Leicester City boss Dean Smith has rubbished talk of a lack of fight from his side following a 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool. Leeds United's draw with Newcastle at the weekend saw the Whites jump above the Foxes and move to within a point of safety.
Leicester are set to play Newcastle and West Ham in their final two games of the season, but could be relegated with defeat to the Magpies, if Leeds and Everton win their next fixture. A brace from Curtis Jones and a brilliant strike from Trent Alexander-Arnold wrapped up the three points for Liverpool who keep up the pressure on their top-four rivals.
There were boos at full-time and chants of “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” from Leicester supporters, but Smith dismissed any suggestions that their latest defeat was due to a lack of fight. He told Leicester Live: “We’re all supporters in here. We all support football clubs and you want to see your football club winning.
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“We got beat tonight by a team who physically overran us when they got the two-goal lead. They’re a physically strong team, supreme athletes and really good players.
"I wouldn’t question our fight today. I wouldn’t question our attitude. If you’re losing 3-0 at home and you’re fighting a relegation battle, I understand why fans will react in certain ways.”
The Foxes were 2-0 down inside 36 minutes with two mistakes resulting in their downfall. Wout Faes missed a header from a long ball for the first, and then Smith felt Wilfred Ndidi was dragged out of position for the second.
Smith said: “Goals change games. I could throw their goalkeeper 50 balls now and they wouldn’t score from one of his big kicks over our back four, who were in place. A really disappointing goal to give away.
“Then Wilf’s tried to read a pass, and they turn and play it into Jones who turns and scores a really good goal. Both goals were marginally onside. VAR didn’t seem to go for us.
“Our minds then get frazzled for whatever reason and we could have conceded a third from kick-off. We needed to get in at half-time without any further pain.
“Second half started like the end of the first half, but with fewer chances for Liverpool. I thought we got a bounce when the subs came on, but unfortunately the referee killed that with the third goal. It’s never been a free-kick. It allows a very good team a free shot from 20 yards and he puts it in the top corner. That’s pretty much game done then.”
