“For me, it is the toughest league in the world – it is very open”, he told reporters.
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Leicester have defied the odds to challenge the elite in the top flight this term and a hard-fought 1-0 win at Tottenham on Wednesday left them level on points with leaders Arsenal, who possess a superior goal difference. They play the ball up to their strikers and are good from set-pieces.
“We have a lot of respect for Leicester”, added Garde. “What happened tonight strengthened my belief we can have a big part to play in this league”.
Jan Vertonghen has bemoaned Leicester City’s direct tactics, but conceded they are effective following Wednesday’s loss.
Third-placed Manchester City stayed three points off the top after being held to a 0-0 draw at home by Everton and Champions Chelsea continued to confound as they were twice pegged back in a 2-2 home draw with West Bromwich Albion. Everyone knows what their qualities are.
“It is important he is very attentive in our defence”. Both teams dug in, frustrated Spurs and hit them on the break.
“We work on those things. We need to try to fix that and try not to repeat the same mistakes”.
Pochettino thinks that the inexperience of his own squad is hindering their consistency in key matches, with Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane and Erik Lamela all vital to the team’s potency, but under 24 years of age.
“Now … slowly he can start to retrain with us and improve his condition”.
Vardy, who missed Sunday’s match because of a minor groin operation, had few chances against Spurs and extends his run without a goal to five matches.
Unfortunately that’s tailor made for Leicester who defend in depth, don’t bother much about possession stats and rely on pacy counter attacks to get their goals. The grind of a 38-game Premier League season inevitably wears lesser teams down as the usual favourites reel them back in.
Fuchs chose to prepare for the Midlands derby away to Aston Villa tomorrow by going ten-pin bowling this afternoon. “We know we will be ready on Saturday [at home against Sunderland] and we will do everything to win”.
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Ranieri had previously said that if his team were top after the 15th of January then they could start thinking of the title; well they are and the time to start thinking about it has definitely come.
