Maddison: A Great Collective Performance

- Leicester City defeated Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon
- James Maddison set up Jamie Vardy to score a memorable winner for the Foxes
- The 22-year-old believes City delivered an all-round performance in testing circumstances
- Maddison also reveals his pleasure after giving the Club's supporters reason for cheer this Christmas

In City’s final fixture before Christmas, Jamie Vardy scored the only goal of the game in front of the Shed End, after being laid up perfectly by Maddison’s smart through ball.

Despite that decisive spark of brilliance from Vardy and Maddison, as well as Ricardo, who started the move in his own half, the 22-year-old praised the overall effort of the entire team.

“It was a great collective performance today,” he said. “We can’t single out individuals because it was a great team performance, it was one of them where we had to dig in.

“Ben [Chilwell] and Ricky [Ricardo] were both absolutely outstanding. Ricky has bundles of energy, they both have, and Chilly was up and down that left like he always is.

“It wasn’t the prettiest, but you have games like that but you come away with three points and that’s what we came for.

“It was a dogged performance. You know you have to dig in at times when you come to Stamford Bridge.

“With the talent they have, there are long periods of the game where you have to sit in and defend and throw everything at the cause.

Gallery 22 Dec 2018

Chelsea 0 Leicester City 1

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“We did that very well today, the lads threw their bodies on the line and we got that one golden chance with Jamie which he stuck away so we’ve got a happy dressing room.”

City had to defend for long periods in the capital, but did so willingly in the knowledge that, following Vardy’s opener, that a clean sheet would secure a first win at Chelsea since 2000.

Maddison added: “We found ourselves deep at times, sometimes you have to hold your hands up because the quality they’ve got going forward, you don’t have a choice, you just have to defend.

“Games get like that sometimes and to go in at 0-0 was good because we can go in and regroup and then all we need is that one chance for the big man up front and he stuck it away.

“Jamie Vardy scores goals, that’s what he does. Like I said, the position I play in between the lines, I like to take it on the back foot and his movement is really good.

“I managed to slide him in, it doesn’t matter how many touches he had, I’m confident he’ll stick it away from there.”

Leicester’s No.10 also reserved a special mention for the Club’s supporters, who packed into the Shed End to cheer Claude Puel’s men to a memorable victory.

“It was brilliant applauding them at the end, they deserved that you know,” he said.

“We haven’t been brilliant on the road. We had a disappointing result at Palace a couple of weeks ago so it was nice to put that right and put a smile on their face to send them home happy.”