Leicester beat Liverpool after Ranieri left

The 'Foxes' ended a run of five consecutive defeats in the Premier League with a 3-1 home win over Jurgen Klopp's team.

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Vardy ended a seven-match goalless streak in the Premier League. Photo: Reuters.

Goals: Vardy 28' 60', Drinkwater 39', Coutinho 68'.

This was the first match Leicester players took to the field after the team's board sacked coach Claudio Ranieri. A brace from Jamie Vardy and a goal from Danny Drinkwater gave the defending champions a 3-0 lead after 60 minutes. Philippe Coutinho scored a consolation goal for Liverpool.

Leicester, led by interim manager Craig Shakespeare, have been relegated to the relegation zone following Crystal Palace's win over Middlesbrough. The three points from the game have seen the Foxes jump from 18th to 15th, leapfrogging Palace, Boro and Swansea and two points clear of the bottom three.

It was a surprise win for Leicester but it was in line with what former manager Ranieri had predicted before the first leg of the Champions League against Sevilla, with the Italian insisting that a good result at the Sanchez Pizjuan could give Leicester a boost in their Premier League form.

Leicester's performance surprisingly improved after Ranieri left. Photo: Reuters.

Leicester lost 1-2 after being dominated by their opponents for most of the match, but Vardy's away goal was very encouraging. Clearly, from the Champions League to the Premier League, Leicester were ready for a transformation, but now they no longer had Ranieri on the coaching chair.

Many predicted a difficult game for Leicester as they took on Liverpool in a slump and following the sudden departure of their beloved manager. However, the home side finished the first half two goals ahead. Vardy continued to score after netting against Sevilla. It was his first Premier League goal since a hat-trick against Man City on 10 December 2016. Since then, Vardy has failed to score in seven games.

The second came from Drinkwater, who has endured a difficult season following the departure of his midfield partner N'golo Kante, with the England midfielder scoring a classy 26-yard volley that left Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet helpless.

Drinkwater celebrates after scoring Leicester's second goal. Photo: Reuters.

Vardy ended Liverpool's hopes of a comeback with a high header from Christian Fuchs' cross. A smooth combination goal between Emre Can and Coutinho a few minutes later could not save a dismal day for Liverpool, a day in which they played supporting roles, playing in the background to the home team's transformation.

Vardy's opener in this match was Leicester's first Premier League goal of 2017. For Liverpool, they could have climbed to third with a win but that did not happen. This was the fifth defeat in the last seven matches for Jurgen Klopp's team.

According to VNE