Leicester City can avoid drop after West Ham win, says Nigel Pearson
Saturday 4 April 2015 18:38, UK
Nigel Pearson hopes Leicester City’s dramatic late victory over West Ham will be the springboard to their Premier League survival.
Substitute Andy King netted in the 86th minute to secure a 2-1 win for the Foxes and enhance their chances of avoiding relegation.
They are now four points from safety with eight games remaining, five of which are at the King Power Stadium.
“We had to fight very hard to get the three points today but managed to do it, and hopefully it’s the start of a change of fortunes,” Pearson told Sky Sports.
“It’s been a frustrating time for us in regard to results because we feel we have produced some really good performances which, more often than not, have not yielded the points we felt we deserved.
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“It is only one game and now we have to make sure in the final eight games we give ourselves the best chance of retaining our Premier League status, because that is very important to us.”
The win is Leicester’s first in almost three months and Pearson now wants his side to keep their destiny in their own hands.
It is not going to be easy but if we play with the sort of commitment that we have in the last few games then we have a good chance.
“It is not going to be easy because we are in a difficult situation but if we play with the sort of commitment that we have in the last few games in particular then we have a really good chance,” he said.
“From today we have to make sure the situation remains in our hands. That is going to be the key factor between now and the end of the season: that we keep our destiny in our own hands.”
Esteban Cambiasso gave the Foxes an early lead but they were pegged back by a strike from Cheikhou Kouyate after David Nugent saw a penalty saved.
“The most difficult period for us was when we were a goal up and missed a penalty,” said Pearson.
“But overall I think we deserved to win the game and I am really pleased for the players. They have committed so much this season to playing a style of football which I think is entertaining.
“We do try and take our game to our opponents and it has been frustrating because we don’t think we have had the amount of luck we think we have deserved.”
