Liverpool eliminated from Carabao Cup at Leicester

Liverpool suffered elimination from the Carabao Cup at the third-round stage on Tuesday night as they were beaten 2-0 by Leicester City.

Shinji Okazaki came on as a second-half substitute to put the Foxes into the lead against the run of play after the Reds had dominated the opening period at the King Power Stadium.

The strike served to galvanise the home side – and they made certain of their place in the next round when Islam Slimani powered an unstoppable effort into the top corner as the clash ticked towards its finale, ending Jürgen Klopp’s side’s tournament hopes in the process.

Liverpool return to the same venue on Saturday tea-time for a Premier League encounter with Leicester, in which they’ll hope to end a run of four matches without a win.

The key points…

• Okazaki comes off bench to put home tem in front on 64 minutes.
• Slimani powers in second for Leicester on 78.
• Oxlade-Chamberlain makes full debut for Liverpool.
• Ings comes on for first appearance in 11 months after injury.

The team news…

Liverpool made eight changes to their starting line-up for the cup tie, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain handed a full debut.

Elsewhere, Danny Ward, Dominic Solanke, Jon Flanagan and Marko Grujic also began, as did Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum and Philippe Coutinho.

Danny Ings was named on the bench for the first time since October 2016.

The first half…

Despite the changes, Liverpool set about taking the game to their opponents from the off – and were almost ahead after just five minutes had elapsed.

Winning the ball back high up the pitch, Coutinho slid a pass into the path of Andy Robertson’s run into the area. The Scot steered it back into the centre, where Oxlade-Chamberlain arrived primed to turn it into the net; however, he was denied by an outstanding block by Ben Chilwell.

From the resulting corner, the Reds threatened again as Solanke made a nuisance of himself among a crowd of blue shirts, winning possession and drilling agonisingly across the face of goal from a tight angle.

Next, Coutinho bamboozled his way beyond three defenders and into the box, where a drive towards the near post was beaten away by Ben Hamer.

The Brazilian then had another attempt thwarted by the hosts’ goalkeeper before Solanke stabbed over the bar on the stretch when attempting to reach Robertson's latest centre.

The chances were being created frequently – even into first-half stoppage time, when a Coutinho prod presented Solanke with a chance, but he scooped over under pressure from Hamer.

Indeed, as the teams headed back to the dressing rooms, Liverpool’s attempts tally at goal stood at 13 to Leicester’s two.

The second half…

Ben Woodburn replaced Coutinho at the break and while the Reds maintained their first-half pressure in the early exchanges, the Foxes fashioned their best chance of the evening so far nine minutes after the restart when Demarai Gray’s low drive across goal had Ward momentarily worried.

And as the contest progressed, Craig Shakespeare’s side visably grew into it – and duly took the lead on 64 minutes.

A cleared corner was hoisted back into the danger zone, where Wes Morgan headed across into the path of Vicente Iborra. He nudged it back towards Okazaki, who diverted the ball low into the bottom corner.

Liverpool’s response saw Woodburn skim the roof of the net with a curler from the left-hand side of the box, while Ings was introduced for Wijnaldum.

The striker was close to an equaliser when he attempted to glance Woodburn’s cross around Hamer, but he couldn’t make the necessary connection.

However, Leicester’s influence on the game had continued to grow since making the breakthrough - and with 12 minutes left to play, they helped themselves to a second when Silmani cut in from the right and arrowed a powerful effort into the top corner, ending the Reds' hopes of progress in the competition.

Source: Official Liverpool FC

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Goal Highlights: Liverpool 1-1 Burnley

Liverpool is keen to make up for the frustration of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Burnley.


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Liverpool held to Burnley draw

Liverpool endured a frustrating afternoon at Anfield as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Burnley on Saturday.

The Reds responded quickly to going behind to an early Scott Arfield strike, with Mohamed Salah clinically scoring at the Kop end within three minutes.

But the hosts were unable to find another goal in the remainder of the first half or the entirety of the second as the visitors held on for a point.

Key points

• Arfield gives Burnley the lead
• Reds equalise through Salah
• Clarets' dogged defending frustrates

Team news

With the Reds coming into the game off the back of midweek Champions League commitments, Jürgen Klopp opted to shuffle his pack significantly.

The boss made seven changes to his starting XI, with Philippe Coutinho earning his first start of the season and Dejan Lovren missing out due to a sore back.

First half

Despite the reshuffle, the hosts started well, with Daniel Sturridge testing Tom Heaton's replacement Nick Pope with a low effort early before Salah had a penalty appeal waved away by referee Roger East.

But Burnley provided a response and, moments after a brilliant Andy Robertson challenge had denied Chris Wood, they were ahead.

The visitors won two successive headers before the ball dropped to Arfield, who had time and space in the centre of the box to bury his shot in the bottom corner.

Thankfully, Liverpool did not allow the concession of the goal to disrupt their rhythm, and it was for that reason they were quickly level.

Salah's diagonal run was brilliantly found by Emre Can, and the Egyptian showed coolness in chesting the ball down before slamming home.

The hosts continued to push as the break neared but saw efforts from Sturridge and Salah hit the side-netting and the goalkeeper respectively as Burnley held on.

Second half

The Clarets again struggled to get out of their own half when the second period resumed, with Sturridge and Coutinho taking advantage of the space in front of the box to take shots that went narrowly over.

Can then tested the 'keeper with an attempt from a similar area, before Sturridge followed suit after working space on his left foot.

Try as they might, though, the Reds couldn't break the deadlock - leading Klopp to call for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Dominic Solanke with 78 minutes gone.

In the aftermath of those changes, an intricate move that ended in Trent Alexander-Arnold shooting at Pope looked to be the nearest they would come.

However, there was still time for Solanke to push a Salah cross onto the bar from close range, putting the seal on a day of frustration for the hosts.

Source: Official Liverpool FC

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Goal Highlights: Liverpool 2-2 Sevilla

Liverpool began their Champions League group stage campaign with a 2-2 draw with Sevilla at Anfield on Wednesday.

Goal highlights

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Liverpool held by Sevilla in Champions League opener

Liverpool began their Champions League group stage campaign with a 2-2 draw with Sevilla at Anfield on Wednesday.

Goals from Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, which came in reply to Wissam Ben Yedder’s early opener, ensured the Reds went in 2-1 to the good after a breathless first half that also featured a missed penalty by Firmino.

It appeared that Jürgen Klopp’s side were on their way to a win on matchday one, but Joaquin Correa’s 72nd-minute strike snatched a point for Sevilla.

Key points

• Ben Yedder put Sevilla ahead in the fifth minute
• Firmino equalised 16 minutes later
• Salah’s deflected shot gave Liverpool the lead before the break
• Firmino missed a penalty late in the first half
• Correa levelled with 18 minutes left to play
• Philippe Coutinho came on as a substitute soon after
• Joe Gomez dismissed for second bookable offence in injury time

Team news

Klopp made three changes to his starting line-up, with Loris Karius, Dejan Lovren and Gomez coming into his team. Coutinho came off the bench in the 76th minute for his first appearance of the season.

First half

Roared on by a vociferous home crowd, the Reds began on the front foot and Emre Can tested Sevilla goalkeeper Sergio Rico inside the first minute with a long-range curler.

However, the visitors’ first foray forward towards the Kop ended with them taking the lead through Ben Yedder, who converted Sergio Escudero’s low cross from close range.

Liverpool responded positively to that early setback, though.

Within four minutes of the opening goal, Georginio Wijnaldum had seen a shot deflected wide, Rico had got down well to deny Sadio Mane and Firmino had planted a header onto the roof of the net.

That initial wave of pressure subsided, but a moment of real quality drew Klopp’s team level in the 21st minute.

Alberto Moreno played a sharp one-two with Jordan Henderson and fed Firmino with an excellent delivery from the byline, with the Brazilian nonchalantly side-footing home from no more than six yards.

Anfield reverberated with noise and Can went so close to making it 2-1 almost immediately, the German dragging a shot wide following the kind of lightning-quick counter-attack that is fast becoming a hallmark of this Liverpool team.

But, shortly before the interval, the Reds were in front.

After losing possession, Salah quickly won the ball back from Steven N’Nonzi and tried his luck from distance, with his effort looping up off Simon Kjaer and over the stranded Rico.

It could have been even better for Liverpool before half-time, too, but Firmino struck the outside of the post with his penalty after Nicolas Pareja had felled Mane in the area before Rico palmed away Moreno’s attempt after another rapid break.

Second half

Understandably, the frantic tempo of the first period abated a little in the early stages of the second half.

Nevertheless, it was the hosts who still looked the most likely scorers and Rico had to be alert to tip Salah’s ambitious volley wide before Mane curled a left-footed attempt over the bar.

Wijnaldum then tested Rico with a stinging 20-yard drive, but Sevilla drew level 18 minutes from time when Correa finished smartly after collecting Luis Muriel’s pass.

That was Klopp’s cue to call for Coutinho, and the Brazilian came on to a loud welcome from the home faithful.

Daniel Sturridge and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were also introduced as Klopp went in search of a late winner, but the Reds - who were reduced to 10 men in stoppage time when Gomez received a second booking - were forced to settle for a point in their Group E opener.

Source: Official Liverpool FC

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