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Leicester City welcomed Tottenham Hotspur to the King Power Stadium this afternoon and showcased a thrilling performance against last year's Champions League finalists. The Foxes had home advantage on their side, with thousands of fans decked in blue cheering them on to make an amazing comeback at Spurs' expense and win the game.
The game started with Leicester taking control of the proceedings, especially in the final third and what followed was the first goal of the game, which was ultimately cancelled after consulting VAR.
A James Maddison corner found its' way into Spurs box and was cleared by Harry Kane, but only towards the feet of Youri Tielemans. The Belgian found space and speared a shot towards Paulo Gazzaniga in post, but Gazzaniga failed to hold onto the ball. The loose ball was directly in Ayoze Perez's path, but VAR later showed he was offside, to the Foxes' chagrin as the resulting goal by Wilfred Ndidi was ultimately scratched out.
The Lilywhites' talisman Harry Kane eventually opened up the scoring in the 29th minute. A fast break by Spurs found Erik Lamela in position to start a fluid attack. He sought out Heung-min Son with an accurate through-pass, and the South Korean laid a quick backheel on for Harry Kane dashing in behind him.
Kane was pushed off balance by Foxes defender Caglar Soyunco, and although he fell, he managed to find the ball with his right foot and put it past Schmeichel into the top left corner.
There were more chances for both sides but Spurs found the net yet again, only for VAR to cancel the goal owing to a shocking offside call. A top pass from Tanguy Ndombele found Heung-min Son, but the South Korean's shoulder strayed offside by what looked like a fraction of an inch. Serge Aurier found the back of the net but VAR eventually ruled out the goal.
Leicester City right-back Ricardo Pereira got himself on the scoresheet next, thanks to a low Jamie Vardy cross to James Maddison and a deflection off Toby Alderweireld. The marauding right-back travelled into the box following Leicester's attack on the left wing and was simply in the right place at the right time to receive a deflected ball unmarked and slot it past the goalkeeper into the net.
An 85th-minute strike from James Maddison was all Leicester City needed to make their comeback, and it was a spectacular strike indeed. The Foxes' No.10 received the ball a short distance from the 18-yard-box, unmarked and free from the defenders who were too deep to cause him trouble. The Englishman fired a strong bouncing shot past Paulo Gazzaniga for a decisive goal.
Let's take a look at three reasons why the Foxes were able to make a comeback and snatch a victory over the Tottenham Hotspur.
#3 Tottenham were poor in finishing
The Lilywhites had only four shots on target from eleven shots at goal. While this - conversion wise - is just as poor as Leicester City's seven shots on target from 16 shots at goal, Tottenham were dealt with a serious problem in the final third.
All four shots on target were from Harry Kane, and it is simply shocking that a team that reached last season's Champions League final would have 'shots on target' as an issue of concern. To put it into context, the Foxes right-back Ricardo Pereira had more shots on target than the entire Tottenham squad combined - minus Kane.
While VAR ruled against Spurs during these proceedings, VAR also ruled against the Foxes and there is frankly no excuse for having only four shots on target, all by the same player.
Thankfully for the Spurs fans, Harry Kane got himself on the scoresheet which ultimately was the only goal of the game for his side.
#2 Leicester City showed fluidity and creativity
Every midfield member of the Leicester starting XI - excluding Wilfred Ndidi - made a minimum of one key pass during the game. In fact, everyone on Leicester's starting XI except the goalkeeper, the centre-backs, and Ndidi made a key pass that led to a chance.
Tottenham Hotspur may have ruled the proceedings with more of the possession, but Leicester used their time on the ball creatively and effectively, driving into the final third and sourcing out opportunities in front of goal.
Hamza Choudhury, in particular, made a massive mark as he came on the pitch in the dying minutes of the game and need only three minutes to create a chance as he assisted Maddison's sublime goal which proved to be decisive in the end.
#1 Leicester City's defence kept Spurs' attack at bay
While Spurs usually have a strong attacking presence, they were no match for the defensive prowess on display from the Foxes today.
There were several chances for Spurs, thanks to Christian Eriksen's defence-splitting passes, but they didn't do much with the provided opportunities. For most of the game, however, the Leicester City defence remained resolute and focused on ensuring that another Harry Kane shocker did not leave them befuddled.
The Foxes' centre-backs made 14 clearances in total, and alongside the full-backs, managed to put in 15 tackles. Much praise should go to Wilfred Ndidi, who maintained the defensive midfield position efficiently, aiding his team's cause with four tackles and three interceptions.
