Ben Fisher was at the King Power this evening. Here’s his verdict. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night.
… so after the first round of matches, this is how the Premier League looks. Just 37 more to go.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brighton | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Man City | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | Aston Villa | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | Brentford | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | Man Utd | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | Newcastle | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 9 | AFC Bournemouth | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Leicester | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Nottm Forest | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| 14 | West Ham | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| 15 | Fulham | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| 16 | Southampton | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| 17 | Chelsea | 1 | -2 | 0 |
| 18 | Ipswich | 1 | -2 | 0 |
| 19 | Wolverhampton | 1 | -2 | 0 |
| 20 | Everton | 1 | -3 | 0 |
Steve Cooper talks to Sky. “Jamie Vardy showed so much desire in wanting to play … if the game was Saturday he probably wouldn’t have played … he did what he does … we got the guy to find the space … we couldn’t carry on like we did in the first half … we needed to show more ambition … the boys responded … we looked a good team in the second half … it was good to get the first point … maybe we’ve got some nerves out of the way … for us to get that out of the way, and to play like we did in the second half, will be brilliant for belief … it can only get better … we want to sign some more attacking players … there are a few in process … hopefully we can get players over the line before Fulham, but if not before the window closes … we’ll have to wrap Jamie Vardy up in cotton wool … it’s great to have him back.”
Ange Postecoglou speaking to Sky Sports: “Yeah, disappointing night for us … first-half excellent and controlled the game but wasteful in front of goal … second half same … once Leicester scored you could tell the crowd lifted and we lost our composure … we let them back in the game … we need to keep working hard and be a bit more ruthless in front of goal … we made poor decisions … when we’re that dominant we should be out of sight of the opposition and we weren’t … the dominance is great but if you don’t score it is meaningless and pointless … we have to be stronger in our mindset in the front third … to be that wasteful is disappointing … you get results you need to be a lot more ruthless in the final third … if we don’t then we won’t get the rewards our football should get … the responsibility is on me … that’s why you coach … you try to provide solutions and a platform for the players to improve … that’s what we’ll do.”
So when Vardy went off, he pointed to the Premier League logo on his shirt sleeve, held up one digit, then pointed to the Spurs fans before shaping a zero. “Well, you take a bit of stick during the game, but it’s part of football … so long as they can take it while I’m giving it back, that’s all that matters.”
Jamie Vardy is well and truly back in the Premier League 😅 pic.twitter.com/UDDHlGd65a
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 19, 2024
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Leicester City’s hero Jamie Vardy speaks to Sky. “We just had a little chat between ourselves at half time … Tottenham are a really good team but we gave them a bit too much respect, sitting off a bit … we started the second half on the front foot, getting after them … that’s what changed the momentum … [the half-time chat] was very calm … when it got to 40 minutes we said don’t go in conceding any more … we’re going to create chances ourselves … that’s what we did … we take the point and move on … I was as fit as a fiddle until I got to about 65 minutes! … one of the Villarreal players tried putting my right leg in Lake Geneva … a bone-to-bone contact that irritated the knee … all you can do is let it settle down … I waited as long as possible … it’s fully gone and I’ve managed to get four training sessions in … I’m looking after my recovery to the maximum.”
A Sky graphic illustrates what a good job Steve Cooper did at half-time in restating a few principles in the full and frank style. Leicester’s xG rating in the first half was 0.06; in the second half it was 0.96. Spurs by contrast were pretty consistent: 0.63 in the first half, 0.61 in the second.
Tottenham fans will understandably demur, but that was a hugely entertaining match. Spurs played some marvellous football for the best part of an hour, and should have been well clear of their opponents. But Leicester limited them to Pedro Porro’s first-half goal, and when Abdul Fatawu teed up Jamie Vardy with a header six yards out, everything changed. Vardy could and probably should have completed a remarkable smash-and-grab fairytale but was denied when one on one with Vicario, though that would have been harsh on Spurs who played so well for so long. Leicester will be delighted with their point, Spurs a tad frustrated with theirs.
FULL TIME: Leicester City 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs should have been home and hosed by half time. Jamie Vardy, 37 and without any pre-season work in his legs, made them pay.
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90 min +9: A huge chance for Spurs to snatch all three points! Bergvall teases the free kick to the near post, where Richarlison is free, six yards out … but the Brazilian heads powerfully wide right. What a miss!
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90 min +8: Kulusevski prepares to romp into space down the right, only to be stopped spectacularly in flight by Faes in the Benjamin Massing on Claudio Caniggia style. A no-brainer of a booking, and a chance for Spurs to load the Leicester box.
90 min +7: Spurs continue to enjoy the majority of possession, but they’re doing very little with it. Leicester are holding them at arm’s length.
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90 min +5: Steve Cooper encourages the Leicester fans to give his players one last Cum On Feel the Noize inflected push. They’re so close to a precious point that felt like a pipe dream after 56 minutes of this match.
90 min +3: One corner leads to another, which leads to a Justin effort that’s blocked easily enough. Before the first corner, Spence came on for an injured Porro and Richarlison replaced Son. Oh, and Vicario gave young Bergvall the mother, father and extended family of all rollockings.
90 min +1: Spurs are hogging possession but Leicester are snapping at their heels. And suddenly they snaffle possession off Bergvall out on the left wing. Mavididi makes it into the box and finds Ndidi in the middle with a perfectly weighted floated cross. Ndidi sends a diving header towards the bottom right, forcing Vicario to tip around the post. The smash and grab so nearly complete!
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90 min: There will be nine added minutes.
88 min: Some good news: Sky report that Bentancur is “up and talking” but doctors will continue to monitor him in line with concussion protocol.
86 min: McAteer’s first act is to compete for a free kick sent into the Spurs box from the Leicester right. He beats Romero at the far stick and loops a header over Vicario, towards the top right … but inches over the crossbar. Not sure the keeper was getting to that had it been on target.
85 min: Decordova-Reid is replaced by McAteer.
84 min: Bergvall shoots from the edge of the box. Faes blocks. Spurs seem to have recovered their poise after that long break in play and mass change.
83 min: Spurs ping the ball around in pretty triangles, forcing Justin to poke out for a corner on the left. Bergvall takes, but Vestergaard eyebrows clear.
81 min: When Maddison departed, he made a point of applauding all four corners of the ground. But when Vardy makes way, as he does so now, he makes a point of gesticulating towards Romero and telling him to eff off several times. A passion play. Mavididi comes on, as does Soumare, with Buonanotte also departing.
79 min: Spurs make three other changes, replacing Maddison, Sarr and Johnson with Kulusevski, Werner and Bergvall. Gray and Bergvall are making their Tottenham debuts.
78 min: Bentancur is replaced by Gray; it’s a concussion substitution.
76 min: Bentancur is sitting up. He’s conscious and well enough to take his oxygen mask off himself. But he’s extremely groggy, and is helped onto the stretcher. The doctors put the mask back on as they carefully carry him off. God speed Rodrigo.
74 min: Bentancur collided with Fatawu, who thankfully seems OK himself. But the Spurs midfielder requires some proper treatment. The doctors attend to the stricken player, and the stretcher is on.
72 min: Spurs win a corner up the other end. Leicester deal with it, but then play is immediately stopped as Bentancur lies face down on the turf. Out cold. Both sets of players usher the medics on.
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70 min: Decordova-Reid’s cute backheel finds Buonanotte in space down the middle. Buonanotte plays a first-time pass down the left channel to release Vardy. He’s one on one with Vicario! The fairytale doesn’t happen, though, his attempt to fire across the keeper and into the bottom right blocked by Vicario. Vardy grimaces in frustration; he’ll have expected to score that.
69 min: Sounds as though Spurs are preparing a quadruple substitution. Big Ange must be fuming.
67 min: Fatawu slips a pass down the inside-right channel for Ndidi, who lashes a fierce shot into the side netting. On the Spurs bench, there’s a lot of action. Subs incoming!
66 min: A long ball down the middle. Vardy versus Romero. Ten years ago, Spurs would be in a world of trouble here. But the old boy doesn’t have the legs. He still leads the charge, though, pressing the keeper and ordering Fatawu to join him in hassling the Tottenham defence. Nothing comes of it, but what tenacity by the Leicester legend.
64 min: Bentancur is booked for an irritable clip of Ndidi’s heel. This is an astonishing change in the mood music. Spurs haven’t reacted well to conceding at all.
63 min: Leicester are beginning to win a few duels all across the pitch. What a change in mood. Now Kristiansen curls in from the left. Vardy chests down, six yards out, and prepares to shoot, only for Romero to arrive and take the ball away from him. A crucial intervention, with Spurs suddenly looking a little rattled.
61 min: That’s got the King Power bouncing for the first time this evening. And how! You wonder what Vardy’s simple act of defiance will do for Leicester’s season. An instant restoration of belief, certainly, and now Fatawu dribbles hard down the right, only to be eased off just inside the box by Udogie. He wants a penalty, but the referee’s not interested, despite there being slight contact. Referee’s call!
59 min: Spurs should be out of sight. Vardy can hardly run. But look at what’s happened here! Funny old game, as Tottenham’s greatest-ever striker once observed.
GOAL! Leicester City 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Vardy 57)
Some space for Kristiansen down the left. He whistles a dangerous ball through the six-yard box. Nobody touches it. Fatawu takes up possession on the other flank, and curl-dinks a glorious cross back into the mixer for Vardy, who can’t miss with his header from six yards!
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56 min: From the corner, Son crosses in the hope of finding Solanke, who is eased away from heading home from close range by Justin. Bentancur then takes a whack from just inside the box on the right. Hermansen parries. It looks like a second Spurs goal is in the post, except …
55 min: … then suddenly Sarr slips Solanke into space down the inside-right channel. Solanke spins and shoots, Hermansen parrying, Vestergaard heading the rebound behind for another corner.
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54 min: Spurs stroke it around patiently.
52 min: … so having said that, Buonanotte advances along the right and rolls a pass infield for Vardy, who instantly shuttles the ball down the inside-left channel to release Decordova-Reid. A shot from a tight-ish angle is instantly blocked, and the flag goes up for offside anyway, but that’s probably Leicester’s best passing sequence of the match, a little succour on what has so far been a difficult night.
50 min: Ndidi half clears the corner, but Solanke picks up possession on the left flank and jigs his way out of a tight spot to keep the pressure on. Lovely feet. Maddison then dances his way down the inside-right channel. Eventually a blue shirt is skittled and the whistle goes, but Spurs continue to give Leicester the runaround.
49 min: Porro gives Johnson a ball to chase down the right. Johnson knocks it past Kristiansen, who is forced to poke out for yet another corner.
47 min: More panto pelters for Maddison as he wanders down the left. It’s the loudest Leicester’s fans are getting this evening. To be fair, their team are giving them nothing to work with. But the mood’s not great. You can feel the possible points deduction hanging over the stadium.
Leicester keep Spurs waiting awhile before they emerge from the dressing room and get the second half started. No changes. Presumably Steve Cooper has given a few of his side the what-for, and on that subject, here’s Kári Tulinius: “It’s not unusual to see a side newly promoted from the Championship be overmatched in their first game of the season, but that’s usually because the players aren’t of Premier League standard. Leicester has decent quality throughout, but there’s no pattern to their movements. Cooper changed the style, and his team hasn’t adapted. If they don’t gel soon, this might be a long season for the Foxes.”
Half-time entertainment. A new season of Football Weekly begins for your edification.
HALF TIME: Leicester City 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
A scoreline that seriously flatters Leicester.
45 min: There will be one additional first-half minute.
44 min: Faes heads it clear with confidence.
43 min: Justin’s poor clearance is intercepted, gifting Sarr the chance to shoot from distance. His effort clanks into the nearest blue shirt and out for a corner on the right. The corner’s hit long. Solanke battles at the far post and earns another corner. Number nine will come in from the left. Maddison to take.
41 min: Buonanotte steals the ball off Udogie, and makes off down the right again. He’s hauled back by the Spurs defender, who is extremely fortunate not to go into the book for his cynicism. Winks takes the resulting free kick, and it’s an easy pluck for Vicario.
39 min: Buonanotte does well to advance down the right wing for a while, but he’s got nobody up with him to help, and eventually Van de Ven and Bentancur combine to get the ball off him.
37 min: Faes blooters long down the middle. Vardy chases after it, but Vicario comes miles out of his box to head clear. The ball drops to Decordova-Reid, who attempts to Beckham it into the empty net from halfway. It’s on, but his improvised hoick sails harmlessly wide right.
35 min: The Leicester fans are pretty quiet. Fatawu tries to cheer them up by progressing down the right, but his cross is too close to Vicario and there’s nobody in blue in the box anyway.
33 min: Maddison nearly gets another assist to his name. He shapes to shoot, but instead wedges a clever diagonal ball towards Johnson on the right-hand edge of the six-yard box. Johnson meets the dipping ball on the volley, sending it screeching across Hermansen and inches wide of the left-hand post. So close to number two.
32 min: Ndidi comes clattering into the back of Maddison, 25 yards from the Leicester goal, just to the left of the D. He’s fortunate not to go into the book. But this is a free kick in a very dangerous position. Maddison’s eyes light up.
31 min: A slightly fortunate finish, but Spurs deserved their good break. They’re more than good for their lead. Maddison, the subject of so much pantomime abuse, will be delighted with his assist.
GOAL! Leicester City 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Porro 29)
This had been coming all right. Son probes down the left. He pulls back to find Maddison, who sends an inswinger towards Porro on the penalty spot. Porro glances the ball towards the bottom right – off his shoulder! – but it’s on target and the keeper has no chance.
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27 min: … but Spurs quickly regain their smooth rhythm. Udogie and Son link up down the left, the latter spinning elegantly into the box before his low cross is hacked clear. Leicester continue to hang on in there.
26 min: It all gets a little scrappy in midfield. Leicester won’t mind that too much.
24 min: Maddison sashays down the inside-left channel before cutely wedging towards Solanke in the middle. Justin heads away. Fatawu then eases Maddison onto the floor and makes off with the ball, much to the amusement of the Leicester fans.
22 min: A free kick for Leicester in Tottenham’s half. Winks and Decordova-Reid attempt some sort of training-ground routine, but it doesn’t come off. Leicester try again, Buonanotte looking for Decordova-Reid on the left with a raking diagonal, but the ball sails out for a goal kick. Again, it’s better, though the bar’s set so low.
20 min: Spurs come again, Maddison spinning into space down the right and dinking infield for Solanke, who attempts to turn Vestergaard in the hope of shooting from close range, but falls over instead. He wants a penalty – and there was a little contact on his ankle before the defender cleared – but he’s not getting one. Referee’s call!
19 min: From Tottenham’s seventh corner, Son leans back and hoicks a cross deep into the stand behind the goal.
18 min: Johnson bustles down the right and wins a corner off Vestergaard. They’re racking them up. This is number six. It’s only half cleared, and Son has a dig from the left-hand edge of the D. The shot’s deflected out to the left for number seven.
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16 min: A bit better from Leicester as Fatawu’s industry wins the ball in midfield and sends Decordova-Reid dribbling down the left. Decordova-Reid enters the box but can’t work enough space to get a shot away, eventually turning tail.
14 min: Fatawu fouls Van de Ven out on the left flank. The resulting free kick is half-cleared to Porro on the right. Porro loops into the mixer. Solanke whistles a header straight at Hermansen. Spurs have done everything except score.
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13 min: Son is released into acres down the left by Sarr. He feeds Maddison on the overlap. Maddison looks for Solanke in the middle, but the low cross is bundled out for a corner, from which nothing comes. A Spurs goal feels no more than a matter of time.
11 min: Maddison links up with Son this time, and yet another corner is won down the left. He takes it himself. Fatawu eyebrows it out for a corner on the other side. Maddison takes this one too. It’s worked back to Son. He crosses for Romero, who attempts to guide a header across Hermansen and into the bottom right. He beats the keeper but the ball bounces wide right.
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10 min: Udogie and Maddison combine down the left to cause Leicester more bother. The former’s low cross is tidied up by Justin. Spurs are well on top here.
8 min: Hermansen in action again as Spurs win a corner out right this time. It’s played back to Son, who curls into the mixer for Solanke, who doesn’t really connect with his low diving header, six yards out. Easy for the keeper to claim.
6 min: Son again pops up on the left and wins another corner. Maddison’s delivery is much better this time, a vicious inswinger towards the near post. Bentancur flicks it towards the top right. It’s heading in, but Ndidi clears off the line, a wonderful swivel and hook. Leicester can only half clear, then Johnson has a belt from distance. Hermansen parries well.
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5 min: The corner’s no good. Maddison takes up possession again a little later, and now the boos are more audible. Pantomime season arrives earlier every year.
4 min: Son crosses from the left. It’s deflected out by Justin for the first corner of the evening. Leicester old boy Maddison gets more applause than abuse as he prepares to take it.
3 min: Spurs knock it around the back awhile, establishing some early control.
1 min: A quick hoof down the middle for Vardy to chase. At the age of 37 and without a full pre-season in his legs, he’s not beating Van de Ven any time soon. Perhaps ten years ago.
A knee of equality is taken … then Spurs get the ball rolling. The final match of the opening round is underway.
Before the match starts, there’s a minute of warm applause in memory of Craig Shakespeare, who passed away earlier this month. Shakespeare was an integral part of Leicester’s title win in 2015-16, assisting Claudio Ranieri, and went on to manage the club himself. A banner in the crowd reads “rest easy”.
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The teams are out! It’s anticipation o’clock at the King Power, you can hear it, you can feel it, you can almost touch it. Both sets of fans in good voice. Leicester in blue, Spurs in white. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes.
As mentioned in the preamble, this is the highest scoring match-up in Premier League history. Here’s the top of the list of the all-time goals-per-game averages, as flashed up by Sky Sports just now.
3.8
Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur
3.7
Sunderland and Chelsea
3.4
Manchester City and Fulham
Liverpool and Crystal Palace
3.3
Liverpool and Leeds United
Southampton and Newcastle United
Pre-season reading. Come get it before reality starts depleting your reserves of optimism.
Ange Postecoglou’s turn for a chat with Sky. “It’s a little bit less chaotic than last year … Harry Kane left about 24 hours before the first game … so it’s fair to say we’re a little bit more settled … having said that we got off to a great start so maybe that doesn’t mean anything … whatever Spurs’ ambitions are are my ambitions … I’m certainly not here just to take part … it’s a big club … we know we haven’t had success for a long time … there’s only one way to change that … I’m really happy to get Dominic Solanke in … we were always a little bit short every week … it’s going to make an enormous difference … he’s a perfect fit for us … works hard … linking up … always in the box.”
Steve Cooper talks to Sky Sports. “Jamie Vardy came to see me a couple of days ago … he feels good and was uncomfortable we didn’t have a fully fit striker … he made himself available … you have to trust his judgement … that’s what we’ve done … the lads did brilliantly last season … to win the Championship a lot of good things have to happen … so inside the training ground it’s been really positive … a really good spirit … it’s a massive step up to the Premier League … one thing that we can do is give everything and play well … show an identity … keep the good thing going … also tailor it to what’s coming … some things might have to look a little bit different … it’s about putting a plan together.”
Jamie Vardy starts for Leicester City. Bobby Decordova-Reid and Facundo Buonanotte make their debuts. It’s too early for a sighting of former Spurs man Oliver Skipp.
Tottenham also have a debutant in their starting XI: £65m striker Dominic Solanke. Exciting new midfielders Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall are on the bench. James Maddison returns to his old club for the first time since leaving for Spurs last year.
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The teams
Leicester City: Hermansen, Justin, Faes, Vestergaard, Kristiansen, Ndidi, Winks, Fatawu, Buonanotte, De Cordova-Reid, Vardy.
Subs: Ward, Okoli, Mavididi, Choudhury, Ricardo Pereira, Soumare, Nelson, Cannon, McAteer.
Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie, Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison, Johnson, Solanke, Son.
Subs: Austin, Dragusin, Richarlison, Gray, Bergvall, Werner, Kulusevski, Spence, Davies.
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh (Lancashire).
Our XI to start our @premierleague season 📝#LEITOT pic.twitter.com/KE9ZhGxzfD
— Leicester City (@LCFC) August 19, 2024
Your first Spurs team of 2024/25! 🤍
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 19, 2024
🔢 @krakenfx pic.twitter.com/NwgfiWmLFW
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Preamble / Harbinger
The very first time these two clubs met in this fixture, in the FA Cup in 1914, the game ended 5-5. Since then, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur have met another 119 times, and there’s only been one goalless draw, at White Hart Lane in 1948. The last time the teams met, at the King Power in 2023, Leicester won 4-1, payback for the 6-2 thrashing Spurs gave them a few months earlier at their place. And in 34 Premier League meetings, these clubs have shared 128 goals at an average of 3.76 per game, the highest rate in the competition’s history. So tonight’s match comes with as close to a guarantee of goals as you’re ever going to get. Don’t disappoint us by cocking a snook to history, now, chaps. Kick-off is at 8pm BST. It’s on!
PARISH NOTICE: In the event of the first-ever 0-0 in this fixture, apologies for jinxing it will be made just after 10pm.
