Cody Gakpo shone after scoring a stunning goal for Liverpool in a resounding win over Leicester City.

The festive mood continued among Liverpool fans as they sealed a convincing win on Boxing Day, cementing their place at the top of the Premier League.

The sense of impending victory was palpable; you could almost hear the chants echoing around Anfield: “We’re destined to lift the trophy, and we all know it!”

Even before the final whistle, Liverpool’s confidence was at its peak. Boxing Day had gone very well for them, withManchester Citylost points again,Chelseaslipped thanks to a last minute goal byFulham, and Manchester United suffered their fifth defeat in ten games under their new manager—a result that, while not detrimental to Liverpool’s title ambitions, provided plenty of pre-match cheer for the Anfield crowd. The highlight of the day was Bruno Fernandes’ red card—one disappointed fan exclaimed: “What a great day for football!”

The banter ran rampant in Liverpool’s WhatsApp group, with one cheery fan sending: “Some surprising results in the Premier League today!” accompanied by a wide-eyed emoji, much to the surprise of their opponents’ supporters. Clearly no one was expecting Liverpool to slip up against one of the league’s weaker sides, and everyone was secretly hoping for a surprise miracle, only to quip: “It doesn’t get any better than that!” Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on their side.

The atmosphere at Anfield was strange as Leicester surprised everyone by taking an early lead. Stephy Mavididi played a wonderful pass to Jordan Ayew, who cleverly scored with a shot that deflected slightly behind Virgil van Dijk and into Alisson’s net. There was a sigh of relief from the stands—”What the hell? Don’t they know it’s our day?”

As the game progressed, Slot’s side pressed the Liverpool goal with 27 crosses by the 35th minute but only one shot on target. Fans were left in a state of disbelief and frustration, wondering why Liverpool had not crushed Leicester as easily as their position in the table would have required.

Despite Liverpool having the majority of possession, Leicester still posed a potential threat, almost having had a chance to break through and score had their passing been more accurate. The sighs from the Anfield crowd set a tone of anxiety.

James Justin was left in the lurch as Gakpo deftly slipped past him for the highlight-reel shot, earning the Man of the Match award with a performance that left Mohamed Salah, who had been left out until then, as the underdog.

Salah finally found his own goal with a signature shot—a deft cutback and a precise shot into the corner—that was perfectly passed by Gakpo, who beat two Leicester players before finding the unmarked Egyptian wizard.