Liverpool’s woeful run of form hit a new low as they capitulated late on to hand Leicester a 3-1 victory at the King Power.
The champions led through Mo Salah’s superb first-time finish but then fell apart as the hosts scored three times in seven minutes late on to take all three points.
James Maddison started the comeback with a free-kick that found the far corner before a horrendous mix-up between Alisson and debutant defender Ozan Kabak gifted the Jamie Vardy the chance to put the home side ahead. Harvey Barnes made sure of the result five minutes from time, with the Liverpool defence all at sea.
With makeshift centre-back Fabinho out injured, Jurgen Klopp handed a first start to January signing Kabak alongside Jordan Henderson at centre-back, while Leicester had defensive issues of their own after James Justin’s season-ending ACL injury.
The Reds were the better side in the first half but it was the hosts who went closest to opening the scoring as Vardy rattled the crossbar, while after the break it was the visitors who were denied by the woodwork as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s deflected free-kick struck the bar.
Salah opened the scoring on 67 minutes with a nonchalant first-time finish after Roberto Firmino’s magnificent roulette had teed him up. But any hopes that the goal might set Klopp’s men on their way to a crucial victory proved misplaced.
First, Barnes was felled by Thiago Alcantara as he broke into the box and though VAR eventually decided to award a free-kick rather than a penalty it proved no reprieve as Madison’s delivery went all the way in and though it was initially disallowed for offside against Daniel Amartey in the middle, replays showed otherwise and the decision was overturned.
Confidence blown, Liverpool were soon behind as Alisson came haring out to clear a long ball over the top but succeeded only in colliding with Kabak, leaving Vardy to stroke into an empty net, before Barnes made the points safe, waltzing in to slide past the goalkeeper.
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