People said Leicester would have a wobble but it hasn’t happened yet.
Arsenal scored after 4 minutes and turned on the style.
Watford didn’t play with the tenacity they showed in their FA Cup victory last month, so Arsenal won 4-0.
When the pressure is off, Arsenal turn on the slick football and lethal finishing.
If Alex Iwobi can do what he’s been doing with such authority at 19, he should have been in the team sooner.
He wasn’t selected because of the conservative Wenger’s precious pecking order.
Alexis Sanchez was, at last, back to his sharpest form. When Iwobi provided a superb cross, Sanchez’s header was saved by Gomes but he pounced to make it 1-0 and Sanchez then set up Iwobi for 2-0.
Bellerin’s shot deflected in off Ben Watson for 3-0.
And sub Walcott got a tap-in after Joel Campbell set him up.
When the pressure was off, Arsenal delivered.
After winning 4-0 they had to hope that Leicester wobbled and Spurs lost.
Before Saturday evening ‘s Sky game pundits Carra and Redknapp both said they liked Dele Alli because he has an edge, like a midfielder both men played with: Stevie G.
Anfield was Harry Kane’s 60th consecutive Premier League game.
Given the position he plays in, and the relentless way that Spurs attack, that’s a testament to his fitness and durability.
Myself, I think Harry Kane is essential to Pochettino’s brisk attacking style because he can shoot well but also lay it off neatly and play runners in. I reckon the manager wants 4 or 5 players to be having shots or headers right through the game, while realising that in some matches it might only 2 nor 3. But Kane’s skill-set is what allows Spurs to play the way they do and grab the results they’ve got so far.
There was some very cool defending by them early on.
Rose and Dembele were superb in that period but Liverpool knew exactly what they were up against and shaded the first half, with Hugo Lloris making three saves to keep it 0-0 at the break.
Then Coutinho played an incisive one-two with Sturridge and placed his shot beautifully into the bottom corner for 1-0.
With Lamela absent, Son didn’t impress. In 58, when Son volleyed their best chance just wide of the far post, I began to wonder if Spurs could come back.
But very soon, in 62, Eriksen chased a 50-yard diagonal from Alderweireld that looked as if it must run out of play. But he flicked the ball back into Kane territory, the left side of the penalty area, and happy Harry turned and fired a right-foot shot low inside the far post for 1-1.
Unlike his goal against Arsenal, this one was from well inside the penalty area.
When Eriksen hit a shot through Sakho’s legs, Mignolet dived forward to his right and made a good save. We were watching a very close contest that had so far produced two excellent goals.
Chadli replaced Son in 66, then Origi came on for Sturridge.
More firepower. But it finished 1-1.
I knew that Leicester v Southampton was likely to produce fewer chances than the Anfield game but I enjoyed it anyway.
When Mane raced onto Pelle’s fantastic pass he exploded past Kasper Schmeichel but his shot hit the covering Simpson on the elbow. No penalty was given and I didn’t reckon it was one.
Six minutes later left back Christian Fuchs produced a perfect dipping cross that allowed Wes Morgan to send a power header in off the far post.
I noted the exact time of the goal because I didn’t think there would be another.
The ball crossed the line in 37 minutes 20 seconds.
Leicester, from the East Midlands, are an under-rated Italian team that contains no Italians.
They know how to keep a shape, how retain the ball, and how to run up the wing to run down the clock. Their game-management is very professional, somewhat Serie A.
As the second half went on Ranieri’s team looked more likely to score again than concede.
Besic and Wanyama were awful for Southampton, among others, while Kante ran marathons at high speed to support his attack and also his defence. What a player!
In 71, Jamie Vardy’s cross gave Danny Simpson a tap-in but he hit Fraser Forster’s leg from five yards.
Leicester (69pts) and Spurs (62) have six more games and Arsenal (58) have seven more games.
In their seven 1-0 victories so far this season Leicester’s winner has been scored by six different players. Only Mahrez has scored twice in those matches.
So Leicester are now four wins away from their first league title.
12 points from history. Wow!