LONDON – Leicester City grabbed second-half goals through Shinji Okazaki and record signing Islam Slimani to earn a 2-0 victory over Liverpool in the League Cup third round on Tuesday.
A night of wholesale changes for the 11 Premier League sides in action produced one upset, with top-flight Stoke City losing 2-0 at second-tier Bristol City.
Former England manager Roy Hodgson enjoyed his first victory in charge of Crystal Palace as the Premier League’s bottom club defeated Huddersfield Town 1-0 at Selhurst Park.
West Ham United and Swansea City also progressed with wins over second-tier Bolton Wanderers and Reading respectively.
Liverpool’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was given his first start by manager Jurgen Klopp following his move from Arsenal, while Phillipe Coutinho was also in the line-up at the King Power Stadium where the visitors dominated play before the interval.
Eight-time League Cup winners Liverpool failed to take their chances though, and Leicester woke up in the second half, with Okazaki’s scuffed shot giving them a 65th-minute lead.
Algerian Slimani made it 2-0 with a stunning left-foot shot into the top corner in the 78th minute.
The sides meet again at the weekend in the Premier League.
Bristol City’s Famara Diedhiou and Matty Taylor were on target at home to Stoke.
Palace found some respite from losing all five of their Premier League games to edge past top-flight rivals Huddersfield, thanks to Bakary Sako’s early goal.
Tuesday’s Results
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 Bristol Rovers
Bournemouth 1-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
West Ham 3-0 Bolton
Crystal Palace 1-0 Huddersfield Town
Brentford 1-3 Norwich City
Leicester City 2-0 Liverpool
Aston Villa 0-2 Middlesbrough
Bristol City 2-0 Stoke City
Reading 0-2 Swansea
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Barnsley