It Wasn’t To Be, Says Cooper
- Leicester City lost out 2-1 to Chelsea on Saturday
- Jordan Ayew’s penalty wasn’t enough on Filbert Way
- Steve Cooper assessed his team’s performance
- The Manager was frustrated with how key moments in the game played out
It was the visitors who found a breakthrough at King Power Stadium a quarter of an hour in, with Nicolas Jackson providing the finish after City failed to clear their lines. Once Enzo Fernández headed home the second for Enzo Maresca’s men, it was an uphill task for the Foxes.
Jordan Ayew then came off the bench to provide a consolation goal in stoppage time, via the penalty spot, but it was third-place Chelsea who emerged with the points on Filbert Way.
“Certain moments in the game ended up having an impact,” the Manager said post-match. “It’s one of the toughest games so far this season and proved to be that challenge. The first 30 minutes were a challenge and for all of the defending that we had to do, we ended up giving away a really soft goal.
“The biggest change we needed in the game was what we did with the ball, because when we did show enough quality and courage, we ended up creating two chances and that was giving us the belief to do a bit more and not just creating chances but having good spells on the ball.
“Half-time was about giving that message. We changed one or two things defensively, we needed to open up the game a little bit and when you do that, you risk Chelsea being in full flow with the players that they have. You know they can do damage.
“In general, we did okay at that, but it was at the other end that we needed to really improve. We’ve ended up creating moments in the game, but we’ve had two decisions that go against us.”
A good end to the half gave encouragement that Leicester could find a route back into the contest, but that confidence did not translate into a goal and the threat that the away side posed in attacking areas remained.
The 44-year-old continued: “There would have been a lot of good reference points to show the lads that this is how it was going to play out, but when you are 1-0 down, you need to try and get back into the game and that’s what we tried to do, retain the pressing lines and you are doing that risking what could go the other way.
“But at the same time, you want to get the ball back and go the other way and it played out a little bit like that. I just wish we could have managed moments with the ball a bit better with the chances we created. It’s not to be and we have conceded two again.”
Harry Winks was forced off just 11 minutes in with a groin injury, replaced by Oliver Skipp in the middle of the park, and Cooper provided an update on his condition.
He added: “Winksy coming off after a difficult international break – all of these things are facts but not excuses. I’ll never go down that road. A few things went against us, but at the same time, we’ve got to make our own luck and that’s always going to be on us.
“He (Winks) has hurt his groin but how serious, I don’t know. Sometimes these things can be minimal, a week or so, sometimes longer. We’ve got our fingers crossed.”