Liverpool 3 (8), Leicester 3 (7), positives and negatives, player ratings and match report, Carabao Cup fixture

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Brendan Rodgers fielded a good senior team and it looks fantastic from start going into the lead early on with a special Jamie Vardy goal. Vardy striked again few minutes later and to see Leicester 2-0 up at Anfield is not usual.

But it was not easy to keep up the pressure with Liverpool coming back with a Oxlade-Chamberlain goal closing the gap and it was obvious this would be a battle.

Liverpool did not field their best team but still quality enough to keep Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel busy, but it was again Leicester who striked and when James Maddison scored the third goal in the 33th minute we were sure that this was a special evening.

The game was a blistering affair with chances both ways and Jamie Vardy was on fire and came close also hitting the post later on and it would have seen Leicester in a 4-1 lead and few would believe Liverpool would have fought their way back in the game with that happening.

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Instead Liverpool made changes that made the team stronger and they pressured Leicester to their limits who had to see a number of key players injured with Ricardo Pereira and Caglar Soyuncu both leaving the field in the game. Jamie Vardy was on the field the full game, but those strange rules of subs in this cup competition makes it impossible to make five subs as you can just do it on three stops and not four or five, and than Rodgers was stuck in the problem, not using all subs as players get injured on the field.

Ryan Bertrand and Jannik Vestergaard both entered the field to bring in more defensive power but it was not enough as Liverpool scored from Diego Jota and late in stoppage time Minamino found the goal with a perfect places shot.

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As so many times before we do get dissappointed as Leicester fans as we get high hopes early on but the team seems to fail in the end but again against Liverpool at Anfield it’s a tall order to convert.

It all ended with a draw and straight into a penalty shoot out with everyone hoping for a miracle to happen and being the team starting in front of their own supporters it would have been an advantage but without Jamie Vardy available for the shoot outs, you had to gamble.

Luke Thomas, who again impressed during 90 minutes, failed from the penalty spot, so did Ryan Bertrand and with that result, Liverpool went through and looking at the stats you would say it was what we all would expect, though the worsed performer on the field, referee Andy Madley overlooked a number of incidents that would surely, with VAR, had given a number of Liverpool players red card.

Brendan Rodgers made a point of this in his post match interview and we do feel he was correct to address errors of such as they were massive and saying that was after this match very correct.

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Leicester again stopped in the quarters but all credit to players who fought and did the most with so many players absent and picking up injuries during the game. The fact that Leicester know have seen their last two games in PL postponed makes it fair to say that getting such a start was a bit of a surprise.

Hopefully players can back from sickness and injuries to get the best possible chance to bring in points in Premier League going forward with difficult games against Man City and Liverpool up next.

Positives
- Scoring three goals
- Vardy blistering
- Soumare and Thomas standing out again
- Maddison also showing the form needed to pick up points going forward
Negatives:
- Injuries to key players
- Not able to keep a lead
- Vardy not able to shoot a penalty, that cost Leicester big time

Player Ratings: Schmeichel 7, Pereira, Ndidi 6, Thomas 7, Soyuncu 6, Dewsbury-Hall 6, Soumare 7, Daka 7, Vardy 8, Tielemans 6, Maddison 7, Subs: Bertrand, Vestergaard, Iheanacho

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