<
>

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri still won't look past 40-point survival goal

Despite Leicester's lofty position atop the Premier League, manager Claudio Ranieri still refuses to look past the 40-point goal he set at the start of the season.

The Foxes' remarkable season continued with a 2-1 win over defending champions Chelsea on Monday that saw them move to 35 points, two clear at the top of the table.

In August, Ranieri's men were considered contenders for relegation, and the first-year coach set a target of 40 points that was likely to see them stay up.

But despite the fact they could surpass that mark on Boxing Day, Ranieri is stubbornly staying focused while amid talk of a European spot or even a title push.

'We are top of the league but I want five more points. You laugh but I do," he said. "And I don't know where these five points are going to come from."

Of the next five games on Leicester's fixtures list, Ranieri said: "Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bournemouth and Tottenham are all very tough games.

''Let me achieve 40 points and then I will look at the next goal.''

Leicester's victory on Monday came courtesy of goals from the irrepressible duo of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez. Substitute Loic Remy pulled one back for the visitors with 13 minutes left.

'We wanted to put on a fantastic performance for the fans because they are dreaming and we want them to continue to dream,'' said Ranieri, a former Chelsea manager.

''We concentrated for 95 minutes against the champions and this is not easy."