Premier League
Spurs
May 13, 2018 3.00pm
5
4
HT : 1 2
FT
Leicester
  • Harry Kane 7' goal
  • Erik Lamela 50' goal
  • Christian Fuchs 53' goal
  • Victor Wanyama 55' yellowcard
  • Erik Lamela 60' goal
  • Harry Kane 76' goal
  • goal Jamie Vardy 4'
  • goal Riyad Mahrez 17'
  • goal Kelechi Iheanacho 47'
  • goal Jamie Vardy 73'
  • yellowcard Hamza Choudhury 83'
  • yellowcard Adrien Silva 90'

Live Commentary: Tottenham Hotspur 5-4 Leicester City - as it happened

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Tottenham 5-4 Leicester - as it happened
© SilverHub

Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City have produced one of the games of the season on the final day of the 2017-18 Premier League campaign, with Spurs winning the match 5-4.

The London outfit, who were playing their final home game at Wembley Stadium, went into half time trailing 2-1 and looked dead and buried when Kelechi Iheanacho netted the Foxes' third after the break.

However, a double from Erik Lamela coupled with Christian Fuchs's own goal turned the game on its head.

There proved to be another twist in the tale as Jamie Vardy briefly made it 4-4 before Harry Kane's 30th league goal of the season nicked the points for Spurs.

Find out how the action unfolded with Sports Mole's text commentary below.

5.02pmAnd that's all we have time for at Wembley Stadium on the final day of the Premier League season. It's been an absolute blast. Many thanks for joining us here and be sure to stick with Sports Mole for our ongoing coverage of the final day.

5.00pmThe full-time whistle sounds and marks the end of the 2017-18 Premier League campaign for these two sides. They both certainly saved the best until last, producing an incredible nine goals between them in Tottenham's Wembley farewell. That result sees Spurs finish the campaign in third while Leicester remain in eighth.

90+6 minFULL TIME! Tottenham Hotspur 5-4 Leicester City

90+4 minWalker-Peters falls awkwardly and looks in some discomfort. He needs treatment on the ground but eventually gets to his feet to soldier on.

90+2 minLeicester are biding there time here and opting for patient build-up play. Their counters are no longer effective now that Spurs have an extra man at the back. The only problem for the Foxes is that they have just three minutes to find an equaliser.

90 minBOOKING! Adrien Silva goes into the book for a mistimed lunge as the board goes up with five minutes of stoppage time on it.

88 minThe urgency has gone out of the match now. After sharing a whopping nine goals between them, there are some tired legs out there in these two teams.

86 minSUBSTITUTION: Iheanacho is withdrawn and Barnes comes on for a rare runout this game reaches the dying embers.

84 minCould this be the game of the season? It's certainly been a rollercoaster ride, but both defences appear to have gone AWOL. Even so, this one has had everything. Twists, turns, braces and broken records.

82 minSUBSTITUTION: Moussa Sissoko is replaced by Heung-Min Son as Spurs make another change.

80 minBoth Kane and Salah's goalscoring feats combined this season have equalled a record for the Premier League. Check this out...

78 minSUBSTITUTION: Spurs throw on an extra defender in a bid to see this one out. Sanchez comes on to replace Lamela, who leaves the park to a standing ovation.

76 minUnbelievable scenes at Wembley as Kane smashes home the ninth goal of the match and his 30th of the league campaign. Danny Rose picked out his teammate in the box and the prolific hitman curls a shot into the back of the net from 12 yards out.

76 minGOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 5-4 Leicester City (Harry Kane)

75 minSUBSTITUTION: Spurs make a change as Alli comes on for Lucas in a like-for-like swap.

73 minVardy makes it a brace! Once again it's Mahrez who feeds the England international, capping off a blistering counter by sliding a cutting ball through to the striker, who fires his shot into the roof of the net.

73 minGOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 4-4 Leicester City (Jamie Vardy)

71 minWe're into the final 20 minutes now and it definitely feels like there are more goals in this one. Both defences appear to have clocked off for pre-season early!

69 minThat's poor from Mahrez. Diabate lines up the Algerian and gives him a clear sight at goal, but he directs a tame shot straight at Lloris.

67 minAs things stand, Spurs will finish third and Leicester will end up coming in ninth unless they can find a way back into this one.

65 minCHANCE! Iheanacho almost gets Leicester on level terms as he collects Mahrez's pass and lets fly, forcing Lloris into an impressive save from close range.

62 minSUBSTITUTION: Diabate comes on for Leicester in place of Gray, who may have been hauled off as a punishment for the error which led to Tottenham's fourth goal.

60 minAbsolutely incredible stuff. Spurs looked dead and buried when Leicester netted their third, but they've turned this one on its head. Walker-Peters capitalises on a wayward pass from Gray and plays a low cross into the box where Lamela is on hand to guide the ball over the line. That's two assists for Walker-Peters and two goals for Lamela.

60 minGOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 Leicester City (Erik Lamela)

59 minThis game has been won and lost in the midfield. Spurs' was ineffective in the frist period, but they are controlling the action from the engine room now. What kind of difference will Choudhury's introduction make?

57 minSUBSTITUTION: Leicester make their first chance of the match and it's an attacking one. Choudhury bolsters the midfield, coming on to replace Simpson.

55 minBOOKING! The first booking of the match goes to Wanyama for pulling Iheanacho to the ground.

53 minWould you believe it? Spurs are now level! After trailing 3-1 just moments ago, a Fuchs own goal has restored parity. Lamela shoots towards goal and the ball ends up in the back of the net via a huge deflection off the Foxes defender.

53 minGOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 3-3 Leicester City (Christian Fuchs)

51 minTottenham looked buoyed by that Lamela strike. They've kept the ball in the opposition's half since clawing one back and are about to launch into another counter.

49 minIt's raining goals at Wembley and Spurs are back in this one now. Kyle Walker-Peters, who's had a poor game up to now, swings a low cross into the penalty area for Lamela to guide home from close range. What a start to the second half!

49 minGOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 2-3 Leicester City (Erik Lamela)

47 minThe second half starts with a bang, not to mention the goal of the afternoon! Kelechi Iheanacho gives Spurs a mountain to climb, pouncing on Dier's weak headed clearance and beating Lloris with a stunning strike straight into the top corner from 25 yards. That hit the net like a guided missile.

47 minGOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Leicester City (Kelechi Iheanacho)

46 minKICKOFF! The final 45 minutes of the Premier League season are underway as Leicester kick us back off at Wembley.

4.02pmAs things stand, Spurs will drop down one place to fourth in the final standings, due to Liverpool leading Brighton, while Leicester will move up one to eight because Everton are trailing at West Ham.

4.00pmHere at Wembley, Spurs have claimed 67% of the possession but the Foxes have done a lot more with the ball. The visitors have produced eight shots, four of which were on target, versus Tottenham's seven shots and three on target.

3.58pmHere are the other scores from around the grounds at half time...

3.56pmVardy and Mahrez have run the show this afternoon, and there's definitely a sense that Spurs have underestimated their opponents. Their creative players Sissoko and Eriksen have been woefully unproductive today, but when you've got Kane up front, you can turn a game on its head in a split second.

3.55pmLeicester head into half time leading Spurs by two goals to one at Wembley, and you have to hand it to them, the lead is deserved.

45+2 minHALF TIME: Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Leicester City

44 minLeicester are keeping possession so well here. The board has just gone up and there will be two minutes of stoppage time to play.

42 minNo chances to report these past few minutes as Leicester continue to hold firm. Here is a collection of action shots from the first period as we head towards half time...

40 minSpurs are showing more attacking intent now and seeing a lot more of the ball. There seems to be a renewed willingness about them, but the Foxes are holding firm and soaking up the pressure. This will delight Puel, who has gotten his tactics spot on today.

38 minUPDATE! Liverpool are now 2-0 up thanks to a goal from Dejan Lovren. As it stands, Spurs are looking at a fourth-placed finish.

36 minThe hosts finally apply some pressure as a dangerous cross from Eriksen - who has been quiet so far this afternoon - proves too hot for Jakupovic to handle. He spills the ball with Kane lurking dangerously nearby, but his defence reacts quickly to clear their lines.

34 minSpurs have started losing the midfield battle now. The Foxes are holding the ball up in the middle of the park and looking for opportunities to counter. Since the hosts are struggling to win it back, they are bound to find them sooner or later.

32 minUPDATE! Something has changed at Anfield and it's a development that has a bearning on this game. Mo Salah has fired Liverpool in front, which will send the Reds up to third as things stand and all-but end Kane's hopes of bagging the Golden Boot.

30 minHalf an hour gone and we have a cracker of a contest on our hands. Three goals, end-to-end action and the underdogs deserved leaders. Who knows which way this game will swing next?

28 minThere's a half-chance for the Foxes as Vardy's nod-on almost falls kindly for Maguire to hit in front of goal, but the defender loses his footing at the last second and fails to connect with his teammate's delivery.

26 minCLOSE! Leicester almost have a third as a pacey break lead by Vardy ends with the striker lining up Gray and the winger shooting first time. Lloris gets down quickly to parry the ball away!

24 minCHANCE! Spurs are unable to force the issue, despite getting two bites of the cherry! First, Jakupovic reacts quickly to keep out Dier's powerful header, then Lucas is unlucky to narrowly miss the target with a vicious 20-yard drive. This is the kind of pressure Spurs must keep up!

22 minGood defending from Simpson keeps Spurs at bay. A cross comes in towards Leicester's back post but the defender is on hand to hoist it clear with a powerful header, beating Danny Rose to the lofted pass.

20 minKane and Mahrez have been on the same page all afternoon, and if you want further proof of how well they link up, take a look at this stat...

18 minThe Foxes are on course to pull off a feat that has not been achieved since Manchester United did it in 2011 - beating both North London clubs in consequtive fixtures. There's still a good while to go in this game, though, and I can see it taking a few twists and turns from here.

17 minLeicester are back in front at Wembley. Slack defending from Walker-Peters allows Vardy to find space in the penalty area. He squares a pass to Mahrez, who does the rest, rilfing a shot beyond Lloris from close range.

17 minGOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Leicester City (Riyad Mahrez)

15 minSpurs are commiting men forward in numbers, but they need to be warry of Vardy and Mahrez. Those two are on each other's wavelength this afternoon and look like hitting the hosts on the break if they are given half a yard in the final third.

13 minSpurs have kept the Foxes under the cosh since taking the lead. Alderweireld is the latest of their players to try his luck, hitting a strike from 20 yards, but directing it straight into the arms of Jakupovic in the Foxes' goal.

11 minIn all competitions, Kane's strike has seen him equal a club record for Spurs...

9 minKane may be lagging behind Liverpool's Mo Salah in the race for the Golden Boot but that strike has put him on 29 for the season. One more and he will have hit the 30-goals mark for the second season in a row.

7 minSensational! Spurs register an immediate response through Kane. Lucas managed to pick Simpson's pocket in the final third and slide a through-pass to the England international, who was never going to miss from close range. Game on!

7 minGOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Leicester City (Harry Kane)

6 minSpurs look determined to level things up here. Straight from the restart they are on the front foot with Lucas leading the charge on a blistering counter.

4 minA sensational and unexpected start to the afternoon as Vardy puts away a glancing header right from the free kick. Mahrez provided an expert delivery, his 10th assist of the season, floating a cross in exactly the right place for the rising Vardy to nod over the line.

4 minGOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Leicester City (Jamie Vardy)

3 minLeicester are the first to venture forward and they win a free kick deep in the Spurs half right from the off.

1 minKICKOFF! Spurs get the match underway. Incidentally, this is Tottenham's 1,000th Premier League game. Can Leicester spoil their milestone celebrations? Stick around to find out.

2.58pmStay tuned for minute-by-minute updates from this Premier League final-day clash at Wembley Stadium!

2.57pmLEICESTER XI: Jakupovic, Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs, Gray, Silva, Iborra, Mahrez, Iheanacho, Vardy

2.57pmTOTTENHAM XI: Lloris, Walker-Peters, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose, Dier, Sissoko, Lamela, Eriksen, Lucas, Kane

2.56pmThere's just moments to go until kickoff now, so here's a recap on the starting XIs...

2.55pmPUEL: "I know for Tottenham and for us it will be great to play this game at Wembley. It will be the last game for Spurs and for us a great opportunity to play in front of fantastic fans and people, in a fantastic stadium."

2.53pmPOCHETTINO: "I want to say thank you to the players, first of all, because they have worked so hard to achieve this and big congratulations to our staff and everyone at Tottenham. To be in the Champions League next season is massive for the club."
© SilverHub

2.51pmPre-match quotes from the managers on the way...

2.49pmPREDICTION: After crunching all of the numbers, I'm going for a Tottenham win today. It's been a shaky end to the campaign for the hosts, but there's is more negativity around the Leicester camp as rumours linking Puel with the exit intensify. I can't see the Foxes holding off Kane all afternoon, so I'm going with 2-0 Spurs.

2.47pmAt Wembley, these teams have met twice - in the 1961 FA Cup final and the 1999 League Cup final - and Spurs won on both of those occasions.

2.45pmThe Foxes have already beaten Spurs once this season, winning 2-1 at the King Power thanks to goals from Vardy and Mahrez, but they haven't completed a league double over them since the 1998-99 campaign.

2.43pmAlthough Spurs have beaten Leicester only once in their last five attempts in the Premier League, that win was an emphatic 6-1 victory coming in May last year.

2.42pmLet's take a look at the head-to-head record these teams share...

2.40pmJamie Vardy is the one to watch for the visitors today. Although the England international hasn't been quite as prolific since Leicester's title-winning campaign, he's always up for the big games. Vardy has scored 24 times against top-six opposition since making his Foxes debut in 2014, more than any other player.

2.38pmNot only do the Foxes tend to struggle in London - having lost their last six Premier League matches in the capital - it isn't often that a team beats both North London clubs in consecutive fixtures. Manchester United were the last team to pull that off in 2011.

2.37pmThat victory over the Gunners at the King Power Stadium ended a winless run spanning five matches, but history suggests they will have a hard time building on it.

2.35pmOver to Leicester now, and they will head into this match on a confidence boost, having defeated Arsenal convincingly in their last Premier League outing.

2.33pmSon Heung-Min is another player the Foxes need to keep a close eye on today, if he comes on off the bench. The South Korean has been involved in more home goals in all competitions for Spurs this season than any of his teammates - that's 14 goals and nine assists, to be precise.

2.31pmThe aforementioned Kane has scored 13 times in his last 14 appearances on this ground and loves to score against the Foxes. The England international has netted nine times against today's opposition, more than he's hit against any other team.
© Offside

2.29pmAlong with Harry Kane's goals, the key to their success this season is solid defensive foundations. Pochettino's side are masters of the clean sheet and if they keep one today, they will equal a club record of 17 in a season.

2.28pmWembley has been a happy home-from-home for Spurs of late. Since losing their opening fixture here this season, they have been beaten just once in the 17 which followed, a run that includes 12 wins and four draws. Not too shabby!

2.26pmLet's take a look at some of the stats that matter head of this game, and we'll start with Tottenham's recent form.

2.24pmHuddersfield Town boss David Wagner has been touted as a possible replacement for Puel, whose side head into this one in ninth in the league. They can only move as high as eighth with a win, and that is providing Everton slip up at West Ham United.

2.22pmThe back-page headlines around Leicester ahead of the game concern the future of manager Claude Puel. Reports suggest the club's hierarchy have lost faith in his ability to take the team forwards, and even a win in London today might not change that.
© SilverHub

2.20pmAs we've already mentioned, this is Tottenham's final home match at Wembley before they move into the new and improved White Hart Lane. They head into that game in third place in the table with Champions League football already confirmed for the next season. A win will keep them there, but any other result could see Liverpool push them down to fourth if they defeat Brighton at Anfield.

2.18pmDanny Simpson passed a late fitness test to claim a place at the back, while Iheanacho keeps his place in the attack after getting in among the goals against Arsenal last time out, partnering Jamie Vardy.
© Offside

2.16pmPuel also took no chances on the match fitness of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, so Bosnian-Swiss stopper Eldin Jakupovic starts between the sticks today.

2.14pmOver to Leicester, and their list of absentees was extensive for this one - Ben Chilwell, Robert Huth, Daniel Amartey, Vicente Iborra, Wilfred Ndidi, Matty James and Shinji Okazaki are all out injured, while Marc Albrighton is suspended.

2.12pmErik Lamela will partner top goalscorer Harry Kane up front, while former Paris Saint-Germain star Lucas Moura gets the chance to impress in an advanced midfield position. Meanwhile, Victor Wanyama passed a late fitness test to claim a spot on the bench.

2.10pmSpurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has named a lineup comprised of a mixture of first-team regulars and fringe players. Youngster Kyle Walker-Peters gets a run-out in defence along with Danny Rose, who has been tipped to leave the club this summer.

2.08pmLet's take a closer look at the two starting XI for this afternoon. The big news for Spurs is the return of Eric Dier, who missed the win over Newcastle United last time out through illness.
© Offside

2.06pmLEICESTER SUBS: Hamer, Benalouane, Hughes, Choudhury, Barnes, Diabate, Ndukwu

2.05pmLEICESTER XI: Jakupovic, Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs, Gray, Silva, Iborra, Mahrez, Iheanacho, Vardy

2.04pmSPURS SUBS: Vorm, Davies, Foyth, Wanyama, Alli, Son, Llorente

2.03pmTOTTENHAM XI: Lloris, Walker-Peters, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose, Dier, Sissoko, Lamela, Eriksen, Lucas, Kane

2.02pmThis is Tottenham's final match at the national stadium before they move into the revamped White Hart Lane, and it could also be Claude Puel's final game in charge of Leicester, given that there are huge question marks around his future at the King Power Stadium. We'll address those points in more depth shortly, but right now, it's time for team news.

2.00pmGood afternoon and welcome to our live text coverage of the final-day Premier League clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City. Spurs have already secured European football ahead of kickoff and the Foxes cannot regardless of the result, but there are plenty of talking points surrounding this match nonetheless.
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