NO Kane NO problem
Harry rested but Spurs hotshot Son takes centre stage to see off Leicester
IT IS tempting to imagine that, as the final whistle went on Chelsea’s startling win down in London, up in Leicester Mauricio Pochettino hurriedly tried to reclaim his team-sheet so to scribble in biro the name of Harry Kane somewhere in the line-up.
Clearly with Barcelona on the brain, Tottenham’s manager left out his most potent weapon at the King Power Stadium, for the first time this season.
But with the Premier League picture shifting in unforeseen ways, a victory here could be just as crucial in the long run. As it happens, Pochettino knows what he is doing. Funny that.
No Kane? No problem. No Christian Eriksen either for that matter. Instead, Pochettino started Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura up top, with Dele Alli in front of a midfield three — and it worked a treat.
Son scored a beauty in the first half, then set up Alli’s clincher in the second. As straightforward as you like and with rest accrued where necessary ahead of Tuesday night’s game in the Nou Camp. Alli’s goal was his 50th for the club, while Son has now had a hand in five goals in two starts against Leicester, including three assists.
Seeing a Spurs team-sheet without Kane or Eriksen starting was a rarity indeed. Not since March 8, 2014, for a match against Chelsea, had both players been left out of a Premier League line-up. And that ended in 4-0 defeat, so it was a risk by Pochettino to limit his side voluntarily.
The Champions League do-or-die in Barcelona takes immediate precedence, of course. But events at Stamford Bridge had given this encounter an unexpected context. All of a sudden the carrot of moving to within six points of top was dangled for Spurs and, while that remains a significant gap, it is smaller than would have been anticipated at t his stage of a campaign containing Pep Guardiola’s all-singing Manchester City.
A fight for fourth place? Heck, win at the King Power Stadium and a fight for first might just be on the cards.
And while Spurs were missing Kane, Leicester were shorn of their own talisman i n Jamie Vardy, whose groin problem had not healed. Leicester are not the same opposition without their Sheffield menace up front.
Pochettino knew that this was a real opportunity for a major boost before boarding t he plane to Catalonia. In Vardy’s absence, Leicester manager Claude Puel made a bespoke plan, switching to 4-3-3 to mirror Tottenham’ s presence in midfield, with Vicente Iborra selected to sit centrally.
De maraiG ray and James Maddison were pushed to the wings but there was plenty of movement in Leicester’s attacks and more than a hint of training- ground routines in action to try to prise Spurs apart. The improvised breakneck counters of the titlewinning season, this most certainly was not.
Jonny Evans, brought back into the team, had a key role, more than once sensing long passes and enacting them perfectly to set Leicester on the front foot. One ball released Ben Chilwell down the left and his cross would have been converted by Kelechi Iheanacho but for Jan Vertonghen’s astute interception.
Nampalys Mendy delivered his own rescue act when nipping in to take away a Alli cross destined for Moura.
It was turning into a chess match, each side thinking 12 moves ahead and the defences on top. Alli drew the ire of Evans for a dive on the edge of the box. Moussa Sissoko wasted an excellent counter by trying to nutmeg Wes Morgan but failing to appreciate the size of the Leicester captain’s legs.
With the whistle about to go for half-time, Morgan was again alert when Alli moved into the area dangerously and shaped to shoot. Morgan’ stack le was timed perfectly but Spurs kept the move alive and managed to go into the interval ahead through a moment of inspiration.
Serge Aurier gave the ball to Son, who cut inside Mendy, looked up at goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and curled a wonderful shot into the top corner before Evans had time to close down.
It was the first effort on target in the game and Kane, in his unfamiliar pink bib on the bench, stood to applaud with glee.
It was Son’s third goal in four games after a slow start to the season and it lifted his side hugely. Spurs emerged for the second half intent on adding more.
Schmeichel had to act quickly to swat away a Moura through ball from the feet of Alli. Then Morgan blocked superbly from Son. Gray had Leicester’s first attempt on target with a neat backheel to set up a strike from 18 yards but Hugo Lloris gathered easily.
In the 56th minute Puel made two changes, sending on Marc Albrighton and Rachid Ghezzal — replacing Iheanacho, who had been ineffectual and Iborra, who looked highly irritated. Two minutes later, though, Spurs stretched their lead.
Son got the assist but Mendy was the inadvertent creator, making two crucial errors. First the French midfielder sloppily gave away possession to Ben Davies, then failed to show any energy to get back as the Welsh defender passed sharply to Moura.
It meant Son had space to collect the next pass and he took his time to pick the ideal cross for Alli at the far post to head in.
It must be said Alli looked to be standing in an offside position when the ball was played but it was fractional and did not give him a particular advantage. LEICESTER (4-3-3): Schmeichel 6; Ricardo 6, Morgan 7, Evans 7, Chilwell 7; Mendy 4.5 (Okazaki 79min), Iborra 6.5 (Albrighton 56, 6), Ndidi 6; Gray 6.5, Iheanacho 4 (Ghezzal 56, 6), Maddison. Booked: Mendy, Albrighton, Gray. Subs (not used): Ward, Maguire, Fuchs, Choudhury. TOTTENHAM ( 4-3-1-2): Lloris 7; Aurier 7 (Walker-Peters 78), Vertonghen 7.5, Alderwiereld 7, Davies 7; Dier 7, Winks 7, Sissoko 7; Alli 7.5; Moura 7.5 (Eriksen 67, 6), Son 8 (Kane 74, 5). Booked: Dier. Subs (not used): Rose, N’Koudou, Gazzaniga, Skipp. Referee: C Pawson (South Yorkshire) 8.