Dec 27, (V7N) - Curtis Jones celebrated his 100th Premier League appearance in style, scoring a pivotal goal as Liverpool came from behind to defeat Leicester City 3-1 at Anfield on Thursday. The victory extends Liverpool's lead at the top of the table to seven points over second-placed Chelsea.

Leicester took an early lead in the sixth minute when Jordan Ayew capitalized on a defensive lapse, slotting a low shot past Alisson Becker after a brilliant assist from Stephy Mavididi. Liverpool, uncharacteristically shaky at the back, faced further pressure as Leicester's Bilal El Khannouss narrowly missed extending the lead with a volley.

Liverpool soon found their rhythm, though, with Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah testing Leicester's defense. Salah hit the post, and Andrew Robertson’s header struck the woodwork. The pressure paid off when Cody Gakpo equalized with a sublime strike into the top corner on the stroke of halftime, marking his 10th goal of the season.

Liverpool came out firing after the break, and Jones made his mark just four minutes into the second half. Linking up seamlessly with Salah and Alexis Mac Allister, Jones slotted the ball home to complete Liverpool's turnaround. After a VAR review for potential offside, the goal was upheld, dashing Leicester's hopes further.

Leicester’s best chance to reply came from Patson Daka, but his effort went wide. Meanwhile, Nunez continued to trouble Leicester’s goalkeeper, Jakub Stolarczyk, who made a fine save to deny the Uruguayan forward.

Salah sealed the win in the 82nd minute with a classic solo effort, cutting inside from the right flank and curling a brilliant shot into the far corner. It marked his 19th goal of the season and cemented Liverpool’s dominance.

Liverpool’s relentless form under manager Arne Slot has seen them lose just one of 17 league games this season, while they remain contenders for the League Cup, Champions League, and Premier League titles. The Reds have won 22 of 26 matches in all competitions since Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp, who previously led Liverpool to their last league title in 2020.

With a game in hand over Chelsea and an impressive record, Liverpool heads into their final fixture of the year against West Ham firmly in control of their destiny.

For Leicester, the defeat marked their third consecutive loss, leaving them third-bottom and one point adrift of safety. Their winless run at Anfield in the Premier League, stretching back to 2000, continues, as manager Ruud van Nistelrooy faces a mounting challenge to steer his team out of the relegation zone.\

END/WSD/RH/