- Leicester City drew 1-1 with Everton at King Power Stadium on Saturday
- Manager Steve Cooper was disappointed with the first half
- The Welshman was nevertheless more pleased with City's commitment in the second half
- Both Leicester and Everton are still searching for their first league win of 2024/25
Iliman Ndiaye's 12th-minute strike put the Toffees on course for victory at King Power Stadium amid extraordinary weather conditions in the East Midlands.
As the two teams were lashed by persistent rain, plus intense thunder and lightening, City gradually fought their way back into the contest. In the end, Stephy Mavididi's equaliser in the 73rd minute was a reward for their battling nature.
Cooper, whose side are 15th in the Premier League, did not wish to gloss over Leicester's start to the match, but was nevertheless enthused by the manner in which they regained control later on.
"We didn’t play well in that first half," he said after the game. "We’ve got to own up to that. We were nowhere near the level that we need to be in any Premier League game. We were deservedly losing the game.
"Half-time came at the right time. There was obviously the weather as well. That was the same for both teams and we had to make it very clear that things needed to change if we wanted to get anything out of the game.
"They certainly did in terms of commitment and the non-negotiables of competing. We obviously got a lot more territory and we were running around the final third without creating too many chances, but I felt like one would come.
"Yes, they had a couple of counter attacks, but we managed to get the equaliser. I thought if anyone was going to win it, it would be us.
"We didn’t manage the initial moments after equalising, but we were pushing again for a winner while trying not to get done on the counter attack. It’s a game that should have been better, let’s not hide away from that, but as it played on, it could have been worse.
"We deserve no more than a point. I feel like we should have got a point after the second half, but we need to do better than the first half for sure.
"The players do deserve credit. You can go under when you play poorly. Sometimes can go and hide and the game can get worse. To be fair to the guys, they really got together and stood up to the challenge and did better.
"Not brilliant, but a lot better. We know nobody’s walking out of here thinking that’s at the level because it’s not. I do like how we stood together in the second half and got something out of the game.
"It’s a pity. We’re still disappointed we didn’t win at Palace and, in the other games before, we could have got something more than what we got. Today we got what we deserved.
"In the other games, we could have been more fortunate with results, but that’s how it is and we have to get on with it."
On the weather, Cooper added: "I’ve never experienced anything like that. It was the same for everybody.
"Nobody’s at an advantage or disadvantage from it, apart from that I think half-time came at a better time for us. Half-time ended up being 21-22 minutes because of the safety of the players.
"The second half just felt like heavy rain, it may have been worse, but the end of the first half was tough."