Foxes storm back to bite Villa and go second, Spurs claim first win

LONDON: Leicester City staged a remarkable comeback from two goals down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 and go second in the Premier League table yesterday, scoring three times in 17 minutes.

Villa seemed in control when Carles Gil’s curling shot after a lightning counterattack put them 2-0 ahead just past the hour after Jack Grealish’s first goal for his club had given them the halftime lead.

But Claudio Ranieri’s vibrant Foxes side halved the deficit in the 72nd minute through Ritchie De Laet and, roared on by a raucous home support, equalised through Jamie Vardy before substitute Nathan Dyer’s headed winner.

Leicester have 11 points from five games, four less than Manchester City who still have a 100 percent record.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur claimed their first win of the season thanks to Ryan Mason’s late winner in a 1-0 victory at Sunderland although he was then carried off on a stretcher.

The win lifted Spurs to 12th in the table and dropped champions Chelsea, beaten 3-1 at Everton on Saturday, down to 17th and in danger of falling into the bottom three when Newcastle United play at West Ham United tonight.

Mason’s 82nd-minute dinked goal, with Erik Lamela splitting the defence after combining with Harry Kane, broke the deadlock and provided a rare burst of brilliance in an uninspired encounter at the Stadium of Light.

The midfielder was then carried off injured after collid- ing with Sunderland goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino said the player’s condition would be assessed today.

“It was a big knock on the knee. It was a great goal and we showed how we try to play,” he said.

Sunderland, still searching for their first win after five games this season and now with 11 goals conceded, dropped to the bottom of the table and behind Stoke City on goal difference.

Son Heung-min, who joined from Bayer Leverkusen in August, made his Spurs debut but missed a good first half chance and was taken off after 62 minutes.

Even if Son did not shine as brightly as some had expected, Pochettino was pleased with the new signing’s performance: “I am very happy with Son, he played really well. He is a good player for us.”

Kane, still to get off the mark for Spurs this season, squandered a chance in the 67th minute when he failed to connect with a Mason cross with the goal begging.

Sunderland, with former Spurs striker Jermain Defoe hitting the post in the 26th minute with only Hugo Lloris to beat, had the better of a first half that saw Tottenham fail to get a shot on target.

“We had the better chances at the start, we knew we were playing against a good side and the speed of the game was unbelievable,” Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat said.

“At the end of the game, the better side had more luck than we had.” – Reuters