Claudio Ranieri: Leicester will 'fight to the end' for the Premier League title

Leicester pegged back by Midlands rivals

(Getty Images)

Claudio Ranieri insisted Leicester City will ‘fight to the end’ in their unexpected pursuit of the Premier League title after West Bromwich Albion halted their charge at the King Power Stadium.

Goals from Salomon Rondon and Craig Gardner, either side of first-half strikes from Danny Drinkwater and Andy King, secured a point for Tony Pulis’s team and denied Leicester the victory required to move them five points clear at the top of the table.

A victory for Tottenham at West Ham on Wednesday will see Mauricio Pochettino’s team dislodge Leicester at the Premier League summit, but former Chelsea manager Ranieri claimed that his players are capable of bouncing back from the disappointment of failing to overcome West Brom.

“Tonight wasn’t the right moment, but we are alive and we fight to the end,” Ranieri said. “Everybody is ready to fight, to play well, to create chances. Only the victory was missing.

“But I am very pleased with our performance. They played so well and there was no panic after the first goal.

“We played much better than against Norwich on Saturday, so I am satisfied with the performance.

“Just sometimes you can do everything but the ball doesn’t want to go in.

“But there is nothing negative. We tried to do everything and well done to my players.

“I love this, we never, never give up. We always try the best in every situation.”

Despite bouncing back from a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal with a late winner against Norwich on Saturday, Ranieri claimed that he took more positives from the performance while drawing against West Brom than the victory at the weekend.

“I am more confident than after Norwich,” Ranieri said. “We create a lot of chances and have taken four points from two very difficult matches. We are alive.

“I told my players this. We are alive after a fantastic performance.

“Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City are fighting for the title, but there is also a little team called Leicester City.

“I only look at my team and where we are at the end of the Premier League.”