
“Been frustrating for me, seven months of muscle injuries, of course I wanted to get out there and give what I could for the team. There are a lot of players that are playing with niggles and knocks.
“It is hard to put finger on, but we have not been good this season. That is the bottom line. We have lost too many games and other teams have been better than us.”
10:08 PM
Curtis Jones and Trent AA
Curtis: “I scored two, we got three points, and we keep going.”
Trent: “He has stepped up when he has got the chance. He has impressed everyone. He has got a level now he needs to hit every game. We want to overload the defences we play so we have five in our back line. Curtis is a player who get into positions.
Curtis: “I’ve had a hard time but I am back and I am going to try continuing to help the team. The gaffer has encouraged me to make runs, and you can see that I can strike a ball. I am playing games, I am comfortable. Me, Fabinho and Trent always have a shooting contest before the game. We have got a team full of lads who are outstanding, the standard of shooting is very high. Trent’s change of position has allowed me to get forward, it has helped me to have a player who is calm on the ball and that helps me to get forward.”
09:56 PM
Stick around for reaction
And any more Howard Webb/Var stuff if applicable.
09:53 PM
Full time: Leicester 0 Liverpool 3
Leicester’s 22nd Premier League defeat of the season. Eight conceded in last two games. One win in 14.
“A sad sight, when you think of the glories they have had,” says Alan Smith.
Two years to the day since they lifted the FA Cup at Wembley.
09:48 PM
89 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 3
Game is effectively over, so lets have a few subs. Salah, surprisingly profligate but nonetheless bagging himself a hat-trick of assists. Evans, a game effort on his return to the XI. Curtis Jones also brought off, given a chance to savour the applause.
09:48 PM
85 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 3
Goes without saying that this game is done, the question for Leicester is if their season is as well. It should be said that Forest, Everton and Leeds have all got huge problems as well, and Leicester are the side with the best goal difference. I’m pretty certain that West Ham’s 37 points will be enough.
09:39 PM
79 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 3
The only surprise is that Salah has not yet scored – Salah looks to have wriggled through here but is stopped by Faes.
Then a couple of minutes later he really is clean through, he tries to slot it away one-on-one, and I was already starting to type “GOAL” but he put it wide. Quite well wide actually. Alan Smith on the miss: “a collector’s item, that”.
09:37 PM
72 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 3
Alas poor Leicester. They look as dead and buried as Richard III in that carpark.
09:31 PM
GOAL! Leicester 0 Liverpool 3 (Alexander-Arnold 71)
What a goal. Ah that is lovely. Liverpool have a freekick, Salah slips it to Trent and he curls it into the far corner. That is an absolute beauty. What a strike.
Worth seeking out a clip of that, what a peach. He is a lovely player and strikes a great ball. Weirdly, had only scored one prior to that this season.
09:30 PM
68 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 2
Liverpool fans still going with their Firmino song!
09:25 PM
62 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 2
Liverpool fans serenading Firmino.
09:22 PM
61 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 2
Daka and Tete on. Barnes (??) and Ndidi come off.
09:22 PM
60 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 2
Does Dean Smith have either the personnel or the tactical nous to turn this around? (Not saying it is easy task…)
09:18 PM
55 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 2
Liverpool break, Pereira has to make a foul and the ref books him for so doing. Salah with a surprisingly low-quality freekick.
09:13 PM
51 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 2
This is better from Leicester as Barnes surges forward and draws a diving save from Alisson. He caught that shot nicely. One of those saves that looks awesome but was probably reasonably make-able for a goalie of Becker’s quality.
09:11 PM
49 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 2
Leicester fixing to add “comedy goalie error” to their whoopee cushion repertoire as Trent hits a ball long and Danny Ward gets his decision wrong, he tries to head it clear and fails.
09:05 PM
46 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 2
45 minutes to save their PL status? Good start from Maddison, who looks like he means it.
08:51 PM
Half time: Leicester 0 Liverpool 2
Decent start for Leicester but Liverpool rode that out and then took control. Two well taken but pretty simple goals. Leicester have capitulated and their Premier League status looks under the most severe threat.
08:49 PM
45 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 2
It’s all Liverpool in the four minutes of injury time, they’re parked in the Leicester final third but cannot get a third.
Leicester are booed off by their fans and I cannot say I am surprised.
08:49 PM
44 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 2
Salah shoots and Robertson gets a crack from the rebound.
08:48 PM
43 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 2
Soumare fouls Gakpo. Leicester deal with the freekick.
Dean Smith and John Terry have a massive half time team talk coming up.
08:47 PM
41 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 2
Leicester fans have fallen silent. Their team stomping around, body language is not great, according to Alan Smith. These look a beaten outfit.
08:38 PM
37 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 2
We have literally just restarted after the second and LCFC have gone to pieces again! Gakpo surges through and tries to apply the finish when he arguably has colleagues better place. Regardless, Leicester have collapsed here and Liverpool look like they can score again at will.
08:37 PM
GOAL! Leicester 0 Liverpool 2 (Jones 36)
The Jones boy is running wild! He’s scored again. Again this is going to be checked for offside. Think Leicester might get this one? No! Ooof this is really close… It stands!
08:36 PM
34 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 1
Come on Leicester, rally.
08:35 PM
GOAL! Leicester 0 Liverpool 1 (Jones 33)
Ah, well I have to say that was coming. Liverpool goal kick. Leicester try to defend a high line, but they don’t do it very well. They get done by a long ball, Diaz controls and flips the ball over for Curtis Jones to tuck away at the far post.
But they are checking this for offside on Var. Given on the field. Is this offside? It looks tight… but the goal is going to stand.
Oh Leicester. They had they best of it for a while but got pushed back and then caught by a simple, effective long pass.
08:31 PM
29 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 0
Paul Robinson is on the Radio for the BBC. “The biggest compliment you can pay to Leicester is, with the hybrid role Trent Alexander-Arnold is playing now, Harvey Barnes has pushed him back and made him play more at right-back.”
True when he said it but TAA seems to have slipped the leash in the last few minutes and is looking dangerous, as are his colleagues.
08:29 PM
27 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 0
Leicester were full of vim and vigor in the first fifteen but are on the back foot now. Luiz Diaz picks it up on the left and cuts inside for a shot that rattles into the side netting.
08:28 PM
25 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 0
Harvey Barnes breaks, and is stopped by a Trent AA and Diaz sandwich. One clogs him from each side and Diaz catches him with the arm as he goes down. Barnes needs a bit of treatment but he is ok.
08:27 PM
23 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 0
Panic stations for Evans at the back as he receives the ball in his own six yard box and, erm, starts dribbling. This is the Liverpool high line press par excellence, there are players swamping him… he just about gets it clear.
08:26 PM
19 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 0
Liverpool getting their act together somewhat, and have had a couple of corners.
08:17 PM
17 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 0
Konyate finds himself the beneficiary of some typically generous Leicester defending, but he is too far from goal to threaten with his free header.
08:17 PM
15 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 0
Trent, what a passer, with a cute little chippy dinky thing for Gakpo with the outside of his boot. Gakpo is sent through.. but his touch lets him down.
08:12 PM
11 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 0
Maddison and Barnes are really looking sharp, and they’ve fashioned a space for Vardy, who is denied by the quick thinking of Alisson, who rushes out.
08:09 PM
7 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 0
Klopp is already ticking on the touchline. Dean Smith stoic. That nice John Terry, his new ass.man. is on the touchline making his feelings known.
08:06 PM
6 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 0
Cody Gakpo with a driving run, stopped with a cruncher of a tackle.
Leiceser surge forward and have won themselves a corner off Konyate.
08:05 PM
4 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 0
No, Leicester are caught offside.
08:04 PM
3 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 0
Diaz shoulder barges Maddison to the floor and that’s a freekick. Can James M deliver a good ball in?
08:01 PM
1 mins: Leicester 0 Liverpool 0
Ooh this is a huge occasion for Leicester.
Their fans are behind them, and a good break involving James Maddison… is curtailed by the whistle of Craig Pawson.
08:00 PM
Teams are ready
for Leicester vs Liverpool.
07:54 PM
Little bit more Howard
Came across very well I thought. Clever and fair-minded. I personally, for what it’s worth, think that a) they should do away with Var entirely and b) be aware if they DO have it of the difference between helping the on-field ref out if he’s unsure and trying to “right wrongs” around the entire game by piping up about things he has missed. That’s refereeing by committee, or “re refereeing” as Neville called it.
Here’s Luke Edwards’s take: “That was on the uncontroversial end of the spectrum. All very straightforward. No angst about any of those decisions which makes it largely dull!!”
07:44 PM
Team news for LCFC vs LFC
Jonny Evans, Wilfred Ndidi and Ricardo Pereira returne for Leicester.
Defender Evans will make his first Premier League start since October after injury.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is back
Diogo Jota dropped to the bench and Darwin Nunez missing from the squad.
07:38 PM
Howard Webb
“We have had a dialogue with clubs and there have been situations where the process of VAR was not quite right. People might not always agree with the final outcome but when they hear and see the process and the communication… how the team communicate, the rationale for the decisions.”
G Nev asks why not release the footage in the aftermath of the game. Can this come in?
Webb: “we are looking to do this as we can. We cannot play it out live during the game, that’s not allowed in the laws of the game, Fifa won’t allow. But we can do more and we want to [show more].”
07:34 PM
Webb on Ivan Toney
“This should have been penalised with a freekick to Bournemouth. It is clear so VAR should have stepped in.”
Basically with this one, the ref wanted them to look at one contact and was yelling for that but VAR should have looked at one earlier.
Webb: “we cannot sacrifice accuracy for speed. We are dealing with human beings. Sometimes they will make mistakes. And we are still learning.”
07:28 PM
More from Howard Webb
Trossard scored from a corner but is Ben White of Arsenal holding the arm of Leicester keeper Ward?
This one is more confusing and less cut and dried. A possible foul on the goalkeeper. “Ben White is holding the glove of Danny Ward, and he keeps holding as Ward tries to punch the ball away.”
Dave Jones: “Is this not getting into re referring.
Webb: “Referee Craig Pawson could never see that angle. But we have to analyse as VAR the impact of that contact. It was not clear for the officials but it was clear for the VAR. White would have got away with it (but for those pesky kids VAR). We want to identify things that have been unfair. We move the threshold to clear and obvious.”
07:26 PM
Thom Gibbs writes
“Mixed feelings about this so far. It is clearly (and obviously) A Good Thing to have more transparency around these thorny decisions, I’m just not wholly convinced it is particularly fascinating telly. VAR promised a future when we would put tedious chat about controversial refereeing decisions behind us forever, instead it seems to have added another layer of conversation to them.
Now we are discussing the intricacies of how decisions have been made, witnessing the movement of a cursor finding the point of a players shoulder which may or may not have been aside, the nicknames of assistant Vars. Is this progress? Is it entertaining?
“Really interesting,” says David Jones heading into the break. I’m not so sure.”
07:20 PM
Joelinton disallowed goal for offside
vs West Ham that was then allowed as a goal, much to the annoyance of Moyes.
We are shown a clip of how they draw the line and move the pictures frame by frame. They then make a recommendation to overturn and allow a goal.
“This looked miles offside didn’t it? But what looks close to someone else might not to a specialist in their role ie a linesman. They like to get things right on the field so that is why the VAR guys say sorry.”
07:11 PM
Now the Newcastle shot
against Arsenal that was not given as handball.
“Kav we are just going to check the contact for you” says the Var ref. “Yeah I just need to check it is arm fast.”
“Ledge are you seeing the same as me?” (That’s Scott Ledger).
Now the ref that day goes over to see the video. “My initial reaction was that the arm was out but (I now see) it was close.”
Gary Neville I did not think that was a clear and obvious error.
Webb the arm is not in the position the referee thought it was. (A case of Schrodinger’s Arm? – AT) I am keen we get consistency. This was a good use of VAR because it is different to what the referee saw. I think he was right to overturn it but he can keep it if he wants. It is not like watching TV at home, they have to work through a process.
Carragher: the ref is getting audio as he walks over to the screen, do you think that influences them?
Webb: the ref makes the final call.
07:10 PM
First it’s a goal by Kai Havertz
People shouting “it’s factual!” and “DOGSO”. “Tayls I recommend that you change your decision.”
Webb talks viewers through it. “this one is a factual matter, it is not a decision.”
07:08 PM
Webb
“We know people want more transparency.”
APP = attacking phase of play, the phase that leads to goal or inside,
DOGS = denial of obvious goalscoring opportunity
07:06 PM
HOWARD WEBB IS IN THE MNF STUDIO
An actual ref! Talking!
07:06 PM
Jordan Henderson
We feel we have good momentum but we know Leicester will be fighitng.
07:05 PM
Ricardo
We know it is going to be difficult.
07:03 PM
Teams
Leicester: Iversen, Ricardo Pereira, Faes, Evans, Castagne, Tielemans, Ndidi, Soumare, Maddison, Vardy, Barnes. Subs: Smithies, Souttar, Kristiansen, Amartey, Daka, Mendy, Praet,Thomas, Tete.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Fabinho, Jones, Salah, Gakpo, Diaz. Subs: Gomez, Milner, Elliott, Jota, Tsimikas, Carvalho, Arthur, Matip, Kelleher.
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)
06:58 PM
Jurgen Klopp talks to Sky
“Our situation requires us to be fully focussed, we need to win all our games to finish top four. It’s not likely given Man United and Newcastle but…
Super important game for Leicester, last chance pretty much. I have been involved in relegation battles before so I know how much these games mean.
It is about how we organise ourselves how we pass, when we pass, when are the players in between the lines. We are coming from a high pressure high pressure 433 but when we defended in that system it was not good. This season it is different. Sometimes at clubs there will be a new manager every two or three years and they start from scratch but [I didn’t catch all this but he’s basically saying that they are having to innovate and evolve in situ]
Trent is still defending the right back position. He is more central now, it feels more natural to him, we are talking to him a lot. We want to keep the ball – and he cannot do everything. We have time to work on it in the pre-season.”
06:46 PM
Thom Gibbs on Monday Night Football
“We are in uncharted territory this evening, as I am certain we will be reminded several dozen more times. The first indication that something unusual is happening is Gary Neville in smart casual, neutral dark t-shirt under his navy suit.
“David Jones isn’t even wearing a tie! Jamie C the sole holdout of dressing smartly enough to attend a traditional wedding. What is the world, and Monday Night Football coming to? “
06:44 PM
Gary Neville good on Arsenal
“In the biggest moments, the most pressurised environments, you have to deliver. And I wondered about this Arsenal side. The over celebrating, for instance against Aston Villa. You need your senior players, your leaders to calm the team down. Not inject more anxiety. In a title race, you have to be cold. But I didn’t have them in my top four so it is an extraordinary season for them.”
Carragher says: “I don’t think Arsenal have a centre back like a Terry, Ferdinand… etc… Saliba might yet become that.”
Jamie points out that Arsenal hardly ever conceded more than two goals in a game before the WC (three times) but then after the World Cup they did it five times.
06:33 PM
Sky Sports
promises “never before seen clips” of VAR discussion with Howard Webb from 7pm.
06:33 PM
Foxes
06:23 PM
Not a happy ship at LCFC
by the sounds of it.
Here’s the mighty John Percy with a tale of woe.
Leicester crisis deepens as club awards night scrapped and players face 50 per cent pay cuts
05:12 PM
Monday Night Football: it’s Leicester vs Liverpool
Good evening and welcome to our live blog of Monday night football, in which Leicester City welcome Liverpool to the King Power Stadium. It looks a very tough, very important evening for the hosts; they are in serious trouble on 30 points, second from bottom. On the upside, a win would take them out of the drop zone, and even a draw would see them inch above Leeds into 18th due to a superior goal difference. But with just one win in 13 PL matches, including damaging defeats at home to Bournemouth and Villa, and away losses at Fulham, Palace and Southampton, it is tough to be optimistic. They have given up far too many points against the bottom half of the table.
Sam Wallace says Hubris and muddled-thinking have seen Leicester spiral to brink of relegation and, in an excellent piece, charts what he calls “an astonishing tale of rise and fall”. Sam looks at the club hierarchy and decision-making process and examines where it all went wrong just a few years after the League win that I am confident in saying will remain the greatest team sport achievement of our lifetimes. Let me know in the comments if I have missed one.
Talking of League tables, Liverpool might not be the force they were a few years ago but they are clearly getting in the groove again, albeit too late for this term. Six Premier League wins in the last six matches have propelled Jurgen Klopp’s side to fifth in the table after 35 games. If they can take nine points from nine starting tonight they can at least force their great historical rivals Man United, four points ahead of them in fourth, to stay honest to the last. United incidentally have won three, lost two, drawn one of their last six League games so Liverpool have certainly got them in their sights.
On the matter of United and Liverpool, their representatives on Sky Sports, Messrs Neville and Carragher will be on Sky’s Monday Night Football tonight from 6.30pm in an extended programme, and they are joined by Howard Webb. Webb, a former PL ref of course, is now the Chief Refereeing Officer of Professional Game Match Officials Limited, the body that administers the Video Assistant Referee function and he’ll explain all about it on Sky’s Monday Night Football and field what will hopefully be some searching questions. For those who prefer acronyms, that’s Howard Webb, CRO PGMOL (VAR) MNF. Sounds like a good military man, what what.
We will keep an eye on what he says throughout, and may welcome some special guests onto the blog in the shape of Telegraph Sport’s very own Thom Gibbs and Luke Edwards, and maybe even referee expert Keith Hackett. So that is your Monday evening sorted.