Leicester City star makes Leeds United admission but cites 'different' outcome theory

Championship leaders Leicester approached Friday's contest having won 13 of their 14 league games so far this season and holding a 14-point advantage ahead of the third-placed Whites. Leeds, though, impressed throughout en route to recording a 1-0 victory, after which Foxes defender Ricardo Pereira made an admission about United's transitions as he saluted Daniel Farke's "very good players".

Pereira, though, still felt that his side produced a decent display and cited how the outcome could have been different but for Illan Mesler's outstanding save to deny Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in second half stoppage time.

"We’re disappointed," said Pereira to Leicester City's official club website. "I think we played well. We knew they were good in transitions. I think we dealt well with that but that’s football, sometimes it happens. There were a lot of good things in the game, but we’re disappointed with the result. If [Dewsbury-Hall’s chance] goes in, it’s a different game, but the ‘keeper made a very good save. We had some chances, but this happens."

Pereira, a Portugal international, added: "It was a good game, they have very good players. It was difficult to find space. We tried to keep the ball as much as we could, to control the game and the transitions, to not give them chances to play because if we give them space to play, they’re very good players.

"We knew, if we played their game on the transition, it would be tough for us because we could not control the game. We were patient. We’ll analyse the game. Even when we win, we’ll analyse to see the things we could improve, the things we didn’t do as well as we wanted. This game will be the same. Of course, the disappointment will be there because it wasn’t the result we wanted, but we keep going. It’s a long run and there’s a lot of games to go."