LEICESTER 3 LIVERPOOL 1
That’s more like it: Jamie Vardy roars with delight after scoring his second goal against Liverpool as Leicester win in their first match since the sacking of boss Claudio Ranieri
Jamie Vardy last night scored his first Premier League goals in almost three months as Leicester’s players suddenly rediscovered their title-winning form of last season.
Four days after the sacking of Claudio Ranieri, Vardy struck twice as he and his team-mates showed the aggression and effort that had previously been missing throughout this miserable campaign.
Danny Drinkwater even scored his first of the season with a 25-yard volley.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said what many viewers were thinking when he declared: ‘if Ranieri is watching, he’ll be thinking: ‘‘Where was that two weeks ago?’’.’
The third goal was a perfect example. Vardy overhit his cross and Riyad mahrez chased it all the way to the corner. Christian Fuchs arrived at pace and the pair exchanged quick, urgent passes. Fuchs centred perfectly, and there was Vardy to head home.
it was what we were used to seeing from them. But not this season... until now.
‘Before the game, we spoke with Shakes (caretaker boss Craig Shakespeare) and he asked us what we thought were the best actions to take,’ said Vardy. ‘We thought it was to press higher and win the ball higher up. We did that and hurt Liverpool.
‘The fans got behind us. For us to put in a performance like that means it was a great night. it’s not been for the want of trying.
‘We’ve been trying, but it’s not been clicking. Luckily tonight, it all clicked together. Hopefully, there will be a lot more goals to come. There’s been a lot of unfair stuff written and you’ve seen a reaction from everyone.’
We certainly did. Leicester were back to their best. Claudio’s away, and the mice will play. They defeated Liverpool by an even greater margin than in this fixture last year — 3-1 instead of 2-0 — and it could have been more.
Vardy looked one of the best goalscorers in the league again, the defence was tight — even mahrez put in a shift. Kasper Schmeichel made several good saves.
Philippe Coutinho pulled one back for Liverpool after 68 minutes, but there was only going to be one winner.
The pace and effort Jurgen Klopp seeks in his own men pales beside Leicester on a good day. They were ferocious, closing the red shirts down, harrying, hustling. Liverpool simply were not ready for Leicester, despite having had a fortnight to ready themselves for this.
They weren’t ready for a team who now appear revitalised having rid themselves of the coach who engineered the single greatest campaign in english football history.
in the 65th minute — Ranieri’s age — the fans sang his name. if he was watching, it may have been with pursed lips.
‘Leicester has Shakespeare in charge tonight,’ tweeted Gary Lineker. ‘in the words of his Claudio: “Done to death by slanderous tongues was the hero that here lies”.’ much ado about Nothing, act five, scene three, if you’re interested. The fans were not. This was a night to get behind the team, they had decided, as long as they were worth getting behind.
and they were. The moment Vardy left a mark on Sadio mane with less than a minute gone, we knew. They exposed Liverpool, just as they had a year ago.
Quick balls to Vardy, long throws into the box by Fuchs. The first of those after five minutes found Robert Huth, whose header was kept out by Simon mignolet. Just two minutes later, a repeat projectile was half-cleared and fired back in by Vardy, the ball bouncing up off the turf and steered on by Shinji Okazaki’s head. again mignolet saved.
The pressure was building and Lucas Leiva in particular was struggling to cope with Vardy.
after 20 minutes, Schmeichel hit a long ball down the middle which Vardy plucked out of the air as if his boots were coated in adhesive. He took it past Lucas, but failed to get a true connection on his shot, which mignolet saved.
Liverpool could not hold and, with 28 minutes gone, Leicester scored their first league goal in nearly 11 hours of football.
a game of head tennis in the centre of the pitch went wrong for Liverpool, marc albrighton played the through pass and Vardy was on to it, outstripping the defence and finishing first- time past mignolet at the near post.
Shortly before half-time, they made it two. albrighton’s cross was half-cleared by James milner, falling to Drinkwater, who struck it first time from 25 yards out low into the corner.
The King Power erupted and maybe, somewhere in Rome, a very decent man reached for his remote control.