- Wes Morgan’s first goal of the season gave the Foxes a 1-0 win over Southampton at King Power Stadium
- The performance was an indication of the ‘fantastic spirit’ in the squad according to Ranieri
- The manager says Leicester score and defend together as a team
Claudio Ranieri was delighted to see the fighting spirit alive and well in his Leicester City players after a 1-0 win over Southampton at King Power Stadium.
It was a victory that moved the Foxes seven points clear at the top of the league table with just six games of the season remaining – a year to the day since they sat seven points from safety at the foot of the table.
A solitary goal from captain Wes Morgan – his first of the campaign – gave the Foxes a fully-deserved victory as they took the opportunity to stretch their lead following Tottenham’s draw with Liverpool on Saturday.
The Foxes rode their luck at times, with a Danny Simpson block on the line required to deny Sadio Mane a certain goal in the first half, but it was a deserved win for a side that once again gave their all following a busy international break.
“Amazing, amazing,” Ranieri told of his team’s display. “It was a great performance but a very difficult performance.
“They play with the five at the back and they wanted to close all the space but we suffered just one counter attack when Mane was one-on-one with Kasper [Schmeichel] and [Danny] Simpson made a fantastic save. Some people said it was a penalty but in my opinion it wasn’t a penalty.
“It was very difficult every time there is an international break. I made only two training sessions with the squad just Friday and Saturday.
“Some were a little tired maybe but that’s normal. The more important thing is that everyone is fighting for the result and there is a fantastic spirit.
“It’s a very good time for Wes Morgan to score a goal, but if he doesn’t score, Jamie Vardy or somebody else will score.”
The win was City’s fourth consecutive 1-0 success and fifth clean sheet in their previous six. In fact, they’ve conceded just six Premier League goals this year.
While it’s a fantastic record for the City backline, Ranieri was keen to underline that Leicester do everything together – defence, attack and supporters.
He added: “We score together and we defend together. That is one of our secrets. “I think it was a fantastic answer to the Premier League. We want to win and we won. Now we have to be solid and maintain our feet on the ground because next Sunday it will be another tough, tough match.
“Our fans are pushing so hard. They believe in something unbelievable at the beginning. That’s okay. They had to enjoy and I’m very pleased for our fans when they are happy. It’s fantastic but we have to focus on the next match.”