Tottenham 0-2 Leicester: Jamie Vardy wreaks havoc to end nightmare week for Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho can take little satisfaction from the fact he foretold this festive meltdown from Serge Aurier.
‘I am afraid of you as a marker,’ said Mourinho to Aurier during the All of Nothing series filmed last season, behind the scenes at Tottenham. ‘You are capable of doing a sh** penalty with VAR. So I am telling you already, I am afraid of you.’
And so it came to pass. With this game drifting through stoppage time at the end of the first half, Aurier barged needlessly into Wesley Fofana from behind, enabling Jamie Vardy to score from the penalty spot and set Leicester on course for victory.
Jamie Vardy wreaked havoc as Leicester made it a week to forget for Tottenham Hotspur with a 2-0 win in north London
Vardy gave the Foxes a half time lead after converting from the penalty spot thanks to a rash challenge made by Serge Aurier
Leicester’s talisman celebrates after giving Brendan Rodgers’ side the lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday
Craig Pawson was advised by VAR to review the incident in which Aurier went into the back of Fofana inside his own box
‘It’s not a penalty created from a sequence of something great,’ groaned Mourinho afterwards. ‘It’s a penalty we commit.’
Indeed, Fofana was going nowhere, heading away from goal in the corner of the penalty box when Aurier bundled into him from behind. Referee Craig Pawson pointed to the spot after he was advised by the VAR to check out the replay on his pitch-side monitor.
It was a moment of madness from a right-back who has now conceded four Premier League penalties since arriving at Spurs in 2017, and only David Luiz, Arsenal’s epitome of reckless defending, has conceded more during that time.
Vardy made the chance count, taking him to 13 goals in all competitions this season, before going on to force Leicester’s second of the game, turned into his own net by Toby Alderweireld.
Tottenham, in truth, deserved nothing and have only one point from three games.
They shaded possession against Brendan Rodgers’ team and yet they never hit their stride.
Mourinho’s criticism focused on the passive opening phase. ‘We started bad,’ said the Spurs boss. ‘The first 20 minutes were a poor performance. Empty spots in terms of pressing, attitude, recovering the ball, I didn’t like it at all.’
Vardy was at the heart of Leicester’s second as his header came off Toby Alderweireld who turned the ball into his own net
The Englishman lets out a roar in celebration after putting the visitors in control during the top four clash in north London
James Maddison put the ball in the back of the net within minutes of the second half starting but it was ruled out for offside
Fofana went close to opening the scoring but he was unable to direct his header goalwards from a James Maddison set piece
Alderweireld looks to stop Jamie Vardy in his tracks as both sides looked to pose a threat on the counter attack
Harry Kane watches on as Spurs struggled to carve out many openings against a resolute Leicester City defence
Kane heads the ball goalwards but fails to get enough purchase to challenge Kasper Schmeichel between the sticks
He thought they improved and he was right, although this was as flat as they have been over 90 minutes since the defeat at home against Everton in the opening fixture of the season.
The usual telepathic link between Harry Kane and Son Heung-min seemed to be off kilter. Gareth Bale made no impact from the bench. Nor did Lucas Moura or Harry Winks. Dele Alli was available but did not even make the list of nine subs.
The first half hour passed almost entirely without incident, and gradually the contest began to show signs of life as it approached the half-time interval.
Kane extended Kasper Schmeichel when his free-kick from 25 yards clipped Jonny Evans on the end of the wall. Schmeichel pushed it aside without too much trouble. Kane then climbed high and headed over from a corner.
At the other end, Lloris dived to keep out a deflected long-range effort from James Maddison but there was little danger when Aurier toppled Fofana and Vardy opened the scoring.
‘He made a mistake,’ said Mourinho, in no mood to castigate Aurier, who has been in good form this season. ‘The player made a mistake but before his mistake in minute 45 or 46 we had other players making mistakes in other areas of the pitch. I can’t blame a player for a mistake.
‘For me, it was unrelated to the context of the game because it came in our best period.’
In the land of the counter-attackers, however, he who scores first is king. Leicester dropped deeper, after the interval and become more of a threat on the break. Tottenham, on the other hand, ventured forward and looked more vulnerable and dishevelled at the back.
Harvey Barnes required medical assistance after a coming together with Giovanni Lo Celso midway through the first half
Son Heung-min cuts a dejected figure on a day in which the South Korean was offered limited chances to find the net
Sunday’s defeat means Jose Mourinho’s side have picked up just one point from their last three games as they drop the pace
Lloris saved at his near post early in the second half to deny Maddison, the Leicester playmaker who was then foiled by a hairline offside call.
Maddison collected a long pass forward from Wilfred Ndidi with a wonderful first-touch and finished coolly. There was no flag from the assistant referee but the VAR’s digital lines ruled him offside by millimetres. Purely, it appeared, by the angle of his upper body.
Leicester extended their lead when Vardy climbed high above Moussa Sissoko to reach a cross from Marc Albrighton. He headed the ball down, and back across goal where it struck Alderweireld on the thigh as he ran back towards his own goal.
The Spurs defender was only three yards out and Lloris had no chance as he was beaten again.
Tottenham mustered a late flurry. Schmeichel saved from Kane edge of box and produced a fine reflex save to keep out an effort from Son but the visitors held out with some degree of comfort.
Rodgers’ side has won six out of seven away from home in the Premier League and, for all the fuss about Mourinho’s title challenge, it will be they not Spurs who will be closest to leaders Liverpool at Christmas.
Re-live all the action brought to you by Sportsmail’s OLLIE LEWIS.
