Veteran striker Jamie Vardy earned newly-promoted Leicester City a 1-1 draw with a profligate Tottenham Hotspur in their Premier League season opener on Monday. Spurs dominated the first half but Pedro Porro's opener in the 29th minute was the only time they could make one of a host of good chances count. Further clear-cut opportunities came and went after the break, with the visitors' wastefulness proving costly when Leicester skipper Vardy headed an equaliser into the net with 57 minutes gone. Brazilian Richarlison missed a golden opening to win it at the death and Spurs had to settle for one point in a match they really should have taken all three from.
The funny thing is Jamie Vardy was not supposed to feature. He had not played since limping out of a pre-season friendly against Villarreal a month ago with a knee injury but volunteered to play with Leicester desperately short of options in attack. Had this game kicked off and not capped the return of the Premier League then he would not have made it. By the end here, however, Vardy, who turns 38 in January, left his indelible mark, cementing his status as one of the game’s most reliable goalscorers and most iconic pantomime villains.
After Vardy stunned Tottenham by scoring an unlikely equaliser approaching the hour, he saluted the Leicester supporters, puffed out his chest and blew kisses to the crowd. But his animated exchange with the Spurs fans housed in a pocket of the stadium upon being substituted upstaged his celebration. As Vardy was roundly jeered by the travelling supporters he took great pleasure in pointing to the Premier League badge on the forearm of his shirt, a nod to Leicester’s extraordinary title win in 2016. As if to labour the point he made it abundantly clear that it is 1-0 to Leicester in that department.
The Premier League is back, and so are Spurs, who contrived to leave with a point from a game they could have won twice over. Rodrigo Bentancur left the pitch on a stretcher after five minutes of treatment following a clash of heads with Abdul Fatawu. Leicester had a single touch in Tottenham’s 18-yard box in the first half, a forgettable pass from Bobby Decordova-Reid, who registered their sole shot, a wayward Hollywood attempt to lob Guglielmo Vicario from 40 yards.
The hosts trailed to Pedro Porro’s header but the Spurs debutant Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson passed up chances to double the advantage. In the end, Leicester could have snatched victory, with Vicario superbly repelling Vardy and then Wilfred Ndidi, whose header he pushed round a post. Vicario went berserk at the substitute Lucas Bergvall, who cheaply surrendered possession, allowing Leicester to fashion an opening at the beginning of nine minutes of second-half stoppage time. The Spurs No 9 Richarlison had the final chance of the match, the substitute heading over unmarked after eluding Victor Kristiansen.
A Dominant First Half for Tottenham
When Spurs took the lead in the 29th minute the only surprise was the goalscorer, with the right-back Porro wheeling away after glancing in James Maddison’s delightful cross. Maddison, facing his former club for the first time since exiting last summer, started the move on halfway, pushing a pass to Son Heung-min with the outside of his boot. Maddison continued his run and waited for the return for Son. From there, with a single swish of the right foot, Maddison put in a wicked cross and an alert Porro rippled the net with a smart header.
At that point Leicester had to be grateful they were not further behind; Spurs had more than 70% possession, had made twice as many passes and the shot count was seven to nil. Ndidi made an acrobatic goalline clearance after Bentancur flicked on Maddison’s corner at the front post and Solanke sent a header straight at Mads Hermansen. Maddison later tried to locate Solanke after Spurs flipped the ball from front to back, via Bentancur and Pape Sarr, but the Leicester centre-back Wout Faes did just enough, getting touch-tight to his man.
Leicester's Fightback
The on-loan Facundo Buonanotte was Leicester’s brightest spark in a first half in which they were thoroughly overwhelmed and outplayed. Buonanotte nutmegged Sarr on halfway and clipped a neat pass towards Decordova-Reid after twirling clear at a throw-in, but these were footnotes. Spurs were bossing the game.
Or at least they were until the 57th minute when something unforeseen happened: Leicester mustered their first shot on target and only their second of the match. Kristiansen, who spent last season on loan at Bologna, sent a cross zooming across the box and Fatawu collected the ball on the opposite flank. Fatawu spied Vardy, lurking behind Cristian Romero, and the striker nodded in unmarked. To the amazement of just about everyone inside the ground, Leicester were level.
A Night of Missed Opportunities for Spurs
A couple of minutes earlier Solanke stung the palms of Hermansen. Spurs had been enjoying themselves, Maddison toying with his former team, but suddenly they were vulnerable. Bentancur was booked when crudely halting a Leicester counter after Maddison was guilty of overplaying on the edge of the Leicester box. Ndidi flashed a shot against the side netting. Buonanotte threaded Vardy through one on one with Vicario in the 70th minute but he could not generate enough power to beat the Spurs goalkeeper. Vardy booted thin air in frustration.
Spurs were readying changes before Bentancur went down in the box. Both sets of players looked distressed but after five minutes of treatment the Uruguay midfielder departed the pitch on a stretcher. Archie Gray and Bergvall entered for their debuts, while Dejan Kulusevski replaced Maddison, who applauded all four sides of the stadium. It was mainly cheers as opposed to jeers. It is fair to say Vardy will not get the same reception at Tottenham in January.
