Liverpool's wait for a first trophy under Jürgen Klopp will go on, as they fell to defeat against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup third round.

The Reds had looked the better side in the first-half, but fell away as the game went on, second-half goals from Shinji Okazaki and then Islam Slimani putting the Foxes into the last 16.

With Philippe Coutinho making his first start of the season, his transfer wishes put to bed for now, the Brazilian quickly sought to show why he was such a wanted man in the last few months.

Setting up Andrew Robertson with a smart ball down the left, Coutinho watched on as the left-back's cross was deflected out for a corner, before taking the initiative himself minutes later to force Ben Hamer into a save from outside the area.

Sandwiched in-between those moments was a chance for Dominic Solanke on his first professional start in the English game, the young striker shooting quickly from a knockdown, firing just wide.

He'd get even better chances as the first-half went on, Solanke, with Leicester struggling to get a foot-hold on the game. Robertson's delivery from the left was proving a problem for the Foxes' defence, Solanke coming particularly close to nodding in from one as the ball evaded his head by inches.

One shining light for the hosts was the performance of Demarai Grey on the left, with the winger causing Liverpool troubles when he got the rare chance.

Coutinho went off at half-time and Liverpool seemed to lose some momentum as a result, Grey strengthening Leicester's challenge with a good dribble that concluded with a shot just wide of goal.

Okazaki breaks deadlock

It was an enforced change for Leicester, Leonardo Ulloa injured and replaced by Shinji Okazaki, that would see the first goal of the game come about.

Liverpool did something they often fail to do in terms of winning a header away from a corner, but were left reeling as Leicester nodded the ball back in, Wes Morgan flicking down for Okazaki to get a stroke of luck as his shot deflected in off Robertson.

Woodburn goes close before Slimani seals it

At that point, with the hosts having finally interested their crowd with some more attacking drive, it began to look less and less likely that Liverpool would claw themselves back into the game.

Ben Woodburn, the man who came on for Coutinho at half-time, came closest to an equaliser. Cutting in from the left, the Welshman wrapped his foot around a peach of an effort that left Ben Hamer stranded and the ball just over the crossbar. 

A second goal would come, but not for Liverpool, with Leicester exposing the visitors in the same way that Sevilla did last week, from a throw in. Okazaki turning provider, he darted inside to set up Islam Slimani, the striker cruising inside before rocketing a shot into the top corner, sealing the win. 

For all Liverpool's huff and puff, they couldn't blow the Leicester house down. 

When the Foxes came to attack their opponents, the Reds' foundations crumbled too easily once more.

 

 

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