Vardy’s brace helps Leicester get the better of Liverpool

Ranieri, 65, was dismissed last Thursday, nine months on from Leicester’s fairytale title win, and fans honoured him with banners, masks and a smartphone light show in the 65th minute. 

His former charges were unrecognisable from recent weeks, with Danny Drinkwater also on target as they snapped a run of five straight defeats to climb out of the relegation zone to 15th place. 

Both Vardy and Drinkwater said Leicester’s display had been a reaction to press reports implicating the players in Ranieri’s exit. 

Vardy’s first-half opener was Leicester’s first league goal in seven games and made them the last team from Europe’s five major championships to find the net in 2017. 

While the display will give Leicester’s fans hopes of a late-season rally under Shakespeare, it leaves unanswered questions about why things had gone so badly wrong under Ranieri. 

Liverpool could have provisionally gone third with victory, but instead they remain fifth, 14 points below leaders Chelsea and a point behind fourth-place Arsenal having played a game more.