Puel: We Had Good Opportunities

- Southampton hold Leicester to a 0-0 draw at King Power Stadium
- The Foxes made five changes to the starting XI for the match
- Jamie Vardy had the best opportunity when his volley was tipped over the crossbar
- Manager Claude Puel felt the performance from his team was positive 

The Foxes were on the front foot throughout but found it difficult to break down the Southampton back line despite going close on several occasions on a hot and humid evening on Filbert Way. 

Jamie Vardy went closest to breaking the deadlock with a stunning volley from Marc Albrighton’s dinked pass over the top, but Saints ‘keeper Alex McCarthy managed to get fingertips to the ball to tip it over the crossbar. 

The Foxes looked good for spells against relegation-threatened Southampton and made five changes to the starting XI. Ben Hamer, Marc Albrighton, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Aleksandar Dragović all came in to start and did well on a night that saw the Foxes stay in eighth place in the table. 

Speaking afterwards, Puel said: “I think about the play and I think it was a good performance. We had had a lot of opportunities in both halves, a lot of set pieces and we need to make progress on our set pieces because perhaps we have the possibility to have other chances. 

“There was not enough today in our play to find a solution and to find space against this team. It was okay I think. We have had these good opportunities in the first half and in the second half but couldn’t manage the goal, which is a pity, but the performance was okay. It was a close game, a difficult game against a good opponent at this moment.” 

Those players who came in performed well for Puel, and the manager himself was pleased with their contributions in different areas of the pitch – including Albrighton at right-back. 

He added: “Every game is important. I think it was important for me to refresh some players and try some other players in different positions, like Marc Albrighton. I think it was a good opportunity at home to look at this position because I think he can be the option in open play, he can provide good crosses and start with the ball. 

“He could give a good help to Riyad Mahrez for example. All the players gave their best today with quality without the good clinical edge at the end. It is a shame after this performance, but of course we have to score. If we can have this attention and this quality we will have other results and win other games.”