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Liverpool take thrilling win over Leicester after Jamie Vardy’s penalty miss

Philippe Coutinho scores a stunning free-kick for the Reds.

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Simon Mignolet saved Jamie Vardy’s penalty as a 3-2 victory saw Liverpool end a four-match winless run despite further defensive wobbles at Leicester.

Mohamed Salah and Philippe Coutinho gave the visitors a 2-0 lead which was halved by Shinji Okazaki’s goal, where he appeared to impede Reds goalkeeper Mignolet.

Jordan Henderson restored the two-goal lead and Mignolet gifted Vardy a goal before saving a penalty which he had conceded for a foul on the striker.

What they said

Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare: “Very, very disappointed not to come away with something. Ultimately because we were searching for that second goal it cost us. We left ourselves too open. The third goal was always going to be hard to come back from. But we could’ve got a point in the end.”

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp: “I thought we were deserved winners, so it’s a good day. I said before the game to the boys ‘we are not the Harlem Globetrotters. We don’t go out to try to play beautiful football. We are here for results, so we play for results’. Now we can build on this.”

Tweet of the match

Star man – Philippe Coutinho

Showed his importance to the Reds by setting up Salah’s opener and scoring a sublime second.

Moment of the match

Okazaki’s goal. Liverpool were comfortable at 2-0 but Okazaki’s goal was allowed to stand despite clearly obstructing Mignolet. It gave Leicester the momentum and meant the game was never safe for Liverpool.

Data points

Vardy has now scored six times in his last four Premier League appearances against Liverpool. Mignolet has saved seven of the 15 Premier League penalties he has faced since joining Liverpool in 2013.

Player ratings

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool: Simon Mignolet: 4, Joe Gomez: 5, Dejan Lovren: 5, Joel Matip: 5, Alberto Moreno: 5, Georginio Wijnaldum: 6, Jordan Henderson: 7, Emre Can: 6, Roberto Firmino: 5, Philippe Coutinho: 8, Mohamed Salah: 7. Substitutes: Daniel Sturridge (for Firmino, 64): 7, James Milner (for Can, 74): 6, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (for Coutinho, 79): 6.

Who’s up next?

Bournemouth v Leicester (Premier League, September 30)

Spartak Moscow v Liverpool (Champions League, September 26)

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