Milner's Late Winner Keeps Liverpool at 100%

This is the sorta match champions win.

Liverpool pushed Leicester City all over the pitch for at least an hour but had nothing to show for it.

And yet, when the rubber met the road and a result was on the line, there they were, taking center stage in the 95th minute to knock the winner home.

It came from the spot and sent three more points in the Reds' direction with a dramatic 2-1 victory.

 

 

Former Reds manager Brandon Rodgers spent most of the afternoon watching his site dodge bullets.

And yet, the Foxes showed  why they're third in the league so far. Sadio Mané and James Maddison traded goals, which stood as a stalemate until James Milner's penalty gave the Reds another decision.

 

The game looked pretty tough for the Reds from minute one. Leicester were marking Liverpool's front-three outstandingly well, and not conceding space.

It looked like the first half would end up goalless, but on 40 minutes, Milner's long ball found Mané down the left side. Dude drove forward and fired past the onrushing Kasper Schmeichel:

 

The 'Pool had chances to extend their lead after the break, but Mohamed Salah and Mané wasted good chances.

These misses came back to haund them in the 80th minute when substitute Ayoze Pérez found Maddison with a nifty through-ball, enabling Leicester's No 10 to scudderize Adrian:

 

 

As time marched on, it looked like that the Reds would drop their first points in the league, but then came the 95th minute.

Mané had been fouled inside the area by Marc Albrighton, and the referee really had an easy decision to make. Milner stepped up, wrong-sided Schmeichel, the 'Pool thus remained perfect:

 

Champions win matches like this, when they're slightly off their game and are forced to rise above it.

Having said that, Leicester isn't exactly a cluster of pylons out there. The 'Pool survived a strong challenge from a quality side.