Liverpool vs Leicester City. Premier League.
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Report and highlights as James Maddison's goal comes moments away from grabbing draw
Saturday 5 October 2019 20:57, UK
James Milner scored a 95th-minute penalty to keep up Liverpool's winning run in extraordinary fashion with a 2-1 win over Leicester.
Milner stepped up to send Kasper Schmeichel the wrong way from the spot after Sadio Mane was fouled in the Leicester area by Marc Albrighton. The victory extended Liverpool's winning run to 17 Premier League games.
The hosts had not been firing on all cylinders all afternoon and owed a lot to Milner's brilliant assist to hold a half-time lead, with the veteran's wonderful 50-yard ball outside of Jonny Evans reaching Mane, who then slotted past the onrushing Schmeichel (41).
But substitute Ayoze Perez made an instant impact to turn the game on its head when his low through-ball caught out Virgil van Dijk, and James Maddison took it in his stride before beating Adrian (80).
That looked like earning a share of the spoils until Albrighton lost the ball in his own box and caught the back of Mane's leg, allowing Milner to step up and give Liverpool the latest of late winners from 12 yards. Victory means they equal their longest winning start to a season, matching their eight-match streak in 1990/91.
Liverpool were forced to change ends by Leicester ahead of kick-off as Brendan Rodgers looked to disrupt the rhythm of his old club - and whether down to that or not, the hosts never hit top gear.
Milner and Firmino both sent shots over when well-placed from Trent Alexander-Arnold crosses, but Leicester's centre-back pairing had the beating of Liverpool's front three, until one moment of quality from Milner.
Deep in Liverpool's own half, his curling through-ball down the left caught out Evans and allowed Mane a clear route to goal, with the forward confidently beating Schmeichel from 15 yards to open the scoring.
Leicester had competed well until the goal, but Liverpool's control continued after the break, and they nearly doubled their lead as Mo Salah and Mane both saw close-range efforts kept out.
But when Adrian's well-placed knee stopped Jamie Vardy's clear run into the box before he could get a shot away, it proved a warning shot they did not heed.
From 25 yards out, Perez spotted Maddison's run behind Van Dijk and played the ball through to him, and after holding off a pair of challenges his low effort bounced in off Adrian.
The drama was far from over with 10 minutes to go. Salah was forced off by Hamza Choudhury's cynical challenge to keep him from running through in the final minute of normal time, before Albrighton was caught in possession in his own box by Mane. The midfielder's clumsy challenge gave Liverpool a glorious chance to keep up their winning run.
Milner made no mistake to beat Schmeichel in the 95th minute, but found himself on the wrong end of Perez's ire moments after the full-time whistle, when the pair had to be separated by their respective team-mates.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp: "Super game. After the intense game on Wednesday, playing against the quality of Leicester the football we played for 60 minutes is incredible, but after that the tank was a bit empty.
"We got the penalty, which it was a clear penalty, I stand here and should be only happy because of the way the boys did it but I cannot get over the Choudhury yellow card. I don't get that, really. He should know better. He maybe was unlucky with Ritchie, but he has to calm down."
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers: "I thought we deserved more. It's very cruel to conceded the penalty so late, I'm not sure it was clean and obvious, but very proud of the team we're playing against the European champions, a team so strong, especially at home.
"I think that going into the box, Sadio was probably making sure he made the most of the contact, and the referee's given it on feel. It's hard for the guys in the studio to overrule that. I think if it wasn't given no-one would've given too much of it. We had to do better in that moment too, those little details can cost you a point or three points."
Sky Sports' Ron Walker:
Liverpool deserved their victory but they were made to work hard for it by a brilliant shift from Leicester centre-backs Caglar Soyuncu and Jonny Evans.
Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino misfired, but it's not often that you catch all three of their front men on a bad day and Sadio Mane rescued them again.
Leicester will be disappointed, they were out of sorts in the final third and the rest of their game was very good, but Marc Albrighton will be most frustrated of all. He had no need to try to play the ball so close to his own goal and was made to pay for it.
You can't do that against anyone in the 94th minute, least of all Liverpool.
Milner is like a fine wine. He just gets better with age. In many ways it wasn't a big call for him to take the captain's armband and Jordan Henderson to stay on the bench, given Liverpool's recent run of games, but you just wonder when his age is finally going to catch up with him.
Not today though. He should've scored in the first half before wrapping a beautiful ball down the line for Mane to net the opener.
There was little doubt he would beat Schmeichel from 12 yards with the biggest kick of the game in the 95th minute either. So much of Milner's career has been built by his mentality; today was no different.
Liverpool travel to Manchester United after the international break on October 20 for a game that will be live on Super Sunday from 4pm; Kick-off at 4.30pm. Brendan Rodgers' Leicester will host Burnley at the King Power Stadium on Saturday October 19 at 3pm.
