Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri keen to keep dreaming after Chelsea win
Tuesday 15 December 2015 10:11, UK
Claudio Ranieri has praised the match-winning impact of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez and says he "doesn't want to wake up" after Leicester's dream start.
The Foxes returned to the top of the Premier League table with victory over last season's champions Chelsea, and Ranieri was quick to congratulate his team.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "It is a magical [time]. We must continue to work hard, because I don't want to wake up. I want to continue to dream with our fans. In the training session, we have to put away our dream and work hard.
"I think we made a fantastic one hour [in the 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Monday night], and the last 30 minutes we suffered a lot. They are the champions, we had to suffer to win the match, but I am happy with our performance. We played very, very well, compact, and tried to do our best until the end. That is good."
Although there was praise for his entire squad, Ranieri cited the impact of two players in particular, who have 26 goals between them in the league this season.
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When asked if Vardy and Mahrez are the league's two most in-form players, he said: "It's difficult to say. For my team, yes. Everybody works hard, but without them you can't win.
"There was a lot of electricity... without electricity we are a normal team. With the fans, who pushed behind us, it was fantastic and I'm very happy. They continue to dream, but we must continue to stay with our feet on the ground.
"All the players believe in each other and help each other. Only in this way can you win against the champions."
Despite being 21 points above the drop zone and two clear at the top, Ranieri insists 40 points and avoiding relegation is still the target for his side.
"I told my players, 'five [more points] and we're safe. Five points, we need another five points.' I put a target at the beginning of the season, 40 points. When we achieve 40 points, we change target."