No VAR excuses for Poch as Maddison’s late strike helps Foxes see off Spurs

JAMES MADDISON’S late strike gave Leicester a fine win over Spurs as they came from behind to beat Mauricio Pochettino’s men at the King Power Stadium.

VAR played a starring role, ruling out a goal for each side in the game for offside.

The first was Wilfred Ndidi’s effort with the score at 0-0 and Spurs soon capitalised through Harry Kane’s improvised finish as he powered the ball home despite having fallen to the deck.

Tottenham then thought it was 2-0 in the 65th minute but Son Heungmin was offside by the tightest of margins before Serge Aurier fired home.

Leicester took encouragement and Ricardo Pereira powered home an equaliser from Jamie Vardy’s cross before Maddison’s winner.

Pochettino later lamented the VAR decision to chalk off that second ‘goal’.

‘I’m not going to talk,’ he said. ‘I’m only going to say that we all accept that system in the game and now I am not going to complain.

‘I am going to accept that maybe you are going to say it’s offside or wasn’t clear, but I trust the referees and if the referees say it was or wasn’t, I’m not going to complain.

‘We need to accept that it’s completely fair, the rules. I’m not disappointed with that, I’m disappointed because we conceded two goals.’

Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers was pleased with how his side reacted to the VAR drama.

‘I don’t think it was massive (moment in the game), it depends how you take it,’ he said.

‘We have spoken a number of times with our squad in terms of how we react.

‘It is something that is new into the game I thought the focus of the players was very good.

‘Today, against a top-class side, we were fantastic.’