SEVILLA SHOW GIVES HOPE OF CITY SURVIVAL SAYS MAHREZ

RIYAD MAHREZ admits Leicester’s confidence has been shattered by their slump but is confident the champions will stay up. Dire form of seven defeats in nine matches cost boss Claudio Ranieri his job last week despite last term’s amazing title triumph. Coach Craig Shakespeare has stepped up to take charge of the team as caretaker. The Foxes find themselves in the bottom three ahead of Liverpool’s visit tonight and they desperately need to rediscover their top form from the last campaign if they are to survive in the Premier League. Mahrez spoke out to explain why the team and he and Jamie Vardy especially, have been struggling. The PFA player of the year said: “I think we are a team of confidence. “If we win games and we score, everything goes fine but that’s not happening this season. “We keep losing and losing. “We are part of a team so if it is difficult for us, then it is difficult for everyone. “We just have to stay together and keep fighting because we know we have the quality to do much better. “We know it is a bad time for us but we have the quality to stay in the Premier League.

“We have a very good squad of players and we know that we can do it. It is OK.”

Mahrez and Vardy were sensational last season, with 17 and 24 goals respectively.

Now Mahrez is hoping Vardy’s first goal in 10 games in the 2-1 Champions League first-leg defeat in Sevilla can spark the forward back into life.

Vardy has just six goals for City this season, scoring in only four of his 31 appearances.

Mahrez added: “To score a goal is always good for him.

“It makes you have more confidence – and confidence can help you score more and be better in your head.”

After today’s visit by Liverpool, Leicester host Hull on Saturday in a crunch relegation battle.

Mahrez knows it is a vital week which can help determine their top-flight status.

He has hailed Ranieri as “a great man” on social media following the Italian’s sacking.

But he insists Leicester’s fight back in Spain, when they rallied from 2-0 down to keep the last-16 tie alive, promises a better display from them against the Reds tonight.

He added: “We have two games at home now in one week.

“There are 13 games to go and we just have to win games, that is it.

“I think with the type of second-half performance we gave in Sevilla, we can do it.

“I think I am quite happy about the second half we played, there are good things for Liverpool.

“In the first half we were a bit timid, a bit shy but we played well in the second half.

“We had some counterattacks and if we made good choices, we could do better things.

“We need to make the right choice at the right moment.”