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Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool beat Leicester City in their first League Cup game of the season.
Another day, another come-from-behind victory for Liverpool Football Club. This time they’ve taken the trend to the Carabao Cup. On Wednesday, the Reds beat Leicester City with the, by now, very familiar 3-1 scoreline in the third round of the competition.
Maybe it’s because we’ve seen it so many times before early in this season, but as soon as the goal went in for Leicester City, it felt like Liverpool were going to find their way back. Cody Gakpo looked Salah-esque in his determination to score. Several close calls finally culminated in him executing a neat turn inside the box and slotting it home to even the score in the second half.
Dominik Szoboszlai’s grenade of a wonder goal that followed will be the talking point coming out of the game. It was positively nostalgic watching the camera angle from behind and seeing a player in the number eight kit hit a goal like that into the top corner.
The final goal was the grace note from Diogo Jota in the 89th minute to firmly put the game away.
On the goals, manager Jürgen Klopp said, “Top goals, absolutely top goals. But I think the goals we didn’t score were pretty beautiful as well, just didn’t go in – like the last of Harvey, I have no clue who blocked that.”
The boss had praise to go around for everyone from Wataru Endo (“That was really, really good, he played a super game.”) to Jarell Quansah (“So exciting, you cannot watch him without smiling, to be honest.”).
In fact, here: enjoy Klopp’s whole team love fest.
“Strikers fought so hard and scored then super-important goals, both Cody and Diogo,” he began.
“Harvey, what a work-rate. Curtis on right-back. Ibou using his full speed in their counter-attacks in the second half. Caoimhin, calm, composed. I’m not sure I forgot anybody. Kosti, super-difficult start and was close, I think, to lose a little bit, but found a way back in the game – really good for him as well. Ryan, in a game like this, being in the most-difficult area and constantly under pressure and finding always little solutions and solutions which help us a lot. Super signs tonight, I really like that a lot.”
Of course, special notice was paid to Szoboszlai, who has had a tremendous impact on the team since the start of the season.
“Since the first minute of training, it was pretty impressive. He’s a top bloke, really top guy,” Klopp praised.
“Easy step into the team dressing room-wise and stuff like this. A very naturally confident boy and that helps and a super-hard worker and that’s what you see. Today he came on and had two very difficult situations; he stepped on the first ball when he defended a counter-attack and lost the ball there. Then the next one I think he lost as well. From that moment on, he was just in the game.”
While no one would complain about Liverpool winning every game 3-1 (except maybe Alisson), that’s unlikely to be the case. It’s good that the new-look midfield and forward line are performing well. Now they just need the defense to start picking up some clean sheets.
