We Dug Deep, Says Ricardo

LCFC Men
11 Feb 2024
2 Minutes
Ricardo Pereira netted what was ultimately the winner in Saturday's 2-1 triumph over Watford and the Leicester City full-back was delighted with their showing at Vicarage Road.

- Leicester City were 2-1 winners at Watford on Saturday
- That victory keeps them 11 points clear at the top of the Sky Bet Championship
- City have 75 points with 15 games still to play
- Goalscorer Ricardo Pereira praised the performance at full-time

After Patson Daka's early penalty put the Sky Bet Championship leaders in front, Ricardo struck 10 minutes into the second half to double their lead. Emmanuel Dennis got one back for the Hornets, but the Foxes dug in to seal the points.

It means that Enzo Maresca's men are now on 75 points with 15 games still to play this season, holding a double-figure advantage at the summit. Speaking after City's 24th league win, Ricardo pointed to the tactical ideas of their game.

On his strike in Hertfordshire, the Portuguese defender said: "It was a play where they tried to press but we stayed cool with the ball. Winksy (Harry Winks) found me in the middle and then they were a little bit out of shape. We took advantage of that.

"Abdul [Fatawu] did a great job finding me in the box and it was great especially for our fans. It was really nice.

"We want to stick with the way we play, since the first day. We tried to play with the ball to find the free man and then find space in between the opponent. It was a good goal for sure."

Watford were a more potent threat in the latter stages on Saturday, but the 30-year-old was proud of his team-mates for battling to get over the line.

"It was difficult," he added. "They tried to push with the long ball and second balls. It was a different type of game but we managed to win and that is the most important thing. You know you can’t control the ball for 90 minutes.

"There are times where you need to dig deep and stay together and we did that."

To have 75 points at this stage of a Championship season is unprecedented for City, but with the chasing pack refusing to let their own form slide, Leicester know they must maintain their sky-high performance levels until the end of the season, with Sheffield Wednesday up next at King Power Stadium on Tuesday night.

"It’s really good, but we need to take it slow," the right-back explained. "We still have 15 games, so there’s a lot to play. We cannot have complacency and think it’s done. Fifteen games is a lot.

"We’re playing at home next with our fans so it will be another important game. It would be important to have the three points and keep taking points."