Tottenham 1-2 Leicester: Foxes heap further pressure on Postecoglou as Spurs extend winless streak | OneFootball

As they approached this match, Tottenham and Leicester found themselves in two of the bottom three positions on the Premier League form table.

Both teams and Southampton had not won any of their last six matches. The Lilywhites earned just one point out of a possible 18, while the Foxes lost all their games during that stretch. It would be an understatement to say that both managers, Ange Postecoglou and Ruud van Nistelrooy, face considerable pressure.

Leicester had already let go of one head coach this season, making it unlikely they would part ways with Steve Cooper’s successor. The Foxes aimed merely for survival in their first season back in the Premier League, while Tottenham were anticipated to achieve much more. Despite initial expectations, they have fallen short, and following today’s 1-2 defeat, Postecoglou’s position may be in jeopardy as the pressure to achieve results that match the club’s ambitions remains high.

The atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has become quite toxic, with chants of “We want Levy out” echoing around the ground. This discontent was felt both before Spurs finally broke the deadlock and after Leicester remarkably turned the game around following the half-time break, scoring twice in a four-minute span.

After making cameo appearances in the Spurs’ last two league matches, after recently missing 10 straight matches due to a hamstring injury, Richarlison started his first Premier League game of the season—his seventh overall appearance—and took just 33 minutes to break the deadlock, marking his second consecutive match with a goal.

This was a straightforward effort, but sometimes that’s all it takes to score against Leicester’s current defence. Pedro Porro delivered a cross from the right side that took Wout Faes out of the play, allowing Richarlison to stoop down and head the ball in from close range. It marked Porro’s fifth assist of the Premier League season. Since making his debut in the competition in February 2023, no defender has recorded more combined goals and assists than Porro, totalling 23, tied with Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Following a first half lacked excitement, with the highlight being the cross from Porro that set up Richarlison’s goal. This moment stood out amid a generally uninspiring performance, while Leicester seemed to be struggling to make an impact.

Soon after the second 45 minutes began, Bobby De Cordova-Reid initiated a break down the left side. He got behind Porro and, with his low cross, created chaos in the box, allowing Jamie Vardy to bundle his way to the goal and score from close range.

He scored his 10th goal against Spurs, bringing his total to 21 goals against them and their North London rivals Arsenal combined. Additionally, the Foxes’ cult hero has now become the fifth player in Premier League history to be directly involved in 10 or more goals in a single season at the age of 37 or older. The others on this list include Teddy Sheringham (2003/04), Gary Speed (2006/07), Ryan Giggs (2011/12), and Cristiano Ronaldo (2021/22).

Vardy’s equaliser triggered pandemonium in the away end. It was a nightmare start to the second half for Spurs, which only worsened when Bilal El Khannouss found himself with plenty of space to shoot from 25 yards out. Antonín Kinsky, frustrated with his players, questioned their lack of intensity and determination. However, it completed a remarkable turnaround for Leicester. At the same time, Spurs conceded two goals in the opening five minutes of a Premier League second half for the first time since November 1997 against Liverpool.

Leicester dominated Spurs, leading to boos from the home fans after Richarlison was substituted. The atmosphere in the North London stadium was starting to turn hostile. And can you blame the supporters? This season, Tottenham have gone ahead on 15 occasions but has only won seven of those Premier League matches and lost five times. Indeed, they’ve lost 21 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, more than any other team.

Only Southampton have accumulated fewer Premier League points than Spurs since the beginning of December, with Spurs earning just five points. Postecoglou is now the second Tottenham manager, after David Pleat in the 2003/04 season, to experience two separate streaks of four consecutive losses. And with their loss today, it was the first time since the defeat to Notts County in 1912 that Tottenham lost at home to a team that had lost their previous seven league games consecutively.

As for Leicester, they secured a crucial victory in their battle against relegation, having parted ways with Cooper. Newly appointed manager Van Nistelrooy began his tenure with a 3-1 win over West Ham, but the team then struggled, earning only one point from 24 available and losing seven consecutive matches. This remarkable win not only ended their losing streak but also lifted them out of the bottom three. However, they are still not completely out of danger.

Cooper was the second Premier League manager to be sacked this season, following Erik ten Hag from Manchester United. Since then, Gary O’Neil (Wolves), Russell Martin (Southampton), Julen Lopetegui (West Ham), and Sean Dyche (Everton) have also been dismissed.

Postecoglou — who has now overseen a seven-game Premier League winless run (six losses and one draw) — is not helping his chances of joining the list of sacked managers, especially considering that Spurs have a recent history of making managerial changes during a season.

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