Ranieri: We Won The Battle

- The manager praises his team’s calmness in battle after coming under pressure in the second half 

- Jamie Vardy and Jeffrey Schlupp find the net for Leicester, before Dieumerci Mbokani pulls a goal back for Norwich in the second half 

- The Foxes move up to fourth in the league table 

Claudio Ranieri praised his side’s calmness in the heat of battle after they secured an important Barclays Premier League victory over Norwich City at Carrow Road. 

The Foxes were looked to bounce back from a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Arsenal last time out, and Premier League top scorer Jamie Vardy gave them a perfect start from the penalty spot in the first half. 

Jeffrey Schlupp scored from another brilliant counter shortly after the break, and despite Norwich substitute Dieumerci Mbokani pulling a goal back for the hosts, it was the Foxes who took a deserved three points to move to fourth in the table. 

“It was very, very important,” Ranieri told Foxes Player HD after the victory. “After our first defeat against Arsenal we wanted to see this kind of performance. 

“It was fantastic because in the battle the players were very calm and showed a very good performance.

“We wanted to create more chances to score goals. We suffered a lot in the second half but it was a battle and we won. 

“In the first half we were very good and so was the shape. When they lost the ball we went on the counter attack and scored a goal. At half time, I spoke with the players about how important it was to start the second half well because they will put us under pressure. 

“There was a lot of balls in the box and it was important to go on the counter attack. NG (N’Golo Kante) and Schlupp made a fantastic counter attack.” 

Ranieri made two changes to his starting line up, bringing in Christian Fuchs and Danny Simpson for Ritchie De Laet and Riyad Mahrez – a decision that seemed to work. 

He explained: “I wanted to change something after Arsenal. Christian Fuchs and Danny Simpson played very well. I put Mahrez on the bench because I knew they were pushing during the match on the flank with the full backs and the wingers, left and right. 

“I thought I’d use Riyad in the second half to try to win the match if it was possible or if we were drawing. The match was different though and that was good.”