- Leicester City were beaten 3-1 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday
- Harry Kane nodded Spurs ahead early on before a second-half brace from Son Heung-min
- Manager Brendan Rodgers felt the scoreline didn't reflect City's performance in north London
- He also discussed Kelechi Iheanacho's goal, Lewis Brunt's top-flight debut and the fitness of his squad
City started brightly at the palatial Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with Patson Daka hitting the post and Ayoze Pérez also going close. However, a Harry Kane header put Antonio Conte's hosts ahead before Son Heung-min's brace – including a fine second – put Spurs out of sight in north London.
Kelechi Iheanacho did get one back for Leicester in added time, just after Jamie Vardy glanced narrowly wide, but it was too little too late for the Foxes. Speaking afterwards, though, Rodgers highlighted the areas which pleased him, while also pointing to aspects where improvement is needed.
"I didn’t feel it was a fair reflection," the Northern Irishman said of the scoreline. "I thought we started the game very well. Their ‘keeper makes a good save to stop us going 1-0 in front. We were playing with confidence, we were moving the ball well, and then we gave away another cheap goal from a corner.
"That has been a huge problem for us this season, that’s the reality of it. For five or 10 minutes, we were on the back front, but we worked our way back into the game again. We were still a threat. The second goal, we should never concede that.
"At 2-0 down, it makes it difficult, but in fairness to the players, they kept fighting and kept playing with the spirit that we want to play with. The third goal, we can do a little bit more, but the actual strike was world-class. There’s not a great deal you can do about that.
"We kept going and then we got the score to 3-1. The players didn’t unravel. They kept going, they kept fighting and we finished the game… I’m pleased for the players as a lot of them haven’t played for a period of time but I’m also a little frustrated with those two goals."
Iheanacho's eighth goal of the season – a stunning low drive from range – was a partial reward for City's efforts in the capital.
"It was a very good strike and a very good goal," Rodgers added. "He caused them a problem. He lost one or two balls which he can be better with, but overall, he kept fighting and running. It was a very, very good goal."
On 67 minutes, meanwhile, young Development Squad captain Lewis Brunt was handed a Premier League debut from the bench for the Foxes after starting a 4-1 success over Watford in the Emirates FA Cup in January. Rodgers hopes the experience will encouraging the 21-year-old to make further strides.
"He’s played more as a defensive player, but he’s one that can handle the ball and he’s aggressive," the Foxes manager explained. "You can see he’s got good size in the game. He’s worked very, very hard for the Under-23s. He’s played exceptionally well over the course of the season.
"We’ve given him a taste of it away from home. You don’t want them always in the comfort of their own home. You’ve got to come away and feel the pressure of playing and taking the ball, being able to handle the ball in front of 60-odd thousand.
"I thought he did that very well so it’s nice for him and he can hopefully use that as a motivation and look to push on now."
Rodgers made eight changes to the XI which drew 1-1 with AS Roma in the first leg of their semi-finals tie in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Thursday. With Sunday's visit to Spurs coming just four days before the all-important second leg in Rome, some key players were absent in London.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (calf) and James Maddison (hip), on the other hand, were omitted as precautions ahead of that trip to Italy.
"There’s a doubt," the 59-year-old said. "Kiernan, with his calf, so we’ll see how he is over the next couple of days. He’s getting treatment with that and then Madders with his hip. He’s had a hip problem so that was something that’s kept them two out so they’re getting treatment back at the training ground."
Vardy, on the other hand, played just over 20 minutes at Tottenham Hotspur as part of his phased return from a knee injury.
"We want Jamie getting game time so he can give us more in the game," Rodgers continued. "It’s important just to get those legs working and get them moving away."