Liverpool ran out 4-1 winners against a disjointed Leicester City side at the expanded Anfield stadium in a display that would have delighted their fans.
Roberto Firmino bagged a brace, and Sadio Mane and Adam Lallana scored each, to give Liverpool a comfortable victory. Leicester had a brief spell in which they looked like they might be able to get a result, thanks in part to Lucas Leiva’s horrendous mistake, but Liverpool eventually powered through.
We take a look at the talking points from the match below:
#1 Just how good is Sadio Mane?
Roberto Firmino will probably take a lot of the headlines for his great performance that included two gorgeous goals, but Sadio Mane was equally influential, if not more. It wasn’t only the goal he took with aplomb or the brilliant run that led to Firmino’s second goal but the work he did off the ball.
There was hardly a time when Liverpool were attacking that Mane wasn’t making an intelligent run in behind the Leicester defence.
He made brilliant use of the ball, but even when a teammate in possession opted for another pass, it was because the former Southampton player had freed up space by leading a defender away.
With 23 Premier League goals in 70 appearances, Mane has already made a name for himself in the Premier League and if Jurgen Klopp can continue to get the best out of the Senegalese, Liverpool will consider the generous transfer fee paid for him a bargain.
#2 Can Leicester’s centre back duo still cope?
Robert Huth and Wes Morgan both had a phenomenal season last year. It was the apex of their career, and every sliding tackle and aerial clearance seemingly increased the aura of their immortality.
But 4 rounds into this season, and it’s already clear that this is a different scenario, and one they’re not going to be given any leeway.
The pair’s combined age is now 64, and without the work-rate of N’Golo Kante in front of them, their lack of pace could severely be exposed and they might struggle to keep clean sheets this year.
Claudio Ranieri has brought in the promising Luis Fernandez in from Sporting Gijon, and the Italian might be thinking of incorporating him into the team sooner than he would have liked.
#3 Wijanldum and Henderson forming a great midfield two
While Liverpool’s attack has delighted the supporters with brilliant performances in two of the four games they’ve placed, the club's new midfield pairing of Jordan Henderson and Giorgio Wijnaldum has gone from strength to strength.
Wijaldum arrived from Newcastle on a hefty fee but has shown that he’s already well accustomed to the league and has immediately settled in. His economy and efficiency with the ball
His economy and efficiency with the ball keeps the Liverpool midfield ticking, and meanwhile, his partner in Henderson has been diving into tackles and distributing the ball equally well.
If Liverpool are to make the Champions League places, it’s important that this pairing continues to improve and assert themselves on Premier League teams.
#4 How can Ranieri get the best out of Leicester attacking options?
A return of 4 points in 4 games is certainly not something the Premier League champions will be happy with. But while it’s true that a lot of their players performed out of their skins last season and might not be able to replicate it again, it’s also a fact that they have diversified their attack pretty well in the transfer market.
Managing to hold on to both Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez was a great bit of management, given the wide interest in both players, and adding Ahmed Musa and Islam Slimani gives them one of the most impressive attacking options in the division.
The question is, how is Claudio Ranieri going to fit them together to maximise their potential?
With the addition of Champions League this season, it isn’t going to get easier and at some point in the near future, Ranieri has to figure out a team combination and tactic that could give his team a stable footing in the league.
While Jamie Vardy still seems sharp, Ranieri also needs to get the best out of Mahrez again.
#5 Can Liverpool lift off from this performance?
For the vision Liverpool football club have, there’s hardly a better manager in the world out there than the one who’s in charge.
Jurgen Klopp is an affable, inspirational and brilliant coach who will, with time, mould this Liverpool squad into a devastating unit. In large parts of the game against Leicester, and the stage in which they went 4-1 up against Arsenal, they’ve looked like they could blow away the best PL opposition.
But underwhelming performances against Burnley and Spurs suggest they still have a lot to learn.
There’s no doubt Klopp will get the best of his players, but the question is whether they’ll be able to fight off the fierce competition to snare a Champions League place this season or not.
Getting into the top 4 will be critical to the German’s master plan of making Liverpool a European force again.
