Garth Crooks has hailed three Liverpool players for their displays against Leicester.
Garth Crooks
Pundit Garth Crooks has told BBC Sport that he felt Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino were Liverpool’s best players against Leicester City.
The Reds had been inconsistent early into the season, as whilst they beat Arsenal 4-3 on the opening day of the season, they then lost 2-0 away at Burnley, but did grab a 1-1 draw at Tottenham.
With a win, a defeat and a draw, Liverpool really had been a mixed bag heading into Saturday’s game with Leicester City – but they were at their brilliant best against the Foxes.
Liverpool’s Adam Lallana celebrates scoring their third goal against Leicester
Playing their first game of the season at Anfield as the club’s new Main Stand was opened, Liverpool tore the Premier League champions apart and ran out 4-1 winners in a comfortable victory.
Roberto Firmino struck the opener by turning inside the Everton defence and slotting home, before Sadio Mane lofted over Kasper Schmeichel for 2-0 after Daniel Sturridge’s back heel.
Jamie Vardy did pull a goal back from Lucas Leiva’s shocking error, but a superb finish from Adam Lallana and a tap-in from Firmino meant Liverpool had scored another four goals against one of last season’s top four.
Liverpool’s Sadio Mane in action with Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel
After the game, pundit Garth Crooks named his team of the week, and told BBC Sport that Lallana, Mane and Firmino were all worthy of inclusion having been Liverpool’s star performers.
Crooks believes Lallana is now used to the expectancy that comes with playing for the Reds, whilst he hailed Mane for his remarkable turn of pace, which was evident throughout the Leicester game – and praised Firmino for stepping up in the absence of Brazilian team-mate Philippe Coutinho.
Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino scores their fourth goal against Leicester City
“At last Adam Lallana appears to be enjoying his game under the Anfield spotlight in the same way he did when he set the Premier League alight at St Mary’s with Southampton,” said Crooks. “We’ve seen flashes of his brilliance but what I detect now is a player who has come to terms with the weight of expectancy that comes with being a Liverpool player.”
“Sadio Mane cut Leicester to ribbons. What excites me about this player is his change of pace. On two occasions Mane gave Kasper Schmeichel the impression that the keeper was the favourite to win the race to the ball and both times Mane switched on the turbochargers and left Schmeichel completely exposed.”
“With one Brazilian resting on the sidelines it was left to another to produce the goods. Philippe Coutinho will be the player who Liverpool depend on to see them past more difficult opposition but, in his absence, compatriot Roberto Firmino is very capable of holding the fort. Firmino seemed to take great delight in putting Leicester to the sword,” he added.
Who did you think was Liverpool’s best player against Leicester?
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