It was unquestionably Schmeichel’s save to deny Mohamed Salah from the penalty spot which emboldened Leicester after a timid start, increasing the noise levels on the terraces and energy within this makeshift starting XI.
Leicester frustrated Liverpool for long periods, also benefiting from the occasional twist of fortune, before substitute Ademola Lookman’s strike raised the roof early in the second-half.
The late bombardment from Liverpool never really materialised and Leicester secured only their third clean sheet in the league this season.
They have finished 2021 with a flourish, but this year will have polarised opinion for many Leicester supporters.
From the glorious high of winning the FA Cup for the first time in their history in May, to agonisingly missing out on Champions League qualification on the final day of last season, this campaign has proved more of a slow-burner with defensive calamities, injuries and inconsistency.
Only Leeds, Newcastle and Norwich have conceded more goals than Leicester this season and Jannik Vestergaard, signed in the summer from Southampton for £15 million, suffered the ignominy of being named on the bench here despite the number of absentees.
With little to no money available to strengthen the squad in the January transfer window, Rodgers is having to push the players available to the limit.
That old cliche about the return of injured players feeling like new signings will be trotted out by Rodgers frequently over the next few weeks.
Fofana, in particular, has been a huge loss after sustaining a serious knee injury in a pre-season game and his anticipated return in February cannot come soon enough.
He was magnificent last season, a £30 million “bargain” from Saint-Etienne, and not even Rodgers could have forecast just how costly the injury would prove to his team.
Soyuncu, Evans and Justin are also expected back next month so at least Rodgers can look ahead to 2022 with a degree of optimism.
A victory like this, against the club who sacked Rodgers in October 2015, should also provide the jump-start for Leicester.
