Analysis: Leicester

Leicester set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with the deep central-midfield partnership of Wilfred Ndidi and Nampalys Mendy positioned behind Rachid Ghezzal, James Maddison and Marc Albrighton. That trio supported lone front man Demarai Gray, who was moved further forward in the absence of the suspended Jamie Vardy.

The Foxes surprisingly had the ball for large parts of the game and focused their efforts on exploiting the wide areas by stretching the play horizontally. Full-backs Ben Chilwell and Ricardo Pereira regularly supported the attacks.

The key to their in-possession strategy was the partnership between Mendy and Ndidi in midfield. The pair were rarely more than 10 yards apart and offered their team so much in possession, without needing to perform anything spectacular on the ball. When Leicester have possession in their defensive or midfield thirds of the pitch, it appears that the ball-carrier must always have a passing line to one or both of them. Mendy and Ndidi are tasked with supplying security if the ball-carrier is caught in possession, providing cover to allow the full-backs to venture forward, linking play between defence and attack, and offering central protection against counter-attacks. Much of their work goes unnoticed, but without their influence Leicester would have significantly less threat going forward.

Ahead of the midfield pairing, the Foxes tried to find the feet of Albrighton, Maddison, Ghezzal and Gray. In the second half, they looked to run in behind more regularly, particularly after the introduction of striker Kelechi Iheanacho for Albrighton just past the hour.

Leicester set up in a 4-4-2 out of possession for the most part, with Maddison joining Gray on the front line, and Albrighton and Ghezzal dropping in alongside Ndidi and Mendy. They began in a mid-block and would only press from throw-ins and in wide areas, but they quickly switched to a much more aggressive style to put the Liverpool defence and goalkeeper under increased pressure. Chasing the game, they had no choice but to continue with this high press in the second half – and it proved effective, with their goal coming from an error by Alisson in the Liverpool goal.

Their out-of-possession formation and the close distance between Mendy and Ndidi did leave the half-spaces vulnerable, however. James Milner, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Mo Salah all received in those pockets at times. Even if Albrighton and Ghezzal had closed them off, though, free passes out wide to Trent Alexander-Arnold or Andy Robertson – who provided the assist for Mane’s early opener – remained.