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Leicester City 3, Liverpool 1: Man of the Match

Jamie Vardy scored twice as managerless Leicester beat Liverpool 3-1 to move out of the Premier League relegation places.

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Vardy worked harder than he has ever done this season in Leicester’s first game since Ranieri’s exit.

Two goals from England striker Jamie Vardy plus a brilliant Danny Drinkwater volley from outside the box gave Leicester their first Premier League victory of 2017, with Vardy’s opening strike the first goal they have scored in the top flight this calendar year.

Vardy got his second on the hour when he headed in a Christian Fuchs cross and, although Liverpool enjoyed its best spell after Philippe Coutinho pulled a goal back in the 68th, Leicester held firm.

Leicester are now in the relegation zone but a win would take them level on 24 points with 15th placed Swansea.

The final Premier League match of this game week saw Leicester City in action as they welcomed Liverpool to the King Power stadium. They didn’t get it in abundance in the Janaury transfer window – Wilfred Ndidi was the only player signed since the title win to feature here – and removing the manager was the only remaining and viable option.

After a two-week break in La Manga, Klopp must have hoped for refreshed players against a Leicester team battered by events surrounding the sacking of Claudio Raniei. We even saw Riyad Mahrez come to life with a jinking run and lay-off to Drinkwater, who almost added a fourth.

“They’ll sit down and I’ll try and prepare the team as rightly as I can for Hull unless told otherwise”. We all play for our future, myself included.

Meanwhile The Mirror reported that Klopp’s high-energy tactics and training regimen may be the cause of Liverpool’s mid-season slump as players have been left depressed by a new training schedule.

“I think he’s got far too much faith in certain players”.

“It’s something to build on, the next game is even more important now”.

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The injury absence of Jordan Henderson was an obvious blow to the Reds and his replacement, Emre Can, just doesn’t have the energy or drive needed to become a regular at a top club like Liverpool. “But we have to think about the club’s long-term interests and the best way to bring the club we love forward”.

Michael Regan  Getty