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You are in: Sport: Football: FA Carling Premiership | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday, 3 May, 2000, 20:54 GMT 21:54 UK
Reds face European ignominy
![]() Tony Cottee gave Leicester a vital first-half lead
Liverpool 0-2 Leicester
Liverpool's Champions League hopes suffered another huge blow on Wednesday, after a dismal home defeat against Leicester. The victory left Martin O'Neil's side with the considerable honour of becoming the first club since Arsenal in 1975 to win three successive games at Anfield.
Leicester, who already have their European ticket, made life mighty difficult for a Liverpool outfit who have yet to get their passport stamped for next season. Former Everton star Tony Cottee's early goal gave the visitors a half-time lead and Phil Gilchrist condemned Liverpool to defeat seconds after the break.
Leicester, severely weakened, had a back three that included Gilchrist and Frank Sinclair with a five-man midfield. But any thought that Martin O'Neill's side would be a pushover was dispelled inside two minutes. His battalion of midfield scrappers were straight at Liverpool's throats and it was Neil Lennon's neat chip into the box, catching Stephane Henchoz flat-footed, that was accepted by Cottee.
Emile Heskey, playing against his old club and more particularly the intimidating frame of Matt Elliott, struggled for time and space, while Michael Owen did not appreciate the attentions of Sinclair. Cottee got himself booked for charging down a Westerveld clearance and Patrik Berger was next in the book for his second bout of dissent, a trait that was running right through Liverpool's side. Leicester charge continues Neither side made any changes at the break and it was Leicester who again came out the hungrier.
The Anfield crowd were clearly shocked, but it was exactly what Leicester deserved, after Carragher had headed the ball up and over the outstretched arms of Westerveld. Seconds later Berger hit a blistering 30-yard drive, in an attempt to add some spice to a dour Liverpool effort, only to be denied by the crossbar.
At last Liverpool began to press forward. Fowler, Berger and Heskey all came close, but with so many blue shirts in the penalty area, Leicester somehow kept the ball out. It frustrated the home side - and silenced the Kop - and Liverpool struggled to gain any shape. When the final whistle blew, Leicester claimed a deserved win. Liverpool, in contrast, looked to have run out of ideas. Teams: Liverpool: Westerveld, Matteo, Hyypia, Henchoz, Carragher, Berger, Hamann, Redknapp, Thompson, Owen, Heskey. Subs: Song, Fowler, Friedel, Camara, Murphy. Leicester: Arphexad, Guppy, Sinclair, Elliott, Gilchrist, Impey, Izzet, Lennon, Savage, Eadie, Cottee. Subs: Flowers, Walsh, Marshall, Oakes, Zagorakis. Referee: G Poll (Tring)
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