Liverpool made it 22 games unbeaten in all competitions with a 3-1 home win over Leicester City on Boxing Day to go seven points clear at the top of the Premier League on Thursday night. After an early goal from Jordan Ayew, the Reds responded through Cody Gakpo before second-half strikes from Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah settled it.

It means Arne Slot's side are comfortably clear at the summit with a game in hand against Everton still to be played. The ECHO was, of course, at Anfield to provide our usual mix of player ratings, big-match verdict and analysis of how it all unfolded.

And our colleagues from the national media were also there to give their own considered takes. Here's how they viewed it all...

READ MORE: 'Look what happened there' - Arne Slot sends Man City warning to Premier League leaders Liverpool

READ MORE: What happened at final whistle should be clear Liverpool message to FSG about first priority of 2025

Paul Joyce of The Times writes: "Ruud van Nistelrooy would have instinctively known what was coming. When Cody Gakpo chopped inside James Justin with seconds remaining in the opening half to move the ball on to his right foot, the colour must have drained from the face of Leicester City’s manager.

"Van Nistelrooy had been the striker coach when Gakpo was a skinny 15-year-old in PSV Eindhoven’s academy and was his senior manager at the Dutch club when he moved to Liverpool in January 2023. The fierce shot curled into the far corner of the net from just outside the penalty area was, therefore, a finish he had seen numerous times before, though in much more comforting circumstances than this.

"Leicester had the temerity to seize an early lead but from the moment Gakpo levelled, the outcome was no longer in any real doubt. That Liverpool have not been winning at half-time in 13 of their 26 matches under Arne Slot bears testament to his ability to shape matters via a carefully worded team talk."

The Daily Mirror's David Anderson reflects: "It was fitting the fog should partially clear at the final whistle because Liverpool have put daylight between them and the chasing pack in the title race.

"Arne Slot’s side have moved seven points clear at the top of the table - and have a game in hand on their closest challengers Chelsea. This was just as important as Liverpool’s 4-0 romp over Leicester on Boxing Day 2019 on their way to their last title, even if it was achieved without the same panache.

"Liverpool dug out this win when it seemed everything was initially against them. Slot will have been delighted by the character his side displayed as they refused to accept this would not be their night.

"It might have been so different and Leicester sensed an upset when they scored an early opener, partly through some sloppy defending by Liverpool, and soaked up everything the Reds could throw at them. The Reds kept going and got their reward in first-half stoppage time with a peach of a strike from Cody Gakpo to bring up 10 goals this season.

"Leicester’s resolve was broken and Curtis Jones scored Liverpool’s second just after half-time before Mohamed Salah netted his customary goal with his 19th strike of his phenomenal season. There is no stopping Salah and he now has 27 Premier League goal involvements."

Rich Jolly, of The Independent, muses: "Liverpool are accustomed to singing about walking through the storm. They had to walk through the fog here, losing their way when Leicester City took the lead. But they ended up striding seven points clear at the Premier League summit, with the bonus that they retain a game in hand on second-placed Chelsea.

"Comebacks were supposed to be Jurgen Klopp’s forte, though his successor has carried on where he left off. As the goalscorer Curtis Jones put it, Klopp laid the foundation for Liverpool’s success 'and Arne Slot has carried it on'. Liverpool’s reward for a fightback in Klopp’s traditions was a 22nd win in 26 games under the Dutchman. In a division where so many others are consistently inconsistent, Liverpool stand out as the exception to the rule.

"It helps that they have a sizeable cast of match-winners. If Mohamed Salah tops the bill, he also completed victory, bending in a shot to get the goal that eluded him earlier when he drew a fine save and then hit the bar. Yet the game was decided by Cody Gakpo and Curtis Jones, a duo who began the season on the bench and who might not figure in Slot’s first-choice team.

"'It is nice to have so many options,' said Slot. Gakpo is emerging as one of the most enticing, joining Salah and the rested Luis Diaz in double figures for the season with a superlative equaliser. An assist means he now averages a goal contribution every 98 minutes this season."

Over on The Telegraph's pages, Chris Bascombe writes: "They were comparing Arne Slot to Bob Paisley when he replaced a Kop managerial legend. If Liverpool continue on their current path, it will be Joe Fagan and Sir Kenny Dalglish whose names will be casually dropped alongside that of their Dutch coach.

"Unlike Bill Shankly and Jurgen Klopp, Fagan and Dalglish were English champions at the end of their first season as Liverpool’s manager. Slot will be the first to remind the world that he is not yet halfway to his target but his side is going to take some stopping and for the first time this season the Kop was singing about winning the league.

"They recovered from an early scare against Leicester City to stamp their authority on a league table which throws the gauntlet at the feet of Mikel Arteta and Enzo Maresca. Surely only they can stop Liverpool now given the curious absence of Manchester City from this year’s title race, the champions now an extraordinary 14 points adrift having played a game more."

And finally, Ian Doyle, in his ECHO analysis, writes: "His predecessor would undoubtedly have taken a dim view. Arne Slot, though, appeared happy to let the Kop enjoy themselves.

"A quickfire comeback prompted by goals either side of half-time had seen Liverpool wipe out Jordan Ayew’s shock early opener when, shortly before the hour, Reds supporters were compelled to break into a brief rendition of 'Liverpool, Liverpool, top of the league'.

"There was more of the same after Mohamed Salah made the game safe inside the opening 10 minutes, while injury time also heard the tune being belted out with significantly greater gusto. The fog may have descended upon Anfield throughout this chilly evening but there was no real sense this would be a missed opportunity for Liverpool, even after taking a mildly concerning amount of time to start working through the gears."