Tottenham Hotspur 0-2 Leicester City
Leicester City leapfrogged Spurs into second place in the Premier League table today, after taking a fully deserved three points away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Both teams arrived on the back of a poor result last week and had to play, once again, in an empty ground. And that may have helped the visitors who dominated the match, winning with something to spare as Jamie Vardy converted a first-half penalty and then forced an own goal out of the unlucky Toby Alderweireld.
According to the latest Premier League 2020 betting odds Spurs are third favourites to lift the trophy, behind Liverpool and Manchester City and with both the big guns winning yesterday they needed a win. But on this display, the Foxes are more likely to push the top two.
Highlights of the game
The Foxes had the first big chance, on 13 minutes, when James Maddison swung over a free-kick which Harvey Barnes met at the far post, and with the Spurs defence in some disarray, it fell to Vardy whose fierce shot was blocked before falling to Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris.
The introduction of Giovani Lo Celso in the Spurs starting line-up was designed to produce some creative play, but it was Leicester who continued to impress, and when Vardy met a Marc Albrighton cross, Alderweireld did well to deflect it away for a corner. Spurs’ best move of the opening half-hour came on the break, and when Heung-Min Son fed the overlapping Serge Aurier the wing-back forced a corner. As Tottenham kept up the pressure they won a free-kick in shooting range. Harry Kane took aim from 25 yards and when his shot took a deflection off Jonny Evans, Kasper Schmeichel made a good save low to his right.
Spurs had found a foothold and almost scored when Kane met a Son corner on the stretch but his header flew narrowly over. And as Spurs finished the half strongly Kane had another header cleared. But it all went wrong in the fourth minute of first-half injury time when Aurier, in a moment of madness, barged Wesley Fofana to give the Foxes a gift of a penalty, which Vardy gladly accepted, smashing the spot-kick down the centre of the goal for his 11th of the season.
Mourinho bemoaned his team’s luck when they lost to a last-minute goal against Liverpool last week but this deficit was entirely self-inflicted.
Maddison thought he’d doubled the Foxes’ lead, early in the second half, latching on to a long ball from James Justin and drilling it home, but he was marginally offside. Spurs got away with that one, but they went further behind minutes later when Albrighton crossed, Vardy’s header hit Alderweireld and the defender could do nothing to avoid diverting it into his own net.
Kasper Schmeichel made a world-class save to deny Son at the far post and then Gareth Bale sized up a free-kick from around 25 yards and scooped it well over the bar. But Spurs had little more to offer as the Foxes comfortably held on.
Key statistics
This well earned victory nudged Leicester in front in the head to heads, registering a 14th win in the Premier League while Spurs stay on 13.
This was the first time Brendan Rodgers had beaten Mourinho in eight attempts, as he ended Spurs’ six-match winning run at home.
Jamie Vardy has become the first player to score away to an opponent at three different venues, notching against Spurs at White Hart Lane, Wembley Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
What’s next?
With two more games to come on Sunday, both Tottenham and Leicester will be interested in the Premier League 2020 updates, particularly from Old Trafford where top-six rivals Manchester United host Leeds United.
Spurs have two away games to come over the next week, both tough challenges but very different in nature. First Mourinho takes his team to Stoke On Wednesday to contest a Carabao Cup quarter-final. The Britannia Stadium was a feared trip for many clubs during Stoke City’s ten-year stint in the Premier League. Since relegation in 2018, the Potters have struggled but they are looking more likely to succeed this term. Michael O’Neill has guided his side up to seventh place in the Championship and they have collected three clean sheets on the bounce. Here at SBOTOP, we’ve placed Spurs as second-favourites, behind Manchester City, to win the trophy at odds of 4.20 and Stoke as rank outsiders at 76.00.
Then Spurs head to Wolverhampton on Sunday 27th. Nuno’s Wolves have struggled to maintain their form in recent weeks without star striker Raul Jimenez and have lost three of the last six.
Meanwhile, the Foxes have a Boxing Day date at home to Manchester United before a trip to Crystal Palace on Monday 28th. Today’s result could be the perfect tonic to give the Foxes a very Merry Christmas.
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