Visiting Reds totally outfoxed

SPOT ON: VARDY SPARKS LEICESTER’S SURVIVAL HOPES

Loss leaves fifthplaced Liverpool 14 points behind log leaders Chelsea.

Jamie Vardy (right) scored twice as a revitalised Leicester City started life without sacked manager Claudio Ranieri by sinking Liverpool 3-1 yesterday to spark their Premier League survival hopes.

Ranieri, 65, was dismissed last Thursday, nine months on from Leicester’s fairytale title win, and fans honoured him with banners, masks and a smartphone light show in the 65th minute.

His former charges were unrecognisable from recent weeks, with Danny Drinkwater also on target as they snapped a run of five straight defeats to climb out of the relegation zone to 15th place.

Vardy’s first-half opener was Leicester’s first league goal in seven games and made them the last team from Europe’s five major championships to find the net in 2017.

While the display will give Leicester’s fans hopes of a late-season rally under caretaker manager Craig Shakespeare, it leaves questions about why things had gone so badly wrong under Ranieri.

Liverpool could have provisionally gone third with victory, but instead they remain fifth, 14 points below leaders Chelsea.

Jurgen Klopp’s side, who replied through Philippe Coutinho, have won only one of their last seven league games and look a shadow of the team who looked poised to challenge for the title just weeks ago.

The breakthrough came in the 28th minute when Marc Albrighton’s slide-rule pass freed Vardy to scuttle in behind Joel Matip and steer a shot past Mignolet for his first goal in eight league games.

Drinkwater made it 2-0 with a stunning volley six minutes before halftime and Vardy headed rejuvenated Leicester’s third on the hour as Liverpool’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League suffered a setback. – AFP