Coutinho scores as Liverpool win thriller at Leicester

Philippe Coutinho scored for the first time this season and Jamie Vardy saw his penalty saved as Liverpool survived a Leicester fightback in their second meeting in five matches.

The Foxes won 2-0 in their Carabao Cup third-round meeting on Tuesday, but the Reds got their revenge on their return to Premier League action.

Coutinho’s set up Mohamed Salah for the opener and then struck a majestic free-kick for a two-goal lead before the break.

Shinji Okazaki poked home from close range to give Leicester hope, before a frantic five-minute spell in the second half almost turned the game on its head.

Jordan Henderson netted from a Liverpool counter attack to make it 3-1 but the hosts immediately responded when Vardy headed into an empty net a minute later after Simon Mignolet pushed Demarai Gray’s shot into his path.

Vardy then earned a penalty when he was brought down by Mignolet, but the Belgian kept out the England striker’s spot-kick which went straight down the middle and Liverpool held on to end their run of four games without a win.

Jurgen Klopp’s side moved up to fifth in the table, while Leicester hover above the relegation zone with a win and a draw from their opening seven matches.

Coutinho’s redemption

Many Liverpool fans were resigned to never seeing Coutinho in a red shirt again after he handed in a transfer request over the summer, with Spanish giants Barcelona chasing his signature.

But his £114m move fell through and, on his second Premier League start of the season, he showed what a key part he still has to play for Klopp’s side.

Coutinho’s deep cross from the edge of the box was perfectly flighted for Salah to head in at the far post and Kasper Schmeichel had no chance of stopping the Brazilian’s free-kick, which bent around the wall and into corner of the net.

It looked like Coutinho’s first-half performance would be the talking point, but there was more drama to follow.