Leicester City must not lose confidence – Ranieri

Claudio Ranieri insists Leicester City must not get downhearted after his side were beaten 1-0 at Liverpool.

First-half substitute Christian Benteke scored the only goal just after the hour to inflict the Premier League leaders’ first loss in three months, with the Reds also preventing them scoring for the first time since May.

Asked whether defeat would affect them, Ranieri said: “Why? We are very down because we wanted to win but not every time it is possible.

“If there is another team who plays better than you or maybe is more clear when there is a chance to score a goal then well done to them.

“I am not happy but it is okay. Sooner or later we had to lose. I think Liverpool deserved to win.

“At the beginning we were too anxious and nervous and we started to play so late, I don’t know why.

“In the second half we conceded a goal which, if we are more attentive, we could close Benteke down better because it was three of my players against two of them and Benteke was alone.

“Now it is important to recover energy but it is more mental because there is another big match, a big challenge (Manchester City at home on Tuesday).”