- Brendan Rodgers analyses Leicester City’s 4-0 Premier League win at Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Youri Tielemans, Harvey Barnes, James Maddison and Jamie Vardy all scored
- The victory moves City out of the bottom three and up to 16th
- The manager provided an update on the fitness of Jonny Evans (calf) and Wilfred Ndidi (hamstring)
After the rain had cleared in the West Midlands, the Foxes had to weather an on-pitch storm in the early stages of the game, before running riot in a performance that showcased exactly what Rodgers’ men are capable of on their day.
Youri Tielemans, Harvey Barnes, James Maddison and Jamie Vardy were all on target at Molineux, but much could also be said for City’s defending, too, with many performing at a high level to secure a fourth clean sheet in five games.
Rodgers said: “It’s been too long in all fairness, but we were very determined today and it’s our fourth clean sheet in five games, so we’re starting to look much better defensively. Across the team, there were a lot of outstanding performances and a great result.
“This is a tough place to come, we’ve seen that. They hadn’t conceded so many goals until today. We started negatively, we passed it sideways and backwards and we’re a team that wants to be aggressive and play forwards, so we started that little bit slow and invited some pressure.
“We have to then stand strong and show that resilience that’s growing in the team now. Once we’ve seen that opening 10 to 12 minutes through, we started to find spaces.”
Goals like the one Tielemans netted on eight minutes are very much commonplace in the Belgium international’s game. Maddison’s free-kick was cleared to the feet of the No.8, whose half-volley ripped through the Wolverhampton air and tested the goal stanchion’s sturdiness to the extreme.
“It's an incredible strike on that half-volley,” Rodgers said. “From that moment in the game, it gives us the confidence and you see the team then taking the ball and passing the ball. I thought, going forward, we were excellent. Our identity was very clear today – defend strong and have that resilience that we needed and show our quality when we had it.
“I think what we’ve been saying is we’ve had a difficult start with some on the opponents that we’ve played, and through our performances, but I felt that with patience and work… that’s what I am as a coach.
“I can see development in the team and despite some of the difficult results that we had early, I can see the team growing. That’s what we aim to do over the course of the season. Continue to work, develop – this will be a huge boost for the players because this was a pressure game because we were below Wolves.
“Our idea was to get over that line in the league today and then continue to grow from that. Today, the players, it was a magnificent effort, and they gave everything to get the result.”
When asked about his decision to start Patson Daka from the off ahead of Vardy, Rodgers explained the importance of managing the No.9’s minutes, having helped City to a 2-0 success over Leeds United just three days prior.
“We just look at each game,” continued the manager. “He’d (Vardy) obviously played on the Thursday, so the turnaround in games is important. You only have to look at some of the other teams, they’ve made up to five changes today, but we made a couple and we brought James [Maddison] back in.
“Dennis [Praet] hadn’t played for a while and then he had his 60-odd minutes and he was excellent. Jamie playing on the Thursday, just that extra little bit of recovery, but we knew Patson could go and press and then we can bring Jamie into the game. So, we’re just trying to manage the energy of the team, because that’s what’s most important.”
Vardy’s introduction just after the hour mark at Molineux saw him first assist Maddison with a pass infield prior to him netting Leicester’s fourth to become the first player in Premier League history to score 100 goals after turning 30.
“He’s unbelievable and it just shows you where he’s at in his career,” Rodgers commented. He still has that hunger. It’s one where you have to manage the players at the stage of their career that they’re at, and that can be difficult sometimes, but for me, with Jamie, it’s a pleasure.
“I see him every day, I see him working. I know whether he starts in games, plays full games or comes on in games, he’s always going to be a threat. It was a great goal for him today.
“You can still see that sharpness there, it’s managing his energy. That’s what’s key. He’ll always be a goalscorer. If the ball’s in the right area, and we can deliver, he’s got that feeling in the box for the right moment.
“He’s got all different types of finishes, but for us, our identity is important, our pressing, and if he can’t do that for the whole game now then there has to be other players that you have to work towards. That’s how we’ve tried to manage it over these numbers of games.”
Concluding with an update on the fitness of Jonny Evans (calf) and Wilfred Ndidi (hamstring), Rodgers had some positive news: “Both of them should be training next week, and that’ll be great to have them back. Hopefully they’ll be available [for next weekend].”