Maybe Leicester’s one consolation was reaching the 40-point barrier that boss Claudio Ranieri has targeted all season.
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He said: “I don’t see any reason why they can’t [finish in the top four] and the reason I say that is the first half of the season would suggest they are capable in terms of how they play and the quality that they have”.
“A draw is not OK as it is only one point, but it is OK as we have 40 points which was the goal – it is champagne for my players!” he told the BBC. Now we must be calm.
In his first full season as a Premier League manager, Pearson a few times attracted controversy with his abrasive style, calling a journalist “an ostrich” at a news conference and becoming involved in a touchline altercation with Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur.
Leicester’s long-term ambitions will be bolstered by the arrival of striker Demarai Gray from Birmingham City after they triggered a £3.7million release clause in the 19-year-old’s contract.
Brave Bournemouth have now lost only once in their last eight league games to boost their survival hopes.
Earned his clean sheet. “It just goes to show we are capable of playing that way, we are capable of digging in and being resolute”. He said I got the man and the ball. For me, it’s not a penalty.
The England striker took a good touch to get the ball out of his feet and looked destined to score but saw his toe-poked shot cannon off the inside of the post and away to safety.
Vardy, the league’s joint top-scorer on 15 goals alongside Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, revealed illness had contributed to his failure to score in Leicester’s past four league games.
Vardy remaining will obviously be key to Leicester’s chances of maintaining their position during the second half of the season.
Later, King did extremely well to get to the right byeline, fend off a defender and cut the ball back for an open Dan Gosling in the 37th minute.
Shortly after Vardy won the penalty.
Francis was on the wrong end of a controversial Marriner decision for the second time in eight games, having also been involved in a disputed penalty at Swansea.
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But Mahrez wasted the opportunity in any case as Boruc plunged to his left to keep out the penalty.
