Liverpool 2, Leicester City 1: First Thoughts

Liverpool 2 Salah 50’, 76’ Leicester City 1 Vardy 3’

• PRE-MATCH: Biggest team news is VVD in the crowd to watch here. Oh, and Karius starting over Mignolet, I guess.
• goal - Vardy - 3’ - Was there any doubt that this would happen to the defense with VVD watching? Liverpool have 87 minutes to figure themselves out. Gotta say, this Matip/Lovren partnership isn’t my favorite.
• Oh my, Liverpool is starting to attack in the minutes following the goal. I thought Salah had scored but went just wide.
• Salah again, in on goal, but Maguire puts in a great sliding challenge to deny him. Mo looks up for it at least. Hopefully he’ll put one (or more!) of these away soon.
• Mane has a goal disallowed for being offside. And like, super offside.
• We’ve started with these long distance attempts, which I have no time for unless it’s Coutinho, and even then only under very specific circumstances.
• HALFTIME: Liverpool seem to be doing that thing where they attack, attack, attack but nothing lands in the back of the net. Hopefully the next half will be better.
• The second half kicks off with more Liverpool dominance leading to nothing.
• GOAL!! - Salah 50’ - As soon as I say that, Liverpool finally make one of these chances count. A sexy backheel from Sadio Mané finds Mohamed Salah, who takes some wriggling, but eventually gets it on his left foot to score.
• Second lovely Mané goal called offside, again rightly. Dude can’t catch a break today.
• Mané has another goal disallowed, and Leicester City find themselves in a good spell. Thankfully they haven’t capitalized.
• GOAL!!! Salah 76’ - Salah out-muscles and out-manuevers Harry Maguire, who has been a thorn in the Reds’ sides all day, to give Liverpool the lead and bag himself a brace.
• All Liverpool goals should involve back heels.
• I will never trust a one goal lead with this team, no matter how one-sided the match has been. Never.
• FINAL: They pull it off! Liverpool leave 2017 on a high. See you all on the other side.

We'll be back shortly to take an in-depth look at everything that happened in today's game with the full recap. Until then, let us know your take on the ups and downs of the match in the comments, and if you haven't already, join the community on the Liverpool Offside, where we'll have full coverage and lively in-game discussion for every match this season.