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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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9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton166642625124
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