Liverpool: Three Key Matches That Defined Their Season
2. December 26, 2019, Liverpool at Leicester City
One of the most strenuous tests of the Premier League season is the festive period where there is more fixture congestion than there is during spring allergy season. It is brutal, especially when it is amid holiday congestion.
On Boxing Day last year, Liverpool were still undefeated for the season and closing in on a full year in the Premier League without a loss. Their lead had expanded to a full ten points over the unexpected 2nd place club, Leicester, managed by former LFC manager, Brendan Rodgers.
It was Rodgers who led Liverpool to the brink of the league title in 2014 as they had a five-point lead with three matches to play before it fell apart like a soggy taco. Manchester City went onto win the league by two points.
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It was Liverpool who put in arguably their best performance of the season as they shredded the Foxes on their home ground like dried out Parmesan cheese through a grater, winning 4-0.
Klopp’s charges had an xG of 3.77 with six shots on target. However, the most impressive part of the match and the reason this match was so pivotal was their defense. Leicester’s xG for the match was a lowly 0.12. Liverpool’s defense had been criticized for not earning clean sheets, but in this match, they did not allow the Foxes a shot on target.
Liverpool’s PPDA was 11.43, suggesting they did not do a lot of chasing and pressing, but they closed off most of Leicester’s angles into the box. The Foxes’ best scoring chance was a missed Jaime Vardy shot in the last minutes when the game was already out of reach. The xG on that chance was 0.06.
The victory put Liverpool thirteen points ahead in the Premier League and the whispers about ending their 30-year league title drought turned into cheers.