Dean Smith says what Liverpool are really good at as he reveals failed Leicester game-plan

Dean Smith had few complaints after Leicester City’s Premier League survival hopes took a huge knock at the hands of Liverpool.

The Reds earned a seventh successive victory as they eased to a 3-0 victory at the King Power Stadium. Although the opening half-hour was competitive, Liverpool took full control when Curtis Jones fired a double in just three minutes.

Leicester barely got back into the game and it leaves them 19th in the table and two points adrift of safety with just two games remaining.

Smith admitted that he wanted the Foxes to nullify the threat of Trent Alexander-Arnold from the outset but mistakes cost the home side.

The interim Leicester manager said: “Our game plan was to try to cover the middle of the pitch, stop Trent from having as much influence as he has done in recent games. Maybe leaving [Ibrahima] Konate on the ball and the goalkeeper and we did that really well.

“I still don't think we made their centre-backs run back towards goal enough, we played in front of them. That's what Liverpool are really good at, they're a good counter-pressing team and if you play in front of them, they're doing to come and press you and we needed to make their centre-halves run back towards goal a little bit.

“We did that well in the first 10-15 minutes. Goals change games. I could probably throw their goalkeeper 50 goals now and they wouldn't score from one of his big kicks that went over our back four.

“Then Wilf’s (Ndidi) tried to read a pass, and they turn and play it into Jones who turns and scores a really good goal. Both goals were marginally onside. VAR didn’t seem to go for us.

“Our minds then get frazzled then for whatever reason and we could have conceded a third from kick-off. We needed to get in at half-time without any further pain.”

Alexander-Arnold wrapped up the win for Liverpool in the second period when he curled home a sumptuous free-kick. However, Smith was irked that referee Craig Pawson awarded a foul committed by Johnny Evans after he tackled Reds captain Jordan Henderson.

Smith added: “Second half started like the end of the first half. Less chances for Liverpool. I thought we got a bounce when the subs came on but, unfortunately, the referee killed that with the third goal. It’s never been a free-kick. It allows a very good team a free shot from 20 yards and he puts it in the top corner. That’s pretty much game done then.

“We got a little bit of a bounce when we got the subs on but, unfortunately, the referee killed with the third goal because it's never a free-kick. It allows a team with very good players to have a free shot from 20 yards and put it in the top corner.”