Premier League Asia Trophy: Liverpool beats Leicester City for the trophy

Liverpool rounded off their tour of Hong Kong by winning the Premier League Asia Trophy with a 2-1 victory over Leicester City on Saturday.

Islam Slimani headed the Foxes into an early lead from close range; however, Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah combined magnificently to enable the former to nod in an equaliser soon after.

Coutinho then got himself on the scoresheet with a stunning finish prior to the break, cutting in from the left and drilling into the far corner to ensure it was the Reds clinched the pre-season friendly tournament trophy.

In front of a near-40,000 crowd, a sizeable majority of which there in support of Jürgen Klopp’s side, Liverpool began strongly.

The zip of the Reds’ attacking play was raising decibel levels and causing Leicester problems, and Coutinho had Kasper Schmeichel worried with a trademark curler after just three minutes on the clock.

However, firmly against the run of play, the Foxes grabbed an early lead; after opening up their opponents down the left, Christian Fuchs delivered to the back post, where Slimani powered a header into the net from point-blank range.

Nevertheless, Liverpool didn’t waste any time restoring parity – and they did so via a goal of outstanding quality.

Initially collecting the ball wide right, Salah swapped passes with Trent Alexander-Arnold before moving inside. He then laid it square to Coutinho and continued to dart into the box.

The Brazilian took a touch before scooping a pass into the path of his teammate’s run, and Salah did the rest by heading beyond Schmeichel.

Then, 10 minutes before half-time, the Reds went close to taking the lead. Kasper Schmeichel’s punch under pressure at a Coutinho free-kick dropped invitingly for Georginio Wijnaldum, but his hook back towards goal bounced just wide of the upright.

Klopp was forced into a change just before the interval, with Alberto Moreno taking the place of James Milner due to a knock, but Coutinho gave cause for cheer when he struck a second with a trademark piece of quality.

Picking up possession on the left, the No.10 ducked and weaved his way beyond Leicester challenges before arrowing an unerring effort across goal and into the far corner.


However, that advantage could have been wiped out twice inside the opening three minutes of restart.

First, Jamie Vardy moved into space inside the box and steered his shot across goal but wide of the post, before he was thwarted in a one-on-one situation by Loris Karius on the edge of the area soon after.

At the other end, substitute Marko Grujic hooked a half-volley over the crossbar with an acrobatic effort, while Liverpool required another new introduction to the contest – Ragnar Klavan – to pull off a saving challenge to prevent Vardy from steering home a leveller after he’d again wriggled into a dangerous position.

There were to be no further opportunities of note for either team as the game edged towards its conclusion in sweltering conditions, meaning the Reds were the team lifting the Premier League Asia Trophy before heading back to Merseyside.

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Premier League Result: Fulham 2-3 Liverpool

Steven Gerrard struck the winner as Liverpool fought back from a double deficit at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night to claim a sensational 3-2 victory from their challenging Barclays Premier League encounter with Fulham.

The deadlock was broken in unexpected fashion on the evening as Kolo Toure unfortunately diverted a cross beyond his own goalkeeper, although Daniel Sturridge registered for the seventh consecutive league match for 1-1.

Kieran Richardson re-established the Londoners' lead in the second half by capitalising on another defensive error, but the Reds hauled themselves level once more courtesy of Philippe Coutinho's accurate conversion from distance.

But the stage was set for the skipper in the closing seconds, stepping up to dramatically convert from 12 yards after Sturridge had rightly been awarded a penalty for a late challenge by Sascha Riether.

One hour before kick-off, it was confirmed that Brendan Rodgers had selected an unchanged starting line-up for the fourth consecutive fixture; fit-again Daniel Agger was named among the substitutes, while Academy talent Joao Carlos Teixeira was included for the first time.

Full report: Official Liverpool FC

Are Liverpool a genuine title contender?

Jose Mourinho claims Liverpool are the title-race danger-men because they are the one contender not liable to a spring meltdown.

Chelsea boss Mourinho believes the imminent return of the Champions League could destabilise any of the current top three.

Echoing comments he made in December, The Special One said: "People are asking if Arsenal might fall apart after what happened at Liverpool, but it can happen to any one of the three of us - any one - but not Liverpool, because they have this stability of playing one match a week.

Moving on, Brendan Rodgers is emerging as a manager capable of mixing it at the top of the table. He is now cast as the strong leader of a confident group. Thankfully, the envelopes have been put back in the drawer.

   "We might be the chihuahua that runs in between the legs of the horses," Rodgers said post-Fulham.

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Goal Highlights: Everton 3-3 Liverpool

Bragging rights on Merseyside will have to be shared after Daniel Sturridge scored a dramatic late equaliser to claim a 3-3 draw for Liverpool against Everton in an action-packed Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

Philippe Coutinho broke the deadlock with a conversion at the back post, before Everton responded immediately through a clever goal by Kevin Mirallas as the ball fell kindly at the back post.

Suarez fired a sensational set-piece into the bottom corner from long range, but Lukaku found the target with a calm finish and later a powerful header to shock the visitors.

Substitute Sturridge had the last say and salvaged a dramatic point, however, by glancing a beautiful header into the top corner from Steven Gerrard's pinpoint set-piece.

Brendan Rodgers had made two changes to his starting XI against the Blues, with midfielder Joe Allen replacing Sturridge and young defender Jon Flanagan entrusted with the left-back position.

It was the home side who made the faster start, forcing a high tempo in the opening exchanges; James McCarthy, in particular, threatened with a lung-busting drive from the centre of midfield.

But in the fifth minute, the Reds struck. Gerrard curled a corner into the Everton penalty area, Suarez flicked on the delivery and there was Coutinho to control and force into the back of the net from close range.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Mirallas produced an instant response for Roberto Martinez's team on eight minutes. The Belgian latched onto a loose ball in the Liverpool box to flick an improvised effort past the hand of Simon Mignolet and into the top corner.

Full report: Official Liverpool FC

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