Defeats in a Liverpool shirt are about as rare as Mohamed Salah's penalty kick defeats.

Both happened on Tuesday and, even midway through the season, it could cost Jurgen Klopp's side the Premier League title.

Liverpool beat 1: over a reformed Leicester side and could find themselves nine points behind Manchester Metropolis heading into the new year, if the leaders win at Brentford on Wednesday.

It's a pillow, which may prove to be insurmountable, as Metropolis is on a nine-game winning streak in the league and looks unstoppable, when it scored in the last three wins 17 goals.

Liverpool will soon be without their two star strikers, Salah and Sadio Mane, who are going to the Africa Cup of Nations next week. They were granted permission to delay joining their national teams until the tournament, to play for Liverpool over the festive period, but they failed to do so at the King Power Stadium.

Salah won the penalty, but his weak attempt was saved by Kasper Schmeichel v 16. minutes, when he failed to convert a spot kick for the first time from 16 attempts. He last missed a penalty against Huddersfield in October 2017.

Liverpool finally slumped to just their second defeat in all competitions this season, when substitute Ademola Lookman found space between Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk and v 59. in the minute he shot past the near post.

“Bolo tam príliš veľa výkonov pod normálnou úrovňou,” povedal Klopp.

“So often these guys give me a chance to say: ‘Wow, what a game!’ Dnes večer je to: ‘Wow!’ ale úplne iným spôsobom.”

Liverpool shares with Chelsea o 41 points and both trail City by six points. All three teams played 19 matches, while Metropolis and Chelsea _ at home to Brighton _ were in action on Wednesday.

CONTE PHILOSOPHICAL

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte was left philosophical after being denied victory at 10-man Southampton after two second-half goals were dismissed.

“Sú tam, to try to do their best,” povedal Conte o rozhodcoch zápasu po remíze 1:1 v St. Mary’s. “Dúfame, že zakaždým urobia to najlepšie rozhodnutie.”

Nevertheless, Conte said, that he felt, that Harry Kane's goal from 53. minutes, which would give Tottenham the lead 2:1, should have stood instead, aby ho vydrhli, because the England captain's hand put him in an offside position, when he was losing.

Then, o 14 minutes later, Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster pulled the ball under pressure from Tottenham substitute Matt Doherty and let it in on his own foot. The ball bounced back into the net, but the referee fouled Doherty, even if the contact was minimal.

James Ward-Prowse opened in 25. minute for Southampton and canceled out Kane, who converted the penalty in 41. minute after Son Heung-min tripped Mohammed Salisu. This earned the Southampton defender a second yellow card.

Southampton were blocked in the second half, but he held on for a point, which led to manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, who said: "Brave boys are rewarded."

SLUMPING NORWICH

Norwich ends the year 2021 in last place in the league and with confidence low after five straight losses.

Most recently it was Crystal Palace's turn, who scored all his goals in the win 3: in the first half. Odsonne Edouard netted the first and set up Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jeffrey Schlupp for the others.

Norwich lost 13 with 19 matches and is three overall points from safety, having played more games than most of his relegation rivals.

Watford currently occupy a position just above the relegation zone and after returning to action after 16 lost to West Ham on days off due to the coronavirus 4:1.

Tomáš Souček scored for West Ham, Stated Benrahma, Mark Noble and Nikola Vlasic after that, which Emmanuel Dennis put Watford ahead in the fourth minute.

Watford's last three matches have been postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Matches against Burnley and Palace were called off, because Watford had cases of the coronavirus, while Sunday's game at Wolverhampton was postponed following the outbreak at Wolves.

NEXT GAME OFF

20. the round was reduced to seven matches, when Everton's game against Newcastle was postponed on Tuesday due to a build-up of COVID-19 cases and injuries to Newcastle's squad.

Arsenal-Wolves and Leeds-Aston Villa matches, which were to be played on Tuesday, were previously revoked.

Everton-Newcastle was supposed to be played at Goodison Park on Thursday.

The number of canceled Premier League matches due to the problems with the coronavirus continues 16 matches in less than three weeks.