VARD LUCK STORY
Jamie’s magic touch deserts him as Puel puts him on the spot
SON HEUNG-MIN raced clear to score Tottenham’s third in stoppage time and complete the illusion that this was some kind of a routine home win.
Spurs, in fact, were far from fluent and might have stumbled in pursuit of the Premier League leaders had Leicester not misfired quite so spectacularly in front of goal.
The pinnacle of their profligacy came when Claude Puel’s team were awarded a penalty and a glorious chance to level after the opener from Davinson Sanchez.
James Maddison, adjudged to have been fouled by Jan Vertonghen, stood with the ball in his hands and waited for Jamie Vardy, who was on the touchline ready to come on as a substitute and clearly keen to take it.
Maddison, who had missed his previous two penalties, obediently handed the ball to Vardy, who placed it on the spot, bounded up, smashed it low and saw it saved by Hugo Lloris, the goalkeeper springing low to his right.
It would prove the game’s pivotal moment. Within three minutes, Christian Eriksen had scored Tottenham’s second and although Vardy did later reduce the deficit, Leicester would leave Wembley with nothing.
‘I asked him and said if he felt the same he could take the penalty,’ said Puel. ‘Normally it’s Jamie to take the penalty. But it was not just the penalty. It was all the game. We had the opportunities to lead this game, and to get back into the game. We have to find the clinical edge.’
The thing is, Vardy is their clinical edge. He scores goals against good teams, that is what he does and Puel left him out.
The former England striker may have missed his penalty, coming on cold, but his record is now 29 goals in 52 games against the Premier League’s traditional Big Six, 14 of them since the start of last season.
Puel opted to start with Demarai Gray up front, however, with Harvey Barnes and Rachid Ghezzal wide either side and Maddison in support from midfield. They carved out chance after chance.
Spurs were vulnerable both from open play and dead-ball situations and grateful to have Lloris in good touch from the moment he pushed over a header from Harry Maguire in the opening moments.
Lloris saved a header from Gray, early in second half, and stuck out a foot to deny Barnes from close range when the score was 2-0, but, in truth, both chances ought to have been taken. Spurs, in contrast, spluttered in attack, unable to find any fluency. Son (below) was booked for diving in the first half when he tumbled far too easily just inside the Leicester penalty area. Maguire took a heavy touch which allowed Son to dart in and toe the ball and dangle his leg to ensure there was some contact before hitting the turf. Fingers were pointed and angry words exchanged between the two players, and referee Michael Oliver ruled it to be simulation. Son became the fourth Spurs player to be booked for diving this season — Harry Kane, Lucas Moura and Danny Rose were the others. The decision was not well received by Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino but it was perhaps evidence of the desperation creeping into his team as they struggled to find a way through in the continued absence of Kane and Dele Alli. Nerves were soothed when Sanchez struck from a corner with his first goal of the season. Kieran Trippier rolled the ball short to Eriksen, who swung it into the goalmouth where Sanchez burst on to the swerving cross with a diving header which crashed past Kasper Schmeichel. Leicester hands went up for offside and they disputed the second goal, claiming handball against Oliver Skipp as he charged down a clearance by Ricardo Pereira. The ricochet spun to Eriksen, who traded quick passes with Fernando Llorente before firing past Schmeichel from 20 yards.
‘It is harsh to concede two goals in this situation,’ said Puel. ‘I don’t know if the first was offside but the second one was a handball and some of the players stopped their action. We conceded two goals without a lot of chances conceded.’
Leicester had only themselves to blame. By this stage, they had missed the penalty as well but Vardy’s presence gave them greater menace and goal threat and he helped them back into the game.
Ricardo crossed low from the right and Vardy stabbed it into the net from close range.
They pushed on in search of a point, Kelechi Iheanacho drove wide and Lloris saved a header from Ben Chilwell before Son dashed clear to settle the outcome.
Pochettino’s relief evaporated as he launched a ball high into the stand and Tottenham added another three points to their collection.
They are third, clinging resiliently to the fringes of the title race and have established a comfortable gap to the chasing trio of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.
It is four wins in a row in the Premier League since defeat against United. None of them with very much style but rather sheer force of personality. TOTTENHAM (4-3-1-2): Lloris 7.5; Trippier 6, Sanchez 6.5, Vertonghen 6, Rose 7 (Walker-Peters 88); Sissoko 7, Winks 6.5, Skipp 6 (Alderweireld 71, 6); ERIKSEN 8; Llorente 6 (Wanyama 79), Son 6.
Subs not used: Gazzaniga, Foyth, Aurier, Moura. Scorers: Sanchez 33, Eriksen 63, Son 90. Booked: Son, Rose, Vertonghen. Manager: Mauricio Pochettino 6 LEICESTER (4-2-3-1): Schmeichel 6; Ricardo 6, Evans 7, Maguire 6.5, Chilwell 7; Tielemans 6.5, Ndidi 6; Ghezzal 5 (Iheanacho 72, 6), Maddison 6, Barnes 6 (Okazaki 88); Gray 6 (Vardy 59, 6.5). Subs not used: Ward, Simpson, Morgan, Choudhury. Scorer: Vardy 76. Booked: Tielemans. Manager: Claude Puel 6 Referee: Michael Oliver 6. Attendance: 44,154.