Liverpool 2-0 Leicester: Rodgers’ broken Foxes template

The game at Anfield had a familiar feel to it, backs-to-the-wall, almost a training exercise of defence versus attack, and the inevitable goal from a corner for the opposition — that’s now the 13th goal conceded in this fashion this season (the worst in the league).

Worryingly, the Foxes changed their approach, opting for a hybrid marking system instead of their preferred zonal. But the shortcomings of the merged system were truly highlighted by Liverpool’s quality in decision-making. Virgil Van Dijk was the first player to lose his man, Wilfred Ndidi. A clever bunching at the top of the box from The Reds’ aerial threats made it hard for individuals to mark their respective man touch-tight.

Once the space opened towards the front-post, it was only Van Dijk contesting the header. A late attempt from James Justin, who himself was part of the zonal structure, meant that the right-back had removed himself from the central area at the top of Kasper Schmeichel’s six-yard box. A good save from Van Dijk’s effort wasn’t rewarded with the defensive support it deserved, as it fell to Diogo Jota — in the aforementioned space vacated by Justin — for a tap-in.

Until this point, Leicester didn’t feel “out” of the game. They’d threatened on the few occasions in Liverpool’s final third — most notably the combination via James Maddison, whose strike required a clever save from Alisson (his only saving involvement in the fixture). But, once they’d gone behind and the tactic of “holding on” and trying to score in transition had become obsolete, the Foxes lost their way.