Foxes put Atletico on back-burner
LEICESTER manager Craig Shakespeare revealed all Champions League talk has been banned as he maintained the perfect start to his regime.
The Foxes’ first away win in the Premier League this term was recorded with a 3-2 triumph over WEST HAM at the London Stadium and it came four days after they reached the quarter-finals of Europe’s top club competition.
But Shakespeare said: “The Champions League has been put to one side. We have parked it.”
No talk then about the clash with Atletico Madrid. “That has been put to the back of everyone’s mind. We said as a group that once the draw was made and we knew who we had got, let’s just concentrate on the Premier League.”
Shakespeare admitted Leicester had gone into the match with an “awful away record’’. And thanks to the heroics of Kasper Schmeichel, that elusive first win was recorded.
“He is in the best form since I have been here,” said Shakespeare.
West Ham, however, are on a downward spiral and speculation about Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is bound to begin – the Hammers have not won in five games and have lost the last three.
“We were sloppy in defence,” said Bilic. “But we came back well in the second half and I think we deserved a point.”
Big Sam says the Great Escape is on for CRYSTAL PALACE after they beat WATFORD 1-0. He even joked: “Bring on Chelsea”.
A Troy Deeney own goal at Selhurst Park gave Palace their third win in a row to move them up to 16th and leave boss Allardyce beaming.
He said: “The escape is on because we’ve won three on the trot and four out of six. We’ve made the team better all round and the squad better, too. The players deserve an awful lot of credit.”
Next up is Chelsea on April 1 and Allardyce sees no reason to be afraid.
He said: “Nobody expects us to win so let’s see if we can play our best.”
Hornets boss Walter Mazzarri refused to blame striker Deeney for the headed own goal at Selhurst Park. He said: “It happens, he doesn’t need to apologise.”