Striker honours late club owner
MANCHESTER City striker Riyad Mahrez has dedicated his winning goal against Tottenham Hotspur in Monday’s EPL clash to late Leicester owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
Pep Guardiola’s men returned to the summit of the standings with a 1-0 win over Spurs at Wembley, with goalscorer Mahrez pointing to the sky after his sixth-minute strike.
Srivaddhanaprabha died with four other people when his helicopter crashed outside Leicester’s stadium after their draw with West Ham on Saturday. Mahrez played for the Foxes from 2014 until moving to City this summer, and was a star of their 2016 Premier Leaguewinning team bankrolled by Vichai.
“It’s been very difficult,” said Mahrez. “The boss was very special to me, I spent 4½ years there. He was such a good person and I’m very, very sad. That’s why I put my hands in the air for him. He did a lot for me and for Leicester. He was like a dad to us. He had a very big heart. I was heartbroken.’’
It was City’s eighth win in 10 games as it remained unbeaten in its title defence.
Not only did the champions have to overcome a Tottenham side that had made it best ninegame start to a Premier League, they did so on an uneven field damaged by an NFL game on Sunday between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino tried to play down the state of the surface at Tottenham’s temporary home, although he also said it played a part in Lamela’s glaring miss.