Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri hails spirit after Tottenham draw
Sunday 23 August 2015 07:31, UK
Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri hailed his side's spirit as they hit back quickly to earn a 1-1 draw with Tottenham on Saturday.
Dele Alli had put the visitors in front late on, but Riyad Mahrez fired in an equaliser almost immediately in a close-fought encounter at the King Power Stadium.
The result leaves the Foxes unbeaten in the Premier League this season and means they have earned more points since April than any other top-flight side.
Ranieri was pleased to have taken a point and said he believes it shows his side can battle with the top sides in the division.
"In the end I am happy because we played against a very good team – a team that in the last six campaigns has finished five times in the Europa League," he said.
"This year they want to fight for the Champions League, and for us it's important to see how big the gap is. Today I didn't see a big gap.
"We played very well tactically. We conceded a goal but our spirit was fantastic. After 25 seconds we scored, and I think we deserved the draw.
"The match was tactical, but there were also some good chances for them and for us.
"This is the perfect example [of our spirit]. We believe in, every time, to fight, to play with passion and with respect to our supporters. They are fantastic – they supported us to the end."
The draw left Leicester top of the table ahead of Sunday's and Monday's games, but Ranieri insisted the club's target is still to ensure their Premier League status for another season.
"It's not important for us to be top of the league," he added.
"It's important to have seven points and to look to achieve the 40 points very soon.
"This is our first target and we must achieve this very early."
