Rodgers: Individual Quality Hurt Us
- Leicester City were beaten 3-0 by Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League in north London
- Brendan Rodgers believes the result was hard on a City side who had possession for long spells
- However, the Northern Irishman admits his side did not do enough to limit Spurs on the counter
- The Foxes manager believes the commitment the visitors showed late on will bode well for the future
Son Heung-min forced an unfortunate own goal from James Justin in the sixth minute before a brace from Harry Kane later in the first half sealed all three points for José Mourinho's hosts in north London.
City, however, dominated the statistics - apart from the most crucial one - with long spells of possession and 24 efforts on goal, but they couldn't find a way through the impressive Hugo Lloris in the home net.
Reflecting on the result at full-time, Rodgers - whose side remain fourth in the Premier League with one game to play - admitted that individual moments of quality cost the Foxes in the capital.
"It was a strange game because we were really good in parts," the Northern Irishman said: "The parts we weren’t so good in was things that we’ve spoken about: dealing with the counter-attack.
"The first one we’re disappointed with because we’ve got to have a better pressure higher up the pitch. Instead, Harry [Kane] turns and makes the pass in behind and they get a bit of luck.
"The other two: obviously a breakaway from a corner and a great finish. That individual quality hurt us today, but it was strange. It didn’t feel that we should’ve been 3-0 down.
"I thought that, at 1-0, we had a great chance with Ayo (Ayoze Pérez) and the ‘keeper made a great save. We were getting into some really good areas.
"I think our shape was causing them a lot of problems, but we just couldn’t make the breakthrough. Like I say, we conceded three poor goals."
Rodgers believes scoring just one goal early in the second half could have completely changed the complexion of the clash, but Leicester were unable to mount a comeback.
"I think the attitude of the players was really good, we kept going," he added. "We were still aggressive. We didn’t give up on it, which is important, and we kept fighting right until the very end.
"It’s just that first half and, in particular, the timing of the goals [which] hurt us and the second half was a bit better.
"I was just thinking that if we could get a goal, goals can always change the momentum of the game. I felt if we could get a goal, then that’ll give us that impetus to go on and then you just never know.
"Obviously, we bring on an extra attacker in Dimi (Demarai Gray) and then we bring Kels (Kelechi Iheanacho) into it as well and young George Hirst, so we’re still trying to push to get goals.
"But we just couldn’t quite make the breakthrough and their goalkeeper made a few good saves."
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