Leicester 2 Liverpool 0: Islam Slimani and Shinji Okazaki ensure Reds miserable run continues
SHINJI OKAZAKI came off the bench to send Liverpool crashing out of the Carabao Cup.
The Japanese hitman replaced injured Foxes striker Leo Ulloa after 53 minutes and wasted no time to make his mark as Jurgen Klopp’s men said Sayonara to the competition.
Marc Albrighton’s corner was only partially cleared by Marko Grujic and when Ben Chilwell chipped the ball in Wes Morgan and Vicente Iborra both won headers to set up Okazaki.
The Japanese striker’s shot from 12 yards deflected off Andy Robertson to leave Danny Ward helpless as he grabbed his third goal in five games this season.
Any hopes the Reds had of a comeback were wrecked nine minutes later when Islam Slimani sent them crashing out with a sublime second.
The Algerian attacker nodded down a throw in and worked a one-two with Okazaki before outpacing Joe Gomez to lash a left foot shot high into the top corner.
It left Klopp frustrated at missed chances during a first half Liverpool dominated as the Reds crashed to their fourth match without a win.
With three tough trips coming up at Leicester (again), Moscow and Newcastle, life is not going to get any easier for the Kop boss.
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Klopp’s side were quicker, slicker and smarter than their bemused opponents in the first half.
But without their usual front trio of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah missing, so was the Kop side’s usual cutting edge.
Dominic Solanke flashed an angled drive narrowly wide of the far post. Coutinho danced round four Foxes before stinging Ben Hammer’s palms with a ferocious effort the ‘keeper gratefully pawed away.
Leicester, as usual, did their best to play on the counter but Ward sprinted out of his box to clear from Slimani and Demarai Gray dithered in possession having initially gived Jon Flanagan the slip and leaving him for dead.
Hamer saved from Oxlade-Chamberlain and Coutinho fired a free kick high and wide and you could sense Klopp’s frustration growing on the touchline.
He was right to be worried!
The German later fumed: "That we conceded (goals) like this makes me really, really sick.
"The story of this game is really easy to tell, we were the much better team in the first half, we played good football, we didn’t score. That’s sometimes part of football.
"But as long as we concede goals like we conceded today again, then it is quite difficult. I’m sick of goals like this. They scored too easily and we didn’t push up together for the first. I can say it one time or 1,000 so it’s not nice to concede these goals.
"We had big chances and strange situations but it’s a 90-minute game. We need to concentrate to the end."
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