Leicester vs Tottenham match report: Riyad Mahrez continues his scoring run as he cancels out Dele Alli's first goal for Spurs

Leicester 1 Tottenham 1: Mahrez keeps his personal hot streak going to earn the early Premier League leaders a point against the London side

Simon Hart
Saturday 22 August 2015 16:30 EDT
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Riyad Mahrez celebrates scoring an immediate equaliser against Spurs
Riyad Mahrez celebrates scoring an immediate equaliser against Spurs (Getty Images)

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Late goals from Dele Allli and Riyad Mahrez lit up an otherwise largely forgettable 1-1 draw between Leicester and Tottenham, as Claudio Ranieri's side were denied a small piece of club history.

Leicester City’s 100 per cent start to the campaign came to an end but winger Riyad Mahrez kept his personal hot streak going to earn the early Premier League leaders a point against Tottenham Hotspur.

The in-form Algerian scored his fourth goal of the season within 90 seconds of Spurs substitute Dele Alli’s breakthrough strike as the game exploded belatedly into life. Mahrez had earlier struck the base of the post after jinking in from the right but he went one better with his equaliser as he ran at the backpedalling Jan Vertonghen and curled a lovely shot around Hugo Lloris and into the far corner. “Everything he does is very good for the team – a good pass, good shot, good ideas,” said Claudio Ranieri, the Leicester manager.

Dele Alli celebrates scoring his first goal for Spurs
Dele Alli celebrates scoring his first goal for Spurs (Getty Images)

Harry Kane remains without a goal this term but was involved in the lead-up to Alli’s strike, spinning into space and playing in Nacer Chadli out wide. Chadli’s ensuing cross evaded Kane and Wes Morgan in the middle but Alli, arriving at the back post, stopped to nod in.

Tottenham are still without a win having conceded late equalisers on two successive weekends and the absence of any attacking back-up on their bench – with Christian Eriksen injured and new signing Clinton Njie unavailable – underlines why Mauricio Pochettino is expected to move for a striker as well as a defensive midfielder in the coming week, with a second bid for West Bromwich Albion’s Saido Berahino anticipated before the transfer window closes, after Spurs’ initial £15m bid was rejected.

Riyad Mahrez scores for Leicester to equalise against Tottenham
Riyad Mahrez scores for Leicester to equalise against Tottenham (Getty Images)

“We need to have the balance in the squad,” said the Argentinian. “We have some targets and maybe in the next few days we can help the team a little bit more.”

Leicester: (4-4-2) Schmeichel; De Laet, Huth, Morgan, Schlupp; Mahrez (Ulloa, 90), King, Drinkwater (Inler, 80), Albrighton (Kante, 78); Okazaki, Vardy.

Tottenham: (4-2-3-1) Lloris, Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Mason (Bentaleb, 88); Dembélé (Carroll ,77), Lamela (Alli, 65), Chadli; Kane.

Referee: Martin Atkinson

Man of match: Mahrez (Leicester)

Match rating: 6/10

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