Late Robert Huth header sinks Spurs and sends Leicester joint top
Premier League, White Hart Lane - Tottenham 0 Leicester 1 (Huth 83)
Robert Huth headed a late winner as Leicester beat Spurs to maintain their unlikely Premier League title charge.
This was part two of the Spurs-Leicester trilogy, with this vital league clash sandwiched between two FA Cup games, with the first ending 2-2 on Sunday.
Spurs were lucky to get through that game unscathed, with Harry Kane saving them with a late penalty, but there was no such luck this time for the home side as a full-strength Leicester frustrated Tottenham for long periods.
Tottenham started the brighter at White Hart Lane and dominated much of the possession, but struggled to create any chances to reflect their early superiority.
Instead, Leicester went close and Danny Drinkwater could have given the visitors the lead if not for a vital save from Hugo Lloris. The Spurs keeper made another vital save in the second half, diving at the feet to deny the returning Jamie Vardy in the box.
The pendulum appeared to be swinging Tottenham’s way when Kane went clean through after a neat ball by Erik Lamela, only for Kane’s goalbound effort to be denied by a brilliant Kasper Schmeichel stop.
With game appearing set for a stalemate, slack Spurs marking at a deep Christian Fuchs corner allowed Robert Huth space to nod the ball back across Lloris’s goal, leaving the Frenchman stranded and Leicester celebrating in front of the jubilant travelling fans.
KEY MOMENTS
19’ CHANCE! Spurs making problems for themselves. Walker gives the ball away after Lloris put him under pressure with a clearance. The ball drops to Vardy, but Vertonghen makes a superb last-ditch block in the block. No margin for error there.
23’ CHANCE! Kante leads a blistering Leicester counter-attack, crossing for Okazaki, who can't quite turn in the box and get a shot away. Dier makes a vital block and Spurs unconvincingly hack it away.
26’ FINE SAVE LLORIS! Great hit by Drinkwater from 25 yards and Lloris pulls off an excellent stop low to his left.
31’ ERIKSEN CHANCE! The Dane is found by Kane 20 yards out and whips a shot at goal, which Schmeichel bats out with a flying save to his left.
56’ LAMELA CHANCE! Davies bursts down the left and picks out Lamela, whose shot deflects inches wide for a corner.
75’ CHANCE! Lamela gets in front of Fuchs and fires just over from a cross by Davies.
83’ GOAL! Tottenham 0-1 Leicester: Huth scores for Leicester! A deep corner finds Huth at the far post and the German heads the ball into the opposite corner and Leicester have a late goal here!
KEY STATS
Robert Huth's goal ends a run of 374 minutes without a Premier League goal for Leicester.
Since scoring in 11 consecutive Premier League games, Jamie Vardy has managed one goal and six shots on target in seven matches
MATCHCAST: FULL COMMENTARY & STATS
TALKING POINT
Can Leicester actually win the Premier League? Yes. Yes, they can. It’s mid-January and they are still going to teams with top four ambitions and beating them. They’re doing so by playing mature football, soaking up the pressure and hitting teams on the break with speed and directness. And don’t let it be said that this team needs Mahrez and Vardy to win. This Leicester team is built on defensive solidity, a hard-working ethos and a dynamic attack.Arsenal, Manchester City or Leicester will win the league this season.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Christian Fuchs (Leicester) – The signing of the season? A superb find by Leicester, who plucked him from Schalke and has been a revelation at left-back. Dealt with Kane & co with apparent ease, provided a key attacking option and delivered the corner from which Huth headed the winner.
PLAYER RATINGS
Tottenham: Lloris 7, Walker 6, Alderweireld 7, Vertonghen 8, Davies 6; Carroll 6, Dier 8; Lamela 8, Eriksen 6, Alli 6; Kane 7. Subs: Dembele n/a, Onomah n/a, Son n/a.
Leicester: Schmeichel 8, Simpson 7, Morgan 7, Huth 7, Fuchs 9, Mahrez 6, Kanté 6, Drinkwater 8, Albrighton 6, Okazaki 7, Vardy 7. Subs: King n/a Ulloa 6, Dyer n/a.
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