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National media spot big Jurgen Klopp change as Liverpool ‘turn up volume’ with Leicester win
Monday evening marked another impressive performance from Liverpool as they achieved a 3-0 victory away to Leicester City.
A Curtis Jones double and Trent Alexander-Arnold stunner ensured the Reds remain in the fight for the top four, although they will likely need to win their remaining fixtures against Aston Villa and Southampton.
The performance of Jones, who has now scored three times in his last four games, was the main talking point after continuing his recent rise with a well-taken brace. The 22-year-old will now be hoping further first-team opportunities come his way next campaign, with the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita expected to move on.
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Last night’s win will have left Newcastle United and Manchester United nervously watching on. However, it was enjoyed by members of the national media, along with our very own Paul Gorst, whose thoughts on proceedings can be found below.
‘Turn up the volume’
Ben Fisher of the Guardian wrote:
“Jürgen Klopp had said there are five millions ways to win a game and in a routine victory that ensures Manchester United can feel Liverpool breathing down their necks, Trent Alexander-Arnold exhibited one of the finer ways in which to score a goal.
“Alexander-Arnold emphatically sealed victory with a stunning free-kick and he could have hardly picked a better moment given Gareth Southgate and his assistant, Steve Holland, were among those in attendance
“Alexander-Arnold wheeled away and embarked on a knee slide in front of the pocket of Liverpool supporters who had been singing Roberto Firmino’s name on loop. It was time to turn up the volume.”
‘Turned into Ian Rush’
Henry Winter of the Times wrote:
“Liverpool were a class apart from Leicester, who will surely be a division apart next season. Liverpool fans were jubilant, loving the sight of Curtis Jones striking twice in the first half, Trent Alexander-Arnold then adding a third from Mo Salah’s touch from a free-kick. Salah finished with a hat-trick – of assists. Leicester finished with the look of doomed men.
“For 10 minutes, Leicester fans had believed. For that short period, they dared to dream. And then Cody Gakpo began moving and bemusing Leicester defenders, Alexander-Arnold took control of midfield, Mohamed Salah started twisting and turning and creating, and Jones turned into Ian Rush. By half-time, Leicester were on the rack and Jones was on a hat-trick.”
‘Sit so tight on the shoulders’
Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail wrote:
“After Trent Alexander-Arnold had driven a stunning free-kick into the Leicester net with the certainty and power of a batsman nailing a cover drive, he ran to the Liverpool fans in the corner and shrugged his shoulders. His message was clear. Easy.
“It was, but this season hasn’t been, and that is the great conundrum facing Jurgen Klopp and his team as they desperately try to claw back all that was lost during the dysfunctional purgatory of the first two-thirds of the season.
“This was victory seven on the spin in the Premier League for Liverpool. It was comfortable and at times compelling and carried many of the traditional Klopp hallmarks. His team have found their legs late on in the season and it means that Liverpool, in fifth, now sit so tight on the shoulders of Newcastle and Manchester United in the third and fourth Champions League places that they must be leaving stud marks.
“Alexander-Arnold was magnificent here, his passing at times geometrically perfect. Mohamed Salah, with three assists, was also majestically on point as was Curtis Jones, the 22-year-old midfielder who has recovered from a stress fracture of his leg to score twice in four first-half minutes.”
‘Free from pressure’
Daniel Storey of the i wrote:
“Jurgen Klopp will continue to stress that Liverpool are the underdogs in their late push for a pass to the Champions League party, and he is right: they are relying upon results elsewhere. But that misses the point. It is only a month or so since Klopp looked weary and thoughts inevitably flickered with the concern that the next era of Liverpool may be beyond his energy reserves.
“Instead, he and his players vowed to make the best of the worst and the freedom to attack the schedule free from pressure. They have now won seven consecutive league games and you bet they are keeping an eye on Newcastle vs Brighton this Thursday.”
‘Food for thought’
Paul Gorst of the Liverpool ECHO wrote:
“It’s been a tough road to this point for Jones given his injury troubles of the last year or so. A freak eye injury and a tibia issue that is still being carefully managed through the help of a specialist have limited his availability. He had started just one Premier League game prior to this nine-game sequence that began at Chelsea on April 4.
“Now, though, the England Under-21 international is starting to really grow in a Liverpool team that has almost rebooted itself since the March international break. Seven straight wins in a nine-game unbeaten sequence has them haring down on the top four as we head into the final week of this campaign.
“Not to be denied his serenading from the away end, however, Jones was eventually treated to a rendition of his own anthem shortly into the second half. The Scouser in the team? There’s more than one now it seems.
“It’s now three goals in four games for Jones who looks to have given his manager a sizable portion of food for thought as he plots his midfield renovation this coming transfer window.”
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