REDS ARE A BUNCHOF WASTERS
Liverpool lacking killer touch as Foxes punish sloppy finishing
LEICESTER piled the pressure on Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool went a fourth match without a win. Klopp, criticised after his side’s failure to break down Burnley at Anfield on Saturday, will take further flak after a second-half performance at the King Power Stadium that will have had Kop fans wincing. Shinji Okazaki stepped off the bench to put Leicester ahead midway through the second half before a brilliant finish from Islam Slimani clinched it for the Foxes, who should have been dead and buried by half-time. Liverpool dominated the first half with 76 per cent possession and 13 shots, but just couldn’t make their superiority pay. Klopp’s half-time gamble to throw on Welsh whizz-kid Ben Woodburn (right) for Philippe Coutinho backfired – without their inspirational Brazilian, Liverpool looked clueless. Now boss Klopp, who made eight changes, will have to shake up his side for Saturday’s televised Premier League clash back at the King Power. Goalkeeper Danny Ward, on loan at Huddersfield last term, made his first start of the season for Liverpool and Dominic Solanke made his full debut up front. Last season’s beaten semifinalists also included Coutinho in the starting line-up for a second successive match after his failed Barcelona switch. Alex Oxlade-chamberlain was nearly on the scoresheet in the opening minutes but Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell made a crucial block after Andrew Robertson rolled the ball across the box. From the corner Dominic Solanke wriggled clear and dragged a shot wide of the post in a bright start by the visitors. Coutinho tested keeper Ben Hamer in the 16th minute with a low shot from outside the box. Liverpool were dominating
with Leicester content to try and hit them on the break by using Demerai Gray’s pace. Solanke, signed from Chelsea this summer, had another sniff of goal in the 22nd minute as he diverted Robertson’s cross over. Hamer was called into action again in the 30th minute when Oxlade-chamberlain cut in from the right and drilled in a low left-foot shot straight at him. But despite the visitors’ dominance, including 13 shots, they failed to make a breakthrough in the first half. A familiar story for Liverpool. And how they were to pay once again for their profligacy. Klopp, with one eye perhaps on Saturday’s meeting between these two sides in the Premier League, sent on Woodburn in place of Coutinho – and Liverpool promptly vanished as an attacking threat. Leicester, who were overrun in midfield in the first half, improved once Okazaki replaced Leonardo Ulloa, who had a head injury. The introduction of the tireless Okazaki had a major impact as he harassed the Liverpool back four and helped Leicester gain more possession up the pitch. It led to the Japanese striker opening the scoring in the 65th minute. Marc Albrighton’s corner was lofted back into the box by Chilwell and Wes Morgan headed it across goal. Vicente Iborra knocked it down to Okazaki to take a touch and smash a shot into the corner, although he was helped by a Robertson deflection. Slimani ensured victory with a thunderous left-foot finish in the 78th minute from the edge of the area for his third goal in the competition this term.