Vice-Captain Delivers: Trent’s Return Seals Vital Win for Liverpool | OneFootball

Liverpool 1 – 0 Leicester – The Postmortem

With Arsenal’s 4-0 win at Ipswich earlier in the day cutting Liverpool’s lead to ten points, the pressure was on Arne Slot’s men to respond. A trip to the King Power Stadium on Easter Sunday would never be a simple task—especially with Leicester fighting to avoid relegation—but Liverpool dug deep and found their moment, thanks to a Scouser off the bench.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, returning from injury and amid ongoing speculation over his future, delivered the decisive blow just minutes after being introduced. A 76th-minute strike, both stunning and significant, edged Liverpool to within one win of a historic 20th English league title.

Below is how the team lined up, with match details following.

The Starting Eleven

GK – Alisson Becker

RB – Conor Bradley

RCB – Ibrahima Konaté

LCB – Virgil van Dijk (c)

LB – Kostas Tsimikas

CM – Alexis Mac Allister

ACM – Dominik Szoboszlai

CM – Ryan Gravenberch

RF – Mohamed Salah

CF – Luis Díaz

LF – Cody Gakpo

Subs:

Diogo Jota – Cody Gakpo (60 mins)

Trent Alexander-Arnold – Conor Bradley (71 mins)

Harvey Elliott – Dominik Szoboszlai (71 mins)

Curtis Jones – Luis Díaz (90 mins)

Goals (Assisted by)

Leicester 0 – 1 Liverpool

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Unassisted, via Van Dijk header) – 76 mins

Important Match Stats

Possession

Leicester 42% – 58% Liverpool

XG

Leicester 0.27 – 2.57 Liverpool

Total Shots

Leicester 5 – 28 Liverpool

Corner Kicks

Leicester 1 – 13 Liverpool

Offsides

Leicester 2 – 2 Liverpool

Fouls

Leicester 11 – 7 Liverpool

Yellow Cards

Leicester 1 – 2 Liverpool

Goalkeeper Saves

Leicester 7 – 0 Liverpool

The First Half

The first 45 minutes were defined by patience and frustration. Liverpool bossed the ball but struggled to find spaces against a compact Leicester setup. Once again, Mac Allister, the Reds’ controller in midfield, probed tirelessly, linking well with Gravenberch and Szoboszlai, but clear-cut chances were few and far between.

Luis Díaz and Salah offered width, though their final ball often failed to meet its target. At the back, Van Dijk and Konaté were largely untroubled, with Jamie Vardy isolated and Leicester content to sit in and hope for transitions.

Despite dominance in possession, the first half ended goalless and slightly tense for the league leaders.

The Second Half

The second half saw Liverpool increase the tempo. Arne Slot’s substitutions changed the dynamic, especially the introduction of Alexander-Arnold and Elliott in the 71st minute. Five minutes later, the breakthrough arrived.

A corner from the right was met by Van Dijk, whose header caused chaos in the Leicester box. The ball fell kindly to Alexander-Arnold on the edge of the area, and the vice-captain unleashed a thunderous left-footed drive into the bottom corner.

Cue the celebration—shirt off, fists clenched, and a roar toward the travelling support. A moment that felt like more than just a winning goal; it felt like a statement of intent. Perhaps of belonging to a club that he cherishes so dearly.

Leicester offered little in response, and Liverpool saw out the final stages with maturity and control, Mac Allister continuing to lead the midfield with intelligence and calm.

Final Thoughts

On a day when Liverpool could have slipped, they instead stood tall. Alexander-Arnold’s match-winning cameo was as timely as it was brilliant, and his celebration hinted that his heart may still lie at Anfield, despite Real Madrid’s interest.

Mac Allister was superb throughout, dictating play and asserting dominance in midfield, but it was Trent’s moment, and potentially a defining one in the title race.

Liverpool are now 13 points clear at the top with five games remaining. One more win will crown them champions.

Steven Smith’s Score Prediction:

Leicester 0 – 3 Liverpool