Tottenham 1 - 2 Leicester - 24/7 News Update

Spurs slumped to a fourth straight Premier League loss as strugglers Leicester fought back from a goal down to claim their first win in nine games at a mutinous Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The home fans aimed chants of ‘we want Levy out’ at watching chairman Daniel Levy as Ange Postecoglou’s injury-hit side conceded twice in four minutes straight after half-time. They then booed at the final whistle as Spurs’ dismal season hit a new low.

The hosts had led courtesy of Richarlison’s first-half header from Pedro Porro’s cross but Jamie Vardy levelled from Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s low cross only 57 seconds after the break.

The hosts were stunned by the equaliser and conceded what turned out to be the decisive goal when they backed off and allowed Bilal El Khannouss to find the bottom corner from outside the box.

Spurs came into the game having enjoyed some respite from their wretched Premier League form with a Europa League win at Hoffenheim but it came at a cost, with James Maddison joining their double-figure injury list due to “soreness” from that game.

Richarlison’s goal put them in command at half-time but Leicester exposed their defensive vulnerability ruthlessly, with Vardy and El Khannouss turning the game on its head in front of the delirious travelling fans, whose celebrations contrasted with the discontent of the home supporters.

Spurs tried to rally, with Porro’s deflected free-kick striking the crossbar, but they lacked ideas otherwise in the latter stages, with Heung-Min Son having twice been denied by Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk in the first half.

The defeat extends their winless run to seven Premier League games, deepening the sense of crisis at the club and keeping them in 15th place in the table. Leicester, meanwhile, climb out of the relegation zone into 17th.

Levy was the main target for the home fans’ ire but there were also boos for Postecoglou’s decision to withdraw goalscorer Richarlison, although the Spurs boss later explained the forward was “feeling his groin” having only recently returned from injury.

Ange: Defeat hurts but players are giving everything

Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou said: “It hurts a lot because the players gave everything again.

“We can look at a lot of things, but in terms of effort, I can’t ask any more of this group. They’re just giving everything they possibly can.

“Things didn’t go our way today. We’ve created some good opportunities but unfortunately, things didn’t drop for us.

“It’s a very disappointing defeat, especially at home. But not because the players weren’t trying, and that’s the main thing.

“The players are giving everything they can, and I think that’s all we can ask for as a football club and me as a manager.

“If there was more to give, if they could find another way of doing things, then OK. But they’re trying their hardest and that’s all anyone can ask for.”

O’Hara slams ‘disgraceful, pathetic’ Spurs display

Speaking on Sky Sports News, former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara said: “It was disgraceful. I mean, that is a disgraceful performance. Pathetic second half, nowhere near good enough.

“An inquest needs to be had into what Ange was telling them at half-time. They’re going, they’re 1-0 up, keep the game tight.

“It was edgy in the first half, nervous performance, but you got your noses in front [so] to come out and play like we did in the second half. And it was just desperation after that. Leicester City were the best team.

“Over the course of 90 minutes, they were the better side. They played well in the first half and they didn’t quite have the end product, but I thought they got into good areas.

“Tottenham didn’t trouble the keeper once, apart from the ball from Porro, which he swings in, which is a great cross for Richarlison, who’d done nothing else in the game, by the way, gets his head on it and scores.

“That’s his job, to score goals. But after that, when Leicester went 2-1 up, they were non-existent, Tottenham. The performance was pathetic.

“Top players are meant to be at that football club in terms of Son, Kulusevski, Bentancur, Richarlison, Porro. It was one of the worst performances I’ve seen. Again, another shocking result, another shocking performance.

“I don’t know how Ange can stay in the job. I don’t know what needs to happen. And I don’t know what happens at the top with Daniel Levy.”

Ruud: Players are buying into my plan

Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy:

“The performance was excellent, the shape and the way the players were defending together.

“On the ball we tried to play like we always try. We went behind but the way the team reacted to going 1-0 down, they took the ball and started to play. At half-time they were calm and the way they came out of the dressing room was tremendous. I think that won us the game in the end.

“The last 10 minutes we switched to 5-3-2, we had to because Tottenham were going with everyone forward. We managed to survive.

“The effort, the dedication, the blocks and the clearances, the tactics we made it was a joy to watch. It got us a massive three points away from home.

“The players also feel we are improving. They feel the way we want to play suits them. We will keep pushing to do these things. The players are buying into it. I can only be very proud of this team.”

Spurs’ woes in stats

Spurs lost their 13th Premier League game of the season. Only Leicester, Wolves and Southampton have lost more.
Spurs have failed to win any of their last seven Premier League games (D1 L6), their longest winless run in the top-flight since a nine-match stint between May and October 2008.
Spurs have now dropped 21 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, the most by any side in the division.