EPL: Leicester City 2-3 Liverpool

Relieved Liverpool celebrate victory

Liverpool clinched a 3-2 win at Leicester City on Saturday to gain revenge for Tuesday’s 2-0 League Cup defeat.

Leicester got the better of Liverpool in the cup competition in midweek but they were unable to repeat that performance as they slipped to a fourth Premier League defeat.

The Reds were impressive in the first half and they should have taken the lead when Emre Can’s strike from outside the area rebounded off the post to Mohamed Salah, but the Egyptian then missed the target.

However, the summer signing from Roma made up for his mistake moments later when heading in a Philippe Coutinho cross from an acute angle in the 15th minute.

The lead was doubled eight minutes later when Brazil international Coutinho curled a free-kick into the top-left corner from 25 yards out.

Leicester struggled to create any opportunities but they pulled one back in first-half stoppage-time, Japan forward Shinji Okazaki poking home after Liverpool failed to clear a corner.

Jurgen Klopp’s men were under the cosh after the restart but they restored their two-goal advantage in the 68th minute when Jordan Henderson rounded off a quick counter-attack.

The Foxes responded immediately as Jamie Vardy headed into an empty net from six yards after Demarai Gray’s powerful strike could only be parried by goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

Referee Anthony Taylor then awarded the hosts a penalty when Mignolet went through Vardy in the box after missing his attempted clearance. However, the Belgian keeper went from zero to hero in a matter of seconds when saving the spot-kick from Vardy, keeping the visitors 3-2 ahead.

A second penalty should have been awarded just moments later when Can blocked a cross with his arm, but the referee was unsighted and waved play on.

Leicester threw everything at their opponents towards the end but were unable to find an equaliser, leaving the club languishing down in 16th position.

As for Liverpool, they picked up their first win in September to move to fifth in the table, five points adrift of leaders Manchester City.