Tottenham’s early dominance
Tottenham Hotspur came out of the starting blocks quickly under the management of Ange Postecoglou and showed their intent from the first whistle. The visitors’ early pressure paid off when Pedro Porro headed in a beautiful cross from James Maddison to put Spurs ahead. Maddison, playing against his former club, was in top form and played the ball with pinpoint accuracy, allowing Porro to beat the Leicester defence and head in.
The North Londoners continued to dominate proceedings and created numerous chances, but were unable to extend their lead. New signing Dominic Solanke was keen to make an impression and converted a cross from Son Heung-min, but Leicester’s Mads Hermansen was aware of the danger and kept his team in the game.
Vardy’s influence and Leicester’s resilience
Leicester struggled to find their rhythm in the first half as Tottenham controlled the game for the most part. However, the Foxes showed their resilience, cheered on by their home crowd who paid tribute to former manager Craig Shakespeare before kick-off. Despite being on the defensive for most of the first half, Leicester managed to stay within touching distance of Spurs.
Leicester equalised after the break. The ball was played through the Spurs penalty area and eventually fell to Abdul Fatawu, whose clever pass to the far post was received by the unmarked Jamie Vardy. The experienced striker, whose participation was uncertain before the game due to injury, made no mistake and headed in the equaliser.
Vardy almost doubled his tally later on, but his effort was saved by Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. Leicester sensed a possible victory and pushed forward with more determination. Wilfred Ndidi almost scored the winning goal in the last minute, but Vicario parried his header.
A missed opportunity for Spurs
Tottenham will see this as a missed opportunity as they dominated much of the game but were unable to convert their dominance into a decisive victory. Postecoglou’s team created numerous chances but lacked the necessary cutting edge in the final third, which ultimately cost them two points.
Leicester, on the other hand, can be pleased with their fighting spirit and managed to pick up a valuable point in their first game in the top flight. The draw may be frustrating for Spurs, but it showed that Leicester are competitive and can get results even when they are not at their best.
Player Ratings
Leicester City:
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Tottenham Hotspur:
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