Tottenham vs Leicester result: Five things we learned as Foxes move up to second with win at Spurs

Tottenham suffered a second straight defeat as they went down 2-0 to Leicester in the Premier League on Sunday.

An open first half saw half-chances at both ends of the pitch, but it took until the closing seconds before the break for the deadlock to be broken as Jamie Vardy hammered home a penalty, following Serge Aurier’s foul.

Immediately after the break the Foxes thought they had doubled their lead with James Maddison’s excellent finish, but he was adjudged to have been marginally offside - but Spurs’ reprieve was short-lived as Vardy’s effort was diverted into his own net by Toby Alderweireld around the hour mark.

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Spurs retaliated with Son Heung-min going close and a couple of half-hearted penalty appeals, but it was the away team who had the clearer-cut chances on the break to wrap up the points and a 2-0 scoreline proved more than sufficient.

Here are five things we learned from the game.

Race for the Golden Boot

Mohamed Salah took centre stage for Liverpool on Saturday, scoring twice off the bench to move two clear in the race for the Premier League’s top goalscorer.

But with three of the five behind him in action in this game, it was a chance for a rival or two to keep pace - but there was little danger of the Spurs pair doing so given how the 90 minutes panned out. Son Heung-min went close and forced Kasper Schmeichel into a good reaction save, but Harry Kane only managed a long shot which was easily saved.

Jamie Vardy, though, netted the all-important first goal of the day from the spot to move to 11 for the season in league play, two off Salah and level with Son.

No such luck for Kane, who remains on single figures for now.

Brendan outwits Jose

The Northern Irishman might have come through the coaching ranks, so to speak, under the management of Mourinho at one time, but here he was more than the equal of his former mentor.

This was a first victory for Brendan Rodgers in eight attempts managing a side against Mourinho and it was the deserved result for a more expansive and attack-minded approach.

We’re well-used to Spurs sitting in and trying to counter in the big games, but again it was a flawed approach against a side who use space and pace so well in the middle and final third.

Leicester’s better passing and rotation of positions are what led to the moments of fortune which decided the game - the penalty and the own goal - and so the points can be seen as the prize of possibility for the team who actively went in search of them.

Maddison and Barnes

Vardy might take the headlines but the English duo behind him were tremendous once agian.

James Maddison has had his share of big-money rumours already and with this type of performance it’s easy to see why clubs might be willing to shell out tens of millions on him: he’s creative, can carry the ball in space, has a keen eye for a shot and his passing range is good.

Harvey Barnes, meanwhile, still needs to add a little more consistency to his game, but it would be an enormous surprise if that - and greater end product - didn’t come in the next year or so. He’s powerful enough to be a ball-winner, technical enough to dribble past an entire defence and gets into great positions which will, given further improvement, see him be a double-figures of goals player.

Importantly, both have the athleticism and work rate, too, to attract the biggest of sides - though Leicester are right to think they can keep talent in place given their results this term.

Stuff of champions?

A week ago Tottenham were top and the pre-match talk was bullish ahead of their trip to Anfield, even if the manager was playing down title race involvement.

Just a few days on and back-to-back defeats to Liverpool and Leicester mean Spurs are six points back, in fourth place in the table and potentially set to even drop outside the Champions League places if Manchester United win.

What Manchester City in previous seasons, and Liverpool over the last two or three, have shown is that the genuine contenders do two things: attack to win, and rarely lose games in succession.

The Reds only lost three in all of last term and two came after they had secured the title - it’s two in a week for Spurs and three for the season already in 14 matches. Defensive-minded approaches don’t tend to work often enough when the opponent scores first.

Unquestionably, they have improved under Jose Mourinho and they will surge closer toward the top again over time as others drop points instead - but as title contenders, Spurs have shown this week they remain some way short of ideal.

European push at the second time of asking

Leicester just missed out on a Champions League berth last season, dropping outside the top four late on after struggling to maintain consistency post-lockdown.

This year, they appear to be well-set to maintain another good push and are perhaps better-placed to maintain it, this time.

Brendan Rodgers’ squad is slightly stronger, the injuries they have suffered are slowly clearing up and the goalscoring form of Vardy remains intact, with the aid of penalties especially.

There’s lots of competition for what might just be one spot - assuming City and Chelsea’s money and squad will tell over the long term - but Leicester have every chance of winning the race if they win the big games like this one.

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