Liverpool player ratings: four score 8/10 and plenty of 7/10s in Leicester City win - gallery

Liverpool marched into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup as their fine start to the season continued with a 2-1 victory over Leicester City at Anfield.

The Reds had to battle from behind for a fifth time so far this campaign but second-half goals from Cody Gakpo, Dominik Szboszlai and Diogo Jota secured their passage into the next stage of the competition they have won a record nine times.

Liverpool made a nightmare start as they fell behind within three minutes - although they remonstrated that the goal shouldn’t have counted. Kasey McAteer rounded off a counter-attack for Leicester but the Reds protested that Kostas Tsimikas was fouled which allowed the visitors to win possession.

Somehow the home side did not find an equaliser before the break as they dominated the Foxes. In the 12th minute, Diogo Jota couldn’t make his mind up whether to go for goal with his head or foot when left in acres of space from point-blank range and got his effort all wrong. Then from the subsequent corner, Jarell Quansah’s effort was saved and the rebound fell to Ben Doak - but he smashed against the bar.

In the 22nd minute, Liverpool couldn’t quite believe they weren’t level when Gakpo got plenty of purchase on a header that beat the Leicester keeper Jakub Stolarczyk - but former Reds defender Conor Coady made a pivotal goalline clearance. Gakpo and Tsimikas both had efforts well held by Stolarczyk.

However, Jurgen Klopp’s side were finally level in the 48th minute. Ryan Gravenberch spotted Gakpo in space and the former PSV Eindhoven forward found the far corner after swivelling inside the Leicester box.

Liverpool continued to turn the screw and Gakpo couldn’t have gone any closer to doubling his tally on 57 minutes when his close-range header struck the bar and then was cleared off the line. But the winner would come with 20 minutes remaining when Wataru Endo’s incisive pass allowed Szobozlai to take a touch before crashing a thunderous right-footed effort into the top corner.

And in the 89th minute, Jota put the gloss on the triumph when he was picked out by Jarell Quansah and converted a clever backheel beyond Stolarczk.

Klopp’s men recorded a seventh successive win in all competitions in what proved a solid night’s work ahead of a trip to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday. Here’s how we rated the Liverpool players.