Liverpool 3-0 Leicester City: Premier League – as it happened

4.46pm EST 16:46

That’s it for tonight’s blog. I’ll leave you with Andy Hunter’s match report from Anfield. Thanks for your company and emails – goodnight!

Jota sparks record-breaking Liverpool’s comfortable victory over Leicester

4.08pm EST 16:08

Full time: Liverpool 3-0 Leicester

Peep peep! Liverpool have set a new club record of 64 league games without defeat at Anfield. They never looked in danger against a disappointing Leicester, and were in control from the moment Jonny Evans scored an own goal in the 21st minute. Diogo Jota headed a beauty just before half-time, and Roberto Firmino – who found some weird and wonderful ways not to score earlier in the second half – finished things off with a very popular late goal.

Even without six of their best XI, Liverpool were just too good; the win takes them up to second in the table, behind Spurs on goal difference. Spoiler alert: they are going to win the league at a canter.

Updated at 4.11pm EST

4.04pm EST 16:04

90+2 min Vardy knocks a bouncing ball past Alisson on the left edge of the box and lobs into the side netting from an impossible angle. Good effort though.

4.01pm EST 16:01

89 min A double change for Liverpool: Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino replace Jota, who was terrific, and Mane, who is always terrific.

Updated at 4.01pm EST

3.59pm EST 15:59

GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Leicester (Firmino 86)

A perfect end to a perfect night for Liverpool: Roberto Firmino gets a much-needed goal with a terrific downward header from Milner’s right-wing corner. Liverpool are still writing their own scripts.

Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino scores his side’s third goal. Photograph: Peter Powell/PA

Updated at 4.04pm EST

3.56pm EST 15:56

84 min Mane cuts inside Fofana and belts a low shot from 20 yards that is pushed away by the diving Schmeichel. It goes straight to Firmino, but the pace on the ball means he can’t control it.

3.54pm EST 15:54

82 min Alisson comes out of his area on the right to make an effective slide tackle on Justin.

Updated at 3.55pm EST

3.53pm EST 15:53

81 min Replays show that approximately 999/1000ths of the ball was over the line when Albrighton cleared Firmino’s shot a few minutes ago.

3.51pm EST 15:51

79 min This has been a surprisingly comfortable night for Liverpool. Leicester will wonder what might have happened had they been given a penalty in the first few minutes, but since then they’ve been second best.

Updated at 3.51pm EST

3.50pm EST 15:50

77 min: Firmino and Mane hit the post in the space of five seconds! That was bizarre. Firmino slipped Fofana neatly on the edge of the area and hammered a low shot off the far post. Firmino’s follow-up was then cleared off the line by Albrighton – just about – and finally Mane’s shot hit Schmeichel and ricocheted onto the same post.

Roberto Firmino’s effort hits the post and then the rebound is cleared off the line. Photograph: John Powell/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Updated at 3.54pm EST

3.48pm EST 15:48

76 min “To appreciate just how well-loved Ray Clemence was at Anfield, you only had to be on the Kop and hear the roar of applause whenever he trotted over to take up his position just before kick off or the second half, applause he would always acknowledge in his own discreet manner,” says Michael Cosgrove. “Ah, memories…”

3.47pm EST 15:47

75 min “Curtis Jones does display much promise,” says Gary Naylor. “If only he had a manager who played him as often as Pep plays Phil Foden, we might see more of his international potential.”

Arf.

3.46pm EST 15:46

74 min Robertson zig-zags thrillingly past three players before being fouled by Fofana.

3.45pm EST 15:45

72 min Liverpool appeal unsuccessfully for a penalty when Jota goes down after a challenge from Fofana. Jota dragged a shot wide at the end of a fine run, and his momentum took him into Fofana. VAR agrees that it wasn’t penalty; Jota and Jurgen Klopp do not.

3.43pm EST 15:43

70 min Milner’s corner is headed away at the near post by Vardy.

3.40pm EST 15:40

67 min A Leicester goal now would make things interesting. They’ve been good in the last seven or eight minutes.

3.36pm EST 15:36

65 min Leicester are having a decent little spell, probably their best of the match in terms of sustained possession. Under’s stinging long-range shot is blocked by Milner.

Updated at 3.37pm EST

3.35pm EST 15:35

63 min A double change for Leicester: Dennis Praet and Cengiz Under replace Barnes and Fuchs, which means a switch to 4-2-3-1.

3.35pm EST 15:35

62 min: Fine double save from Alisson! Leicester almost found their way back into the game. Maddison’s deflected free-kick reached Vardy, who tried to chest it round Alisson in the six-yard box. Alisson dived at Vardy’s feet to block and then saved the follow up from Barnes.

Updated at 3.36pm EST

3.30pm EST 15:30

57 min: Evans almost scores his second own goal! It’s all Liverpool now. Jota twists Justin inside out and drives a shot that is beaten away at the near post by Schmeichel. The ball comes back to Jota, who hammers it low towards the near post. Firmino’s shot is blocked at point-blank range by Schmeichel and then Evans, under pressure from Firmino, heads the rebound against his own post.

Updated at 3.31pm EST

3.28pm EST 15:28

54 min: What a clearance from Fuchs! Milner, now in midfield, put Mane clear in the inside-left channel with a fine pass. Mane opened his body to sweep a shot that was palmed up in the air by Schmeichel and was about to drop into the net when Fuchs appeared to head clear from under the crossbar. He was under a lot of pressure from Jota, which made it an even better piece of defending.

Kasper Schmeichel of Leicester City saves a shot from Sadio Mane of Liverpool. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Updated at 3.34pm EST

3.26pm EST 15:26

54 min Keita walks off very slowly, looking thoroughly cheesed off. Williams is on.

3.25pm EST 15:25

53 min Neco Williams is getting ready to replace Keita, who has done his hamstring. He’ll go to right-back and James Milner will move into midfield.

3.24pm EST 15:24

52 min Keita is down with what looks like – yep – another muscle injury.

Updated at 3.24pm EST

3.22pm EST 15:22

49 min Vardy scoots round the back of the defence to win a corner. Maddison’s delivery is poor and Robertson clears.

3.21pm EST 15:21

48 min Maddison slides a fine through pass between Matip and Milner to find Barnes. He moves into the area but is expertly pushed wide by Matip, and Alisson makes a comfortable save.

3.19pm EST 15:19

47 min “Hi Rob,” says Simon Gill. “Greetings from (at the moment, at least) a very happy Liverpool fan in the Czech Republic. Steve Tayler was recollecting a save Ray Clemence made from a forward who thought he was going to lob him but ended up dollying the ball into his grateful arms. I am not 100% sure if we are recalling the same incident but I remember him doing exactly that in about 1973 at the Anfield Road end against peak Leeds – the forward was either Allan Clarke or Peter Lorimer. My, how we laughed. We loved him.”

He’d be booked for ungentlemanly conduct nowadays.

3.19pm EST 15:19

46 min Another devastating cross from Robertson is volleyed over ar the far post by Jota. That was a decent chance, though was under pressure from Justin. This isn’t news, but Andy Robertson is quite magnificente.

3.08pm EST 15:08

“Haven’t been able to watch recently, but Curtis Jones strikes me as a VERY tasty player – a cert for England,” says Francis Mead. “What do you think?”

I wouldn’t say a cert but he does look really promising. He’s made some excellent runs through midfield tonight, with and especially without the ball.

3.02pm EST 15:02

Half time: Liverpool 2-0 Leicester

Peep peep! That exciting title race you were promised this season? Forget about it. Even without six of their first-choice XI, Liverpool are just too good. They had plenty of fortune with the opener, a slightly absurd own goal from Jonny Evans, but Diogo Jota’s second was lovely and the scoreline doesn’t flatter them. Leicester’s only real cause for complaint is that they should have had a penalty at 0-0, but the VAR team at Stockley Park were glued to Countryfile on BBC1.

Updated at 3.09pm EST

3.00pm EST 15:00

45+1 min Replays show Justin won the ball, though he may have gone through Milner to do so. A yellow card feels a bit harsh.

2.58pm EST 14:58

43 min While I was typing that bit about the goal, Alisson got down smartly to his left to push away a long-range shot. I think it was from Tielemans but I wouldn’t swear it in a court of law.

2.58pm EST 14:58

That was beautiful play from Liverpool. It started when Curtis Jones sprayed a long pass out to Robertson on the left. Albrighton committed himself, which allowed Robertson to zip inside him and curl a glorious cross towards the near post. Jota made a superb run in front of Fuchs and planted an accomplished downward header past Schmeichel. Great goal.

Updated at 3.09pm EST

2.56pm EST 14:56

GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Leicester (Jota 41)

Diogo Jota scores a brilliant goal!

Liverpool’s Diogo Jota celebrates scoring. Photograph: Jon Super/Reuters

Updated at 3.03pm EST

2.54pm EST 14:54

39 min A slip from Fofana almost lets Mane in. He recovers well, though, and eventually takes the sting out of Mane’s shot on its way through to Schmeichel.

2.50pm EST 14:50

35 min At the other end, Mane pokes wide after a through pass from Keita. He was offside anyway.

2.50pm EST 14:50

34 min A lovely effort from James Justin. He ran at Milner and Jota, cut inside and curled a dipping shot just wide of the far post. Alisson probably had it covered but it was a really nice bit of play.

2.49pm EST 14:49

32 min Evans fouls Mane just outside the area on the left wing. Robertson’s deep free-kick is headed back across goal by Matip, and the leaping Firmino studs the ball wide from a yard. It was a tricky chance – at waist height, and with the ball looping away from him and the goal – but he would have scored with a firmer touch.

2.46pm EST 14:46

31 min Liverpool are controlling the game. Leicester have been pinned in their own half for much of the last 15-20 minutes.

2.42pm EST 14:42

28 min “Anyone who leaves Gordon Banks out of their top five,” says Robert Clayton, “never saw him play.”

We didn’t have TV in the womb.

2.42pm EST 14:42

27 min Robertson’s dangerous inswinging corner is headed just wide by Matip, under pressure from Fofana. The ball dipped awkwardly in front of Matip; I think it came off his shoulder in the end, but it still almost went in the net.

2.40pm EST 14:40

25 min “There’s an interesting article to be written about all-time greats who had the misfortune to spend their career playing second fiddle to someone even greater,” says James Evans. “Clemence is one, Aussie leg-spinner Stuart MacGill another. And of course there’s Cantona playing in the shadow of Le God.”

I had no idea that was what they called Brian McClair.

2.39pm EST 14:39

24 min: Just wide from Barnes! This is great stuff now. Barnes, in the inside-left channel, slides the ball down the line to Vardy in the area. He pulls a speculative low cross into the middle, where Barnes runs onto the ball and slices a first-time shot just wide of the far post. He probably should have scored.

2.38pm EST 14:38

22 min: Firmino has a goal disallowed! It was the right decision – he and Jota clattered Schmeichel as he collected a Robertson cross. That led to him dropping the ball and Firmino turning it over the line from 0.0001 yards.

2.37pm EST 14:37

Milner clipped in a corner from the right towards the six-yard line, where Evans was so busy wrestling with Mane that he took his eye off the ball for a crucial split-second. It hit him on the back of the head and flew past Schmeichel.

Updated at 2.40pm EST

2.36pm EST 14:36

GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Leicester (Evans 21 own goal)

Jonny Evans gives Liverpool the lead!

Leicester City’s Northern Irish defender Jonny Evans (R) scores an own goal. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/AFP/Getty Images Evans reacts with frustration. Photograph: Peter Powell/EPA

Updated at 2.56pm EST

2.35pm EST 14:35

20 min Leicester are struggling to get Vardy in the game. Mind you, that was the case after 20 minutes at the Etihad earlier in the season, and he ended up scoring a hat-trick.