Vital point in our bid to reach Champions League, insists boss
RODGERS HAPPY WITH SECOND HALF DISPLAY
LEICESTER City have slipped down to fourth in the Premier League table but their point against Arsenal could be a “vital” one in the Champions League race, Brendan Rodgers believes.
City’s failure to win at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday evening means they may only have a one-point cushion in the top four come tonight, when fifth-placed Manchester United take on Aston Villa.
Although City have now left the door open for United to make up ground, Rodgers chose to view the draw at Arsenal as one point gained rather than two points dropped.
“It’s a terrific point for us,” he said. “You want to win the game.
“I think someone said that it’s only the second point for Leicester here in the history of the Premier League.
“We’re disappointed we couldn’t win but we got a point and it could be vital for us.
“We started with a good confidence, they then started to stretch in behind us a little too often, and then we didn’t quite press the game well enough, and then we didn’t keep the ball well enough, which obviously isn’t a good combination.
“The second half was totally different. We were more aggressive in our pressing, and then we were faster with the ball, and then could sustain that much better.
“Eleven v 11, we had a great chance with Kelechi to score, which he’ll be disappointed with.
But we kept going, and then 11 v 10, positionally, we worked it really well and got the goal we deserved.
“I thought the focus in the game was very good. We showed enough quality and played the game well in that second half to merit winning the game.
“It can be a very important point for us. “We’re greedy but we sometimes have to accept we didn’t make the final pass in the final third of the pitch.
“The players gave everything in the game, they had to show real quality and spirit in the second half to come out against a team at the height of their confidence having won the last four games.
“We came here and showed what we’re capable of, which was very important.
“We’re disappointed we didn’t win, but we have to accept the point and I think it could be a very important point for us.”
City’s attention now turns to Bournemouth on Sunday, but it remains to be seen if they will have their two England internationals available.
James Maddison (hip) and Ben Chilwell (foot) missed the game at the Emirates Stadium with injuries and will now be looked over ahead of the trip to the south coast.
“We’ll assess that over the next few days,” said Rodgers.
“They’re very important players for us. We’ll see how they are over the next few days and see how they are.”