Liverpool 1-0 Leicester City: Benteke’s goal does in first-place Foxes

Christian Benteke‘s goal was the difference as Liverpool held Leicester without a goal for the first time this season with a 1-0 win at Anfield on Boxing Day.

The Foxes could drop behind Arsenal should the Gunners beat Southampton today, but still lead the table by a pair of points.

Liverpool rises to eighth with 27 points, five back of the Top Four.

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Philippe Coutinho was dangerous throughout the first 15 minutes, but the Brazilian’s promising positioning lent itself to shots wide or high of the frame.

And Adam Lallana looked set to put the Reds up in the 17th minute, but blasted his shot off the outside of the netting. Emre Can would push Kasper Schmeichel into a full-extension save soon after. Liverpool was lively.

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Leicester’s efforts to fluster Liverpool and counter were lacking in the latter, and the Reds finally broke through when Benteke lunged to poke Roberto Firmino‘s pass into the goal.

It should’ve finished 2-0, with Benteke selfishly failing to deliver a late counter pass with Schmeichel out of goal and attacking the Liverpool end. But the Belgium dribbled directly into trouble and it finished 1-0.

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