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Attendance: 32,101
Leicester logo
Premier League | Gameweek 17
Dec 14, 2019 at 3pm UK
 
Norwich logo

1-1

Krul (38' og.)
FT(HT: 1-1)
Pukki (26')

Brendan Rodgers insists Leicester not thinking about title challenge

Brendan Rodgers insists Leicester not thinking about title challenge
© Reuters
Leicester's draw with Norwich leaves the Reds 10 points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers insisted his side are ignoring the growing gap to Liverpool after battling Norwich held them to a 1-1 draw to end their winning run.

Tim Krul's own goal cancelled out Teemu Pukki's ninth of the season to leave second-placed Leicester 10 points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool.

The Foxes were denied a ninth straight top-flight win by the excellent Canaries with Jamie Vardy also drawing a blank, halting his run of scoring in eight consecutive games.

Liverpool's earlier 2-0 win over Watford maintained their form but Rodgers admitted the gap to his former side is not his focus.

He said: "It's not something we've spoken about, everyone else has. These players have been brilliant, it says everything we have drawn a game and everyone is disappointed.

"We weren't quite at our level but we managed to get back and get a point. We'll press the rest button and get ready for a [Carabao Cup] quarter-final on Wednesday [at Everton].

"It was probably the right result, we didn't start so well and our passing was slow.

"Norwich played well in the opening period. We needed to change it, it wasn't quite working for us. We made the change [Demarai Gray for Kelechi Iheanacho] and we were better at 4-3-3. In the second half we were much better."

Pukki opened the scoring after 26 minutes when he found the corner from Emi Buendia's defence-splitting pass.

But Krul turned the ball into his own net 12 minutes later when he tried to save Vardy's glancing header which was going wide.

It meant Vardy was not credited with the goal and missed out on scoring in a ninth straight game.

Rodgers added: "I'm disappointed for him, he has made a great run across. I thought it was his goal until I came in but he didn't have a lot of service, he was terrific throughout."

Norwich have now taken points off Arsenal and Leicester as well as beating Manchester City.

Daniel Farke's side are three points from the safety line and the German revealed scorer Pukki played the second half with a broken toe.

He said: "It was an ice cool finish, he's fractured his toe and I think he might have got a second goal if it hadn't been for that.

"He's from Finland so I'm not too concerned.

"It was our best performance of the season, at this moment and with this opponent.

"In the first half we were the better side, even in terms of chances we were probably the better side in the second half and pretty close to winning the game."

Farke also joked friend and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp may thank him for taking points off their title rivals.

"Perhaps Jurgen has already sent me a message, I will check my phone later," he added.

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154


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