Liverpool dominated the first half but lost their momentum after the break, following which it all went downhill and they lost 2-0 against Leicester City
Jurgen Klopp’s side slumped to a 2-0 defeat against the Foxes at the King Power stadium last night despite putting up a dominant performance in the first-half. Shinji Okazaki put the hosts ahead with a deflected shot after 65 minutes, with Islam Slimani doubling the advantage after more good work from the Japanese substitute.
Philippe Coutinho could only manage 45 minutes for Liverpool while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was on the losing side once again after making his first start for the club. The Reds’ lack of clinical edge in front of goal coupled with Leicester’s proficiency costed them the game as they crashed out of the Carabao Cup.
There were some positives for Liverpool as Danny Ings came off the bench while Andy Robertson impressed with another fine display. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t have been enough to make things better for the Merseyside club as they will have to fulfill their quest for silverware elsewhere this season.
Liverpool Player Ratings:
Danny Ward – 7.5/10
Had it not been for the goalkeeper, Liverpool might have had to endure a more humiliating loss. Ward restricted crosses, came out of his area to clear up loose balls and distributed the ball quickly enough – which only goes to prove why he is an argument to be No. 1 for both club and country.
In fact, if one were to build a goalkeeper using the positives of both Mignolet and Karius, Ward will be the answer.
Jon Flanagan – 4/10
Flanagan seemed invisible throughout the match. He did not do much in the first half and failed to do anything substantial in the second half as well. In fact, he appeared to be struggling greatly against Demarai Gray, and his linkup with his own team-mates only worsened as the game went on.
Joe Gomez – 6/10
Gomez played well after getting inside from right-back to centre-back, and despite the odd lapse, the player seemed far more superior compared to Liverpool’s other options in that area. He was strong and managed to recover quickly if caught slightly out of position.
Ragnar Klavan – 6/10
Klavan has managed to keep his place in the side from the Burnley game and put in a decent enough performance. Arguably, he wasn’t tested much by Leicester but he did some good clearing up, looked comfortable and dealt with the opposition frontline quite well.
Andrew Robertson – 7.5/10
Robertson put several dangerous balls into the box and enjoyed an excellent first half even though his teammates couldn’t convert the chances. The youngster partnered well with Coutinho which is something Klopp will definitely take note of. However, it was rather unfortunate to see the ball deflect into the net off his last-ditch challenge.
Jordan Henderson – 3/10
Henderson was quite a let-down last night. His positioning in both defence and attack was poor and he looked to be getting in the way of his team-mates a lot frequently than getting in the way of the opposition. Moreover, the fact he played throughout the match could indicate that perhaps Klopp is considering excluding him over the weekend.
Georginio Wijnaldum – 5/10
Although Wijnauldum ensured he was involved at almost all times, the player failed to do anything productive with the ball. Much like the others, he didn’t protect the defence as well as he should have. Moreover, he allowed a lot of space in the midfield area which was exploited by Leicester.
Marko Grujic – 5.5/10
The fact that Grujic won eight aerial battles will be a teeny positive for Liverpool, even though the player clearly has a long way to go though. He looked neat and tidy with his short passing but his through balls lacked accuracy. Also, he needs to employ a more disciplined approach when it comes to defending in terms of tackling and positioning.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 5/10
The Oxlade-Chamberlain drama continues to unfold. Although he was heavily involved, the player proved to be extremely sloppy. His passing accuracy was average and he missed some pretty good chances to capitalize. Despite dribbling, shooting and passing, Ox was good enough only when it came to his work rate.
Dominic Solanke – 7.5/10
The youngster was a solid presence in Liverpool’s frontline and was available at most times and he made some valiant efforts at holding up the ball in traffic. In fact, Solanke came very close to scoring from a Robertson cross but couldn’t quite get enough power on the ball.
Philipe Coutinho – 6.5/10
The Brazilian playmaker cut a frustrated figure on field. He did create a few chances though, and even when he was not at the top of his game, he still managed to stand way above most others on the pitch. Klopp’s decision to take him off at half-time was met with surprise since it all went downhill after the break.
Subs: Ben Woodburn (on for Coutinho, 45′) – 6/10, Danny Ings (on for Wijnaldum, 72′) – 5/10.
Not Used: Karius, Moreno Alexander-Arnold, Milner, Markovic.
