Arne Slot’s vision is now crystal clear—though it got murky for a bit tonight, not just because of the fog enveloping Anfield.
A first Premier League title in his inaugural season as Liverpool manager is on the horizon.
Curtis Jones celebrates scoring for Liverpool. Jones took control for Liverpool shortly after halftime. The midfielder scored without hesitation, surviving a lengthy VAR review. With a seven-point lead at the top and a game in hand over second-placed Chelsea, it’s more than just a distant image.
Despite falling behind to Jordan Ayew’s shock early goal, they easily overcame the brave but ultimately futile challenge from Ruud van Nistelrooy’s team.
Slot’s debut season in English football is gaining momentum, fueled by an unbeaten streak that now extends to 22 games since his only loss to Nottingham Forest on September 14.
Success, less than half a season after taking over from Jurgen Klopp—a position many deemed impossible due to the large void left by the German—is within his grasp.
All he and his players need to do, while also sitting atop the Champions League table, is remain steady, keep the faith, and the title will surely be theirs.
Yet, for the umpteenth time this season, their start was shaky as Ayew netted a stunning opener.
Slot might worry, in quieter moments, that despite his efforts to strengthen the defense, more work lies ahead.
However, going forward, Liverpool are becoming a juggernaut, scoring two or more goals in 13 of their last 14 matches.
Indeed, they have now surpassed Tottenham to become the Premier League’s top scorers.
The fog raised concerns that this match might be postponed, with Anfield shrouded in mist even ten minutes before kickoff.
Yet within three minutes, Leicester were dazzled by Liverpool’s full-beam attack.
Polish goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk, making his Premier League debut in place of Danny Ward, must have been wondering what hit him.
Ward, targeted by fans during Sunday’s 3-0 humiliation against Wolves, didn’t even make the bench after coming on at halftime in the 4-0 defeat to Newcastle.
For the 24-year-old, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Hartlepool, the panic-stricken start was not part of his dreams.
He was a Fox caught in the headlights as Slot’s men attempted to walk the ball into the net before Salah’s shot hit the post.
But rather than give up, Van Nistelrooy’s squad, missing injured icon Jamie Vardy, surprisingly took the lead just three minutes later.
Left winger Stephy Mavididi charged down the flank against Trent Alexander-Arnold, and for the umpteenth time this season, the star in Real Madrid’s spotlight found himself outplayed.
Mavididi steadied himself and squared the ball, allowing Ayew to shine.
As Andy Robertson moved in to close him down, the former Crystal Palace veteran executed a magical pirouette and fired a perfect low shot past the stunned Alisson and inside the right post.
Slot’s team may have entered the match believing their own hype, with many declaring the title theirs to lose.
If they took it too easy in that opening attack, it initially looked too simple as they continued to surge forward.
Cody Gakpo was unlucky with a shot, and Salah’s effort deflected just inches over the bar.
In the 25th minute, Robertson surged into the box to connect with Alexis Mac Allister’s chip, his header hitting nearly the same spot that denied his Egyptian teammate.
However, Van Nistelrooy’s side could not keep riding their luck, and there was nothing fortunate about Gakpo’s equalizer.
It was simply a moment of sheer class.
Slot’s compatriot gathered the ball on the left, checked inside, and unleashed a stunning curling right-footer that Stolarczyk could only watch glide into the top left corner.
That goal came just before first-half injury time.
Four minutes after the break, Slot’s men celebrated again.
Once more, they sliced through Leicester’s defense as Salah slid the ball across, allowing Curtis Jones to calmly flick it over the line.
A VAR check for offside confirmed the strike on the midfielder’s 100th Premier League appearance, showcasing the high quality of the goal from start to finish.
Leicester wasn’t done yet; Alisson dodged a bullet after an hour.
Had Patson Daka kept his composure, he would surely have scored from another clever pass from Mavididi, but he mis-kicked from twelve yards out.
Taking the hint, Liverpool shifted back into high-energy attacking mode, and Darwin Nunez—given a start to rest No. 1 striker Diogo Jota—finally emerged from his own fog.
His strike from Salah’s cross seemed perfect, but Stolarczyk made a heroic block.
Gakpo thought he had a second after smashing a shot into the net, only for a VAR check that took an eternity to rule it out due to Nunez being minutely offside.
Yet the third goal was always going to come, and once again, it was Salah delivering the killer blow.
He gathered the ball, moved forward quickly, and when Van Nistelrooy’s defense thought they had him contained, he used Victor Kristiansen as a wall, darting inside and curling another exquisite shot beyond the goalkeeper.