Leicester City were defeated by a depleted Liverpool team on Sunday with an uninspiring performance to keep the Foxes rooted in 4th place.
With so much expectation and optimism going into this match it was hard to imagine the 3-0 result we eventually got. Whilst the Foxes too have their injury problems, they have been performing at an exceptional level beating teams with a 5-4-1 system that suits the old counter-attacking DNA of this Leicester City side.
However, it’s safe to say Liverpool dominated the game start to finish, with a Johnny Evans own goal, and a Diego Jota and Roberto Firmino header. With such an uneven contest, amidst the optimism, what did we learn from yesterday’s encounter?
Harvey Barnes can’t be trusted for Leicester City
Another game, another what if moment for Harvey Barnes.
We might be having a different discussion had the England International buried his chance in the first 20 minutes. After Jamie Vardy found him with a great cut back, all he had to do was finish but instead we saw the ball sail into the stands.
A lot of Foxes fans are getting a little bit fed up with Barnes and his finishing or lack thereof.
The 22-year-old was replaced on the hour for Cengiz Under and immediately the Foxes started to get into the game more and have more control, they didn’t necessarily look any more threatening but it’s the control that Brendan Rodgers so often demands.
People questioned why he was dropped for Dennis Praet for the last league match before the international break against Wolves, a move that proved decisive towards the Foxes victory as Praet gave the side a lot more control in the more advanced areas on the pitch.
I think that Rodgers cannot fully trust Barnes in the so-called bigger games in the decisive moments. Think of how many times we say after a match that Barnes could have scored this and that, he’s a wonderful player, it’s just the Leicester manager will be likely to put his faith in someone else in a bigger game if this pattern continues.
Wesley Fofana does have his off days
I know that a lot of people will disagree with me but just let me make my point.
Fofana has been a revelation since he moved from France this summer. An injury to Caglar Soyuncu meant it was pretty easy to slot into the side and get some match time.
During those matches he proved to every Foxes fan that he is an incredible defender with an abundance of qualities but surely at some point he had to have a bad game.
The young Frenchman was by no means the worse player on the pitch on Sunday, but he definitely wasn’t the best as he was up against the best.
Faced with Sadio Mane -arguably the league’s best winger- is no easy task and it certainly didn’t look like it. Mane would breeze past the defender time and time again, thanks to sheer pace, great skill or a silly attempt at a tackle. It was so disappointing as you knew the eyes of most the country were watching.
The 19-year-old was made to look very ordinary on a day where his peers followed the path. He will obviously bounce back from this, it just shows to us that he is indeed human after all.
Title talk is too soon
A lot of fans, including myself, had a lot of optimism coming into this match and were genuinely excited about the fact that there is a strong possibility of Leicester being considered as title challengers.
Not a lot of pundit have spouted such a claim, due to top six bias, but before the match the Foxes could have returned to the top of table.
A weakened Liverpool side made this more of a target than a dream, but from the first whistle the game was over.
Brendan Rodger’s side were too passive and let the Reds gain momentum and give their key players the times and space they thrive upon.
It was so annoying that this was a genuine chance for the Foxes to lay down a marker and beat the reigning champions, but Jurgen Klopp’s men showed why they are just that.
After the game, all that optimism turned into pessimism and all of sudden the words ‘top four’ were being spread instead of ‘title’.
Anything could happen in this strange season but when the champions comprehensively beat the so called challengers, I think it’s another couple of months wait before the Blues can be in the same sentence as title challengers.