Enzo Maresca saluted the character of his side after Leicester battled back to earn a 2-2 at Hull.
Jamie Vardy scored a brace as the Sky Bet Championship league leaders twice came from behind to earn a valuable point at the MKM Stadium.
Maresca – whose side are now three points clear of second-placed Leeds – said: “It was a tough game, as we expected.
“They are a very good team and their four players up front are very quick and very technical.
“The game for me was a good game. They pressed man-to-man and we had to do that, too.
“Sometimes when you can’t win, you take a point by trying and trying – and we did that.
“We conceded a goal but the reaction was there. We conceded a second one and the reaction was there.
“We could have done many things better, but I think the character was there and that was important.”
As has been a hallmark of their season, Leicester had to dig in to get something from a fine game of football.
Fabio Carvalho opened the scoring on16 minutes after Wout Faes carelessly lost possession on the edge of the penalty box.
Carvalho did well to maintain composure and atone for his earlier penalty miss after Stephy Mavididi ended Regan Slater’s power-packed run inside the area.
Vardy equalised from the spot after 31 minutes when Jean Michael Seri was controversially adjudged to have upended Abdul Fatawu.
A finely balanced second half swung the way of the hosts on 61 minutes after Annas Zaroury’s lovely left-footed hit arrowed into the bottom-right corner.
But Hull’s celebrations lasted just two minutes as Vardy added a second when he sharply controlled Fatawu’s perfect pass before flighting the ball into the roof of the net.
Maresca said: “I was very happy with the reaction. Sometimes it’s important you see the reaction, and we saw that.
“You have to adapt. We made some mistakes but, overall, we continued to try until the end.
“What they (his players) have done is not normal and when we had nine points more (at the top of the league) it was not normal.
“We are very happy where we are and we still have nine games to go.”
On Vardy, Maresca added: “He has the most important thing in football, which is to score goals.
“We have to manage him because of his age. For sure, he’s going to help us until the end.”
Hull are unbeaten in seven but they have drawn their last three league games and have been replaced by Norwich in the top six.
Head coach Liam Rosenior said: “That performance is going to stand us in good stead.
“I slept well last night because I know what this team are about. We did it our way against an outstanding team.
“There were a lot pleasing aspects. We let ourselves down with momentary lapses of concentration, but our players are young.
“We make naïve decisions at time but in our naivety there’s a fearlessness and bravery to our game.
“We need to peak now. The players are showing me that they are learning and improving.
“If they can keep doing that we will get to where we want to be.”
Rosenior added: “We have gone up against an outstanding team at this level so I’m delighted.
“If you look how the team and the club has grown in the last 18 months, I’m so excited and proud to be part of his process.
“We’re all in this together and that was an outstanding afternoon for the football club.
“It’s a points accumulation, but these players are showing me they are improving all the time.
“We should have won the game from our performance – I just need to nudge them two or three more per cent and then we’ll get there.”
Another one: ‘Bunny’ Shaw named 2023/24 Barclays WSL Player of the Season
The accolades of Jamaica and Manchester City striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw continues to mount, as she was voted the 2023/24 Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) Player of the Season, on Friday.
This announcement came on the heels of Thursday’s Football Writers’ Association (FWA) awards gala, where Shaw was officially presented with the FWA Women Footballer of the Year trophy, alongside fellow Manchester City star Phil Foden.
To say these individual acclaims are very much deserving would be an understatement given her exploits this season, as she has been a key figure in City’s push for the WSL title.
The 27-year-old, whose season was cut short due to a broken leg, has registered 21 goals in just 18 appearances, while also providing three assists. She’s on course for another prestigious honour of finishing as the league’s top scorer, having incredibly averaged a goal every 66 minutes so far this campaign.
And it’s just rewards for another phenomenal campaign in which she has once again broken new ground in Gareth Taylor’s side.
Shaw is the first player to score three WSL hat-tricks in a calendar year, last year, and between November 2023 and January 2024, the forward would again grab three trebles in just four matches.
Finding the net in both WSL Manchester derbies, the Jamaican’s clinical finish at the Etihad Stadium in March also saw her become City’s record goalscorer, as she swept past Georgia Stanway in the process.
Another crucial strike from Shaw came in City’s 1-0 win over Chelsea in February, as they secured the honour of being the first away side to take three points off the reigning champions at Kingsmeadow, in over three years.
In securing the Player of the Season honour, the prolific Jamaican fought off the sizeable challenge of City teammate Khiara Keating, who won the Golden Glove, as well as Chelsea duo Lauren James and Niamh Charles. Arsenal’s Lotte Wubben-Moy, Tottenham Hotspurs youngster Grace Clinton, Leicester’s Jutta Rantala, and Brighton’s forward Elisabeth Terland, were also in the mix.
Kane to miss Bundesliga finale after seeking treatment on back injury
Harry Kane will miss Bayern Munich's final game of the Bundesliga season after leaving Germany to undergo treatment on a back problem.
Kane has scored 36 league goals in his debut campaign in Bavaria, though he will finish yet another season without silverware, with Bayer Leverkusen having clinched their first top-flight title.
He will end 2023-24 five goals adrift of Robert Lewandowski's single-season goal record of 41, set in 2019-20, after sustaining a back injury.
Ahead of Saturday's trip to Hoffenheim, departing Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel revealed Kane had been struggling before the second leg of their Champions League semi-final loss to Real Madrid.
"Harry is being treated by his personal doctor and he is not here anymore," Tuchel said.
"He won't be with us. In Madrid it was already touch and go."
Kane missed Bayern's 2-0 win over Wolfsburg in their penultimate game of 2023-24 last week, with Lovro Zvonarek and Leon Goretzka on target in his absence.
The news will cause concern for Gareth Southgate, who is set to name his preliminary England squad for Euro 2024 on Tuesday.
The Three Lions' final squad for the tournament – which is being held in Kane's new home of Germany – will be revealed after they face Iceland in a friendly on June 7.
Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw credits teammates after historic FWA Player of the Year win
Manchester City Women and Jamaica striker Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw graciously credited her teammates after being awarded the Football Writers’ Association Women’s Footballer of the Year. Shaw, who received the prestigious accolade on Thursday, expressed her gratitude towards her fellow players for their role in her success.
The prolific Jamaican striker received an impressive 53 per cent of all votes cast, setting a new record for the highest percentage received by a player in FWA history for a women’s award. She edged out colleagues Alex Greenwood and Chelsea’s Lauren James to claim the top spot, capping off another phenomenal season where she scored 22 goals and provided five assists before an unfortunate injury cut short her campaign.
Reflecting on her achievement and the season, Shaw emphasized the importance of her teammates in her individual accolades. "I’ve had a little hiccup, but overall it’s been a good season and I’m happy," Shaw commented at the FWA awards evening. "It’s been a good season. I’ve always said that the team makes me look good. I’m playing with world class players and that makes me look good at the end of the day."
Shaw highlighted her team-first mentality, focusing on contributing to the collective success rather than individual accolades. "I just try to do the bits I can at the end of the pitch and work for the team and ultimately arrive at the end of the season winning stuff. Here we are," she added.
Despite being sidelined due to injury for Manchester City Women's crucial WSL match against Aston Villa, where a victory could secure them the league title, Shaw expressed her confidence and support for her teammates. "It’s exciting times. I’m going to be very nervous to be honest but I believe in my team and I love every single one of them out there," she shared. "Once we do our best, hopefully the best is good enough."
As Manchester City Women aim to clinch their second-ever league title, Shaw's recognition as the FWA Player of the Year underscores her impact and the team's collective drive for success. With inspiration drawn from the club's men's team and a shared commitment to achieving excellence, Shaw and her teammates are poised to continue pushing boundaries and striving for further glory in women's football.
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