Prime News Ghana

EPL: Liverpool score injury-time winner against Leicester to maintain 100% record

By Mutala Yakubu
James Milner's penalty was the 34th time Liverpool have scored a 90th-minute winning goal in a Premier League match - at least nine more than any other side
James Milner's penalty was the 34th time Liverpool have scored a 90th-minute winning goal in a Premier League match - at least nine more than any other side
Shares
facebook sharing button Share
twitter sharing button Tweet
email sharing button Email
sharethis sharing button Share

James Milner's injury-time penalty earned a dramatic win over in-form Leicester City and maintained Liverpool's flawless start to the Premier League season.

Brendan Rodgers' side looked to be on course for a hard-earned point on his return to Anfield after James Maddison's low finish 10 minutes from time equalised Sadio Mane's 40th-minute strike.

And then, with the clock ticking into stoppage time, a communication breakdown between Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel and substitute Marc Albrighton ended with the latter bring down Mane.

READ ALSO: La Liga: Hazard scores first Real Madrid goal as they beat Granada

The penalty was awarded after consultation with the video assistant referee and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp celebrated wildly as Rodgers turned away in despair.

Leicester will feel they had done enough to earn a point and their frustrations boiled over at the final whistle, with substitute Ayoze Perez involved in angry exchanges with several Liverpool players - who were celebrating increasing their lead over Manchester City at the top of the table to eight points.

City can reduce the gap to five once more when they host Wolves on Sunday (14:00 BST).
This is the closest Liverpool have come to dropping points in the Premier League this season - but once again late Anfield drama provided a twist in the tale.

Leicester looked to have seen out the worst to claim a point. However, it was no surprise Mane was involved in the decisive incident the Foxes players contested so hotly.

Mane was not just his usual attacking threat - scoring his 50th top flight goal for the Reds after racing on to Milner's pass and expertly beating Schmeichel in the first half - he also worked tirelessly in his defensive duties to subdue the threat of Leicester full-back Ben Chilwell in the first half.

The Senegal forward now has world-class status and came to Liverpool's aid once more when it looked like the visitors would repeat their feat of last season and leave Anfield with a draw.

Liverpool are now on a run of 17 Premier League victories, bettered only by Manchester City's sequence of 18 wins between August and December 2017.

They are also unbeaten in 44 league games at home - 34 wins and 10 draws - which is the longest current run in Europe's top five leagues (England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain).

The hosts were not at their fluent best but, like at Sheffield United last time out, they got a break when needed and cashed in.

Result for Saturday

Brighton 3-0 Tottenham

Burnley 1-0 Everton

Norwich 1-5 Aston Villa

Watford 0-0 Sheffield

 

Source: BBC