James Milner’s Premier League goalscoring charm sets up date with history at Man Utd for Liverpool
Liverpool extended their perfect start to the new Premier League campaign thanks to a dramatic 2-1 win over Leicester City.
The Reds have now won their first eight games of the season and currently sit eight points clear at the top of the table, with Manchester City looking to close the gap to five on Sunday.
Sadio Mane gave Jurgen Klopp’s side a first-half lead but the perfect record looked to be coming to an end when James Maddison equalised.
As well as the perfect start, another Liverpool run was at stake. The Reds had gone into the game on the back of 16 straight Premier League wins, just two short of Man City’s all-time record for the English top flight.
But in the final moments of injury time, the Reds were awarded a penalty after Marc Albrighton brought down Mane. Following a brief delay due to a consultation with VAR, James Milner stepped up and converted the spot-kick, giving Liverpool all three points.
It was the 34th time Liverpool have scored a 90th-minute winner in a Premier League match, more than any other team in the competitions history. But, perhaps more remarkably, it kept Milner’s personal record going.
Since making his breakthrough as a fresh-faced 16-year-old in November 2002, Milner has scored in 53 different Premier League games for Leeds United, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool – finishing unbeaten in all 53 of those games – the best run in the competition’s history. Milner’s record in those games stands at 42 wins and 11 draws.
With the international break soon set to disrupt club football, Liverpool fans will have to wait two weeks to see their club fighting for history with regards to both the Premier League’s perfect start and English top-flight winning run. That game? A trip to Old Trafford to face bitter rivals Manchester United.
Squawka is bringing you a Stat of the Day, every day, for 45 days as part of MANarama’s fundraising campaign for Prostate Cancer UK.
You can get involved in MANarama’s campaign by using the #GiveAndGo hashtag on social media and encouraging your friends and family to donate too.
Visit manarama.co.uk for more information. Click here to donate to the campaign’s Just Giving page.
