Puel Calls For Strong Performance

- Claude Puel is seeking a response when Leicester City head to Chelsea
- The Foxes manager noted in improvement in his side’s performances, but without the desired results
- City visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday in the Premier League (3pm GMT kick-off)
- LCFC Radio will be live on air from 1pm GMT with the Pre-Match Pint

City’s seven-game unbeaten run came to an end earlier this month at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, before a narrow loss to Crystal Palace and Tuesday’s Carabao Cup encounter with Man City followed.

With a trip to Stamford Bridge next up for the Foxes, their festive run does not get any easier, but Puel believes a strong performance could produce three points in the capital.

“It will be a good challenge of course, to play against Chelsea,” said Puel. “After, it will be another time against Manchester City.

“Of course, the players like to play these games at a high level and of course, we need to be on big form to try to give our best to score and to have a good result.

“We know this team, they played yesterday (Wednesday) and protected some of their players on the bench like [Eden] Hazard.

“We saw his ability when he came off the bench, but I think all the time in this situation, we need to have a collective response.

“I think with our mentality, we showed this mentality against Man City, we can make a strong game, good performance and I hope a good result.”

Puel says the Foxes’ performances have warranted more points than they have yielded and highlighted the tight nature of the division’s mid-table positions.

“I think we improve without the results,” continued the Frenchman. “If we look at our last game, if we’d have won, we’d be seventh in the table. We lost, and we are 12th. It’s the difference.

“We wasted a lot of opportunities to move up and find a place in the top ranking. I think it’s a shame, but I’m confident about the squad, about its progress and about their learning. I think we will have a strong second half in our season.

“We now have to manage these two difficult games against Chelsea and Manchester City, of course, but the second half of the season will be better.

“I have a squad with quality, with talented players, they learn and I think they will give their best in the second part, because they love the Club – they like their squad, their team-mates. We have had strong things to manage in the first half.”