Simpson: We Love To Defend

- The Foxes beat Crystal Palace 1-0 on Saturday to register their fourth shutout in five Barclays Premier League games 

- Defender Simpson says his team-mates have the right mentality and discipline to remain concentrated 

Following Saturday’s 1-0 Barclays Premier League win at Crystal Palace, Danny Simpson explained his side’s excellent defensive displays are down to their passion to keep clean sheets. 

A fourth shutout in five Premier League fixtures came at Selhurst Park on Saturday, as Riyad Mahrez fired in the winner for the Foxes. 

Simpson and his men managed to thwart a number of talented attacking Palace players, with Yannick Bolasie, Wilfried Zaha, Bakary Sako and Emmanuel Adebayor all unable to breach City’s back line. 

"We just love defending and clean sheets,” Simpson said. “It is the next best thing to scoring a goal. We come together and praise each other for another clean sheet. 

“We know the lads up there can score goals, but we know if we can keep it shut at the back, it will give us a better chance of winning. 

"I think we have that no nonsense about us. We just love defending. We don't mind putting it in 'row z'. You see Huthy (Robert Huth) do it and we all do it. We don't mess about. We put it out for a throw and regroup. 

"We just make it as difficult as we can for the opposition, especially when Palace have players like Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha, because they are tough to play against. 

"Now we have two weeks off until the next game. Some of the lads are off on international duty. Drinky (Danny Drinkwater) is going off with England and that will be good for him. We will just enjoy our days off and regroup, and take it from there." 

The victory in London saw City maintain their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, but with seven games still remaining, Simpson is under no illusions as to the task ahead of his side if they wish to achieve something extraordinary. 

"All I can think about is the next game," the defender added. "That is all we can do. All we can do is concentrate on what we are doing. 

"We can't get ahead of ourselves. There is still a long way to go, and we have the right discipline and mentality in the group, and it is all working."