Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City. Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Report as Brendan Rodgers secured his first win over Jose Mourinho at the eighth attempt after a Jamie Vardy penalty and Toby Alderweireld own goal complete a sorry week for Tottenham
Sunday 20 December 2020 22:05, UK
Tottenham handed Leicester a couple of early Christmas gifts, as Jamie Vardy's penalty and Toby Alderweireld's own goal took the Foxes to a 2-0 victory and second place in the Premier League table on Sunday.
At the end of an even first half, Serge Aurier, in what Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane described as a moment of "utter madness", barged into Wesley Fofana in the Spurs box and, after a VAR check, a spot-kick was awarded, which Vardy (45+4) thumped home.
The Foxes thought they had gone two clear at the start of the second half, when James Maddison converted a long pass forward, but VAR spotted an offside. However, the otherwise impressive Alderweireld gave Leicester another helping hand on 59 minutes, turning Vardy's header into his own net, after the striker out-jumped Moussa Sissoko.
The result compounds a bad week for Jose Mourinho's side, who now have just one win in five Premier League games and sit fifth after Manchester United's win over Leeds, but Leicester will spend Christmas as Liverpool's nearest challengers, four points off top spot.
After both teams had suffered midweek defeats in the Premier League, they went into this one looking for a response and it was Leicester who had the earlier half-chances, with Fofana heading over Maddison's free-kick before Vardy's volley was blocked behind by Alderweireld.
Spurs were once again conservative, eventually having their first shot at goal on 34 minutes through a deflected Harry Kane free-kick, which sparked an encouraging spell, with the striker heading over from Heung-Min Son's corner shortly after.
But it was Leicester who went in at the break smiling, when Aurier needlessly barged into Fofana as he tried to pick up a knock-down from Harvey Barnes in the Spurs box in first half injury-time.
The foul was initially missed but after a VAR check referee Craig Pawson checked the pitchside monitor and pointed to the spot, from where Vardy crashed in a low shot down the middle. That was Leicester's eighth converted penalty in the Premier League this season, three more than anyone else.
It was the first time Tottenham had been behind in the Premier League at half-time this season and they were almost instantly 2-0 down after the restart, when Maddison fired in from James Justin's long pass forward - but a VAR check spotted a narrow offside infringement.
Spurs, who had replaced Tanguy Ndombele with Gareth Bale, lost Giovani Lo Celso to injury in the aftermath and, amid those changes, struggled to click into gear as they searched for a leveller.
Sergio Reguilon thought his side should have had a penalty from a handball in the Leicester box just before the hour mark but his appeals were waved away - and seconds later the visitors had doubled their lead.
Marc Albrighton progressed down the right and crossed for Vardy, who beat Sissoko in the six-yard box and then saw his off-target header accidentally bundled in by Alderweireld.
Kane shot at Kasper Schmeichel and his strike partner Son drew a superb reaction stop from the Leicester 'keeper as Spurs tried to get back into the game, but despite a late handball shout against Fofana, showed little signs of denying Brendan Rodgers' side a sixth away win in seven Premier League trips.
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho: "We didn't start well. I could go on the individuals but I don't. But in our best period in the first half, when we were totally in control and had a couple of good chances to score, expecting to go in 0-0 you go with 1-0 down. Then in the second half we score in our own goal when we had possession and we were in more creation. That was difficult.
"The reaction was positive. Schmeichel made a couple of important saves. But in the end it's the game we lose with the penalty and the own goal and it looks like, with the result, the opponent was totally in control or better than us but that was not the reality. Our performance was not good but it was not like they deserved to win, or we deserved to lose. It was a poor game."
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers: "I thought in the first half we really controlled the game, with and without the ball. We denied them any counter attacks, where they're very strong. We played with confidence and a nice rhythm in our game. We looked a really good side and deserved to be in front.
"Second half we controlled the game without the ball, but still looked a real threat, had the confidence to play and actually with a better final pass and a wee bit more finesse we might have scored a bit more. It was unfortunate with the goal disallowed as well, the thickness of a line on the telly, but over the course of the game we were outstanding and it was a very good win for us."
Tottenham travel to Stoke on Wednesday for a Carabao Cup quarter-final, which you can watch live on Sky Sports Football from 5pm; kick-off 5.30pm. They then play Wolves on December 27, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 7pm; kick-off 7.15pm. Next up for Leicester is an intriguing Boxing Day clash with Man Utd.
