Saturday 23 August 2014 20:01, UK
Nigel Pearson believes there are plenty of positives for Leicester City to take from their 2-0 defeat at Chelsea.
As top flight newcomers, few gave Pearson's men much of a chance at the home of a side being widely tipped to reclaim the Premier League title.
Leicester held their own, though, for long periods, with there over an hour gone before Diego Costa broke the deadlock and Eden Hazard wrapped up the points.
We are aware of the fact that when chances have come our way, it’s not quite happened for us. But the encouraging thing is that we are being creative.
Pearson was pleased with a lot of what his side did at Stamford Bridge and is proud to be leaving west London feeling slightly hard done by.
He told Sky Sports: "It's disappointing for us today. I think we played some really good football.
"Key moments didn't quite go the way we would have liked, but there are a lot of positives to take from today's performance.
"But the overriding thing for all of us is disappointment, disappointment that we haven't taken anything from the game.
"We are aware of the fact that when chances have come our way, it's not quite happened for us. But the encouraging thing is that we are being creative.
"I think today we have put them under quite a bit of pressure and even when they started to take a bit of control in the second half, we still had our moments. There are positives to take from today, certainly."
One negative for Leicester was the sight of Dean Hammond being forced off with a little under 20 minutes to play, with the midfielder having emerged as a key figure for Pearson in the opening weeks of the season.
He added on Hammond’s departure: "I think it was a crucial moment. Both he and Andy King have performed exceptionally well again today.
"We were just unable to keep our shape as well. Our game management was not as efficient once Dean had gone off. Hopefully he won't be a doubt for next week."
Pearson added on the specifics of the problem: "Basically he's suffering with severe cramp, which is something he hasn't experienced before.
"But I think his performances over the last two weeks have proved that he’s a very valuable player."
