Leicester City vs. Liverpool: Score, Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match

Jamie Vardy was again the hero for Leicester City, scoring twice as the Foxes continued their remarkable Premier League form with a 2-0 win over Liverpool on Tuesday.   

The Foxes and the Reds served up an entertaining match at the King Power Stadium, with both sides showing plenty of attacking intentions. It was Vardy's scoring prowess that made the difference, as he bagged a second-half brace, including a strong candidate for the goal-of-the-year award.

Firing a first-time volley over Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet from well outside the box, the cult hero put his team on the path to victory and doubled their lead with a clever lob 20 minutes before the final whistle.

As shared by the Reds' official Twitter account, Jordan Henderson was appearing in his 200th match for the club:

Leicester City almost got off to a dream start, as midfielder Riyad Mahrez came close to opening the scoring after just minutes, firing a shot inches wide of the post.

Both teams seemed happy to get forward, leading to a busy opening period with plenty of chances. Emre Can could have done better, wasting a prime opportunity from a great position before a smart cross from Henderson nearly fell to a host of waiting Reds players.

On the other side of the pitch, Mignolet denied Shinji Okazaki with a fantastic save, although the Japan international could have placed his header in a better spot. La Liga blogger Rafael Hernandez praised the Belgian stopper, however:

Roberto Firmino should have pulled the trigger after a smart layoff from Mamadou Sakho, but the Brazilian instead tried to find Adam Lallana and wasted another fine opportunity.

Liverpool managed to push the hosts back into their own half at times in the first half, but the Foxes looked threatening on the counter-attack and didn't find it very difficult to deal with the Liverpool pressure. Bleacher Report UK's Jack Lusby wasn't impressed with the Reds' performances in the attacking third:

Robert Huth powered a header over the bar after a good delivery from Mahrez before the Algerian failed to lift a free-kick over the wall. Vardy and Okazaki proved to be real nuisances for the Liverpool defence with their smart movement, and as the first half wore on, the Reds seemed to struggle keeping the duo out more and more.

Christian Fuchs almost diverted a cross into his own net before Mahrez again put Mignolet to work with a curling strike. Some late pressure from Leicester City didn't amount to anything, and at half-time, the score was still 0-0.

Thore Haugstad of Twenty-Minute Reads noted the Foxes were forcing Liverpool into making a lot of tackles:

Liverpool continued to control possession after half-time, but the Foxes looked every bit as dangerous on the counter as they had in the first half. Mahrez almost played in Vardy minutes into the second half before Okazaki tried his luck with a cheeky chip that landed on the roof of the goal.

A confident Mignolet then produced a bit of skill to get past Vardy, who was putting pressure on the ball, and Unibet couldn't help itself:

A goal seemed inevitable, and the Foxes eventually took the lead through star striker Vardy, who produced a stunning bit of skill to put the ball past Mignolet.

Mahrez clipped a smart ball over the top of the defence, and the forward used his speed to put himself in position before blasting a shot over the Belgian goalkeeper and just under the crossbar. Sky Sports' Iain Dowie put it this way:

Liverpool tried to take control of the ball in search of an immediate equaliser, and manager Jurgen Klopp introduced Christian Benteke in an attempt to turn the tide, with Henderson making way. 

But the Foxes were unleashed at this point, and Vardy nearly doubled his tally after some lovely buildup play with Okazaki. The Leicester top scorer tried to round Mignolet, but the Liverpool stopper did well to keep him from doubling the hosts' lead—at least temporarily.

One minute later, Vardy beat Dejan Lovren to a loose ball and lifted it over Mignolet, sending the King Power Stadium into a delirium. Bleacher Report's Ryan Bailey reminded his followers where the club was just a year ago:

Desperation mode kicked in for Liverpool, who threw everyone forward and tried to crowd the box. But the hosts sat back and absorbed the pressure with relative ease, and the Reds didn't attack with any real vigour.

The final minutes of the match played out without any major incidents, allowing Leicester to count down the seconds before celebrating a huge result.

Leicester City will continue their improbable bid for the Premier League title with a huge clash against Manchester City on Saturday, while Liverpool will host Sunderland.

Post-Match Reaction

As shared by James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo, Klopp had nothing but praise for the hosts:

He also spoke about Vardy's wonderful first goal, via This is Anfield: "It's nice to be in a stadium when Jamie Vardy makes the goal of the month, but not when you're the manager of the other team."

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