Liverpool out of League Cup
LONDON: Leicester City grabbed secondhalf goals through Shinji Okazaki and record signing Islam Slimani to earn a 20 victory over Liverpool in the League Cup third round yesterday.
A night of wholesale team changes for the 11 Premier League clubs in action produced two notable upsets, with Championship side Leeds United beating Premier League Burnley 53 on penalties after a thrilling tie ended 22 after extra time.
Mark Hughes’ Stoke City was the other topflight victim, losing 20 at secondtier Bristol City.
Former England manager Roy Hodgson enjoyed his first victory in charge of Crystal Palace as the Premier League’s bottom club defeated Huddersfield Town 10 at Selhurst Park.
Tottenham Hotspur was frustrated for 65 minutes at Wembley by secondtier Barnsley before Dele Alli secured a 10 win.
West Ham United beat Championship side Bolton Wanderers 30 at the London Stadium, and Swansea City beat Reading 20.
Liverpool’s Alex OxladeChamberlain was given his first start by manager Juergen Klopp following his move from Arsenal, while Phillipe Coutinho was also in the lineup at the King Power Stadium. Coutinho was instrumental in eighttime League Cup winner Liverpool’s superiority but he went off at halftime with the score still level, and after the break Liverpool paid dearly for failing to take its chances. Klopp’s side did not deal with a corner in the 65th minute and Okazaki’s deflected shot crept inside the post. Algerian Slimani scored the home side’s second goal with a stunning leftfoot shot in the 78th.
‘‘We led a charmed life in the first half and Liverpool could have been out of sight,’’ Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare said.
‘‘To get the first goal was massively important.’’ For excitement, Burnley’s Turf Moor was the place to be.
Leeds went ahead in the 80th through Hadi Sacko but Burnley got a lifeline with an 89thminute penalty by Chris Wood.
Leeds looked to have won when Pablo Hernandez also scored a penalty in the fourth minute of added time but Robbie Brady’s free kick levelled it up.
Leeds was perfect in the shootout, however, while James Tarkowski missed for Burnley.
Bristol City’s Famara Diedhiou and Matty Taylor were on target at home to Stoke, while Palace edged past topflight rival Huddersfield thanks to Bakary Sako’s early goal.
Bournemouth enjoyed its second victory over southcoast Premier League rival Brighton and Hove Albion in five days, 10.
In a clash of two former League Cup winners, Middlesbrough beat Aston Villa 20 away, while Norwich City beat fellow Championship side Brentford 20.
Bristol Rovers lost 10 to Wolverhampton Wanderers after extra time.