Tottenham Hotspur regained third in the Premier League table courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium this evening.
Mauricio Pochettino rested Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen ahead of Tuesday's Champions League showdown with Barcelona but Spurs made light of their absence.
Son Heung-min opened the scoring with the game's first shot on target in first-half stoppage time, cutting in from the right and bending beyond Kasper Schmeichel from 22 yards.
Dele Alli doubled Tottenham's lead on 58 minutes by stooping to head home Son's cross for his 50th Spurs goal, and the Foxes never threatened to mount a comeback.
Relive how the action unfolded in the East Midlands with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
A bumper Premier League Saturday concludes at the King Power Stadium where Leicester City entertain Tottenham Hotspur, entertain being the key word there! The last time these sides met they shared nine goals, so here's hoping for a something similar tonight to justify this prime-time billing!
There is still a good 35 minutes left of the blockbuster clash between Chelsea and Man City at Stamford Bridge, where the hosts lead the unbeaten leaders 1-0 through N'golo Kante. You can follow the remainder of that one with my colleague Barney Corkhill.
Tottenham have the small matter of a trip to Catalonia to face Barcelona on Tuesday, when only victory is likely to be enough to salvage their Champions League campaign. Will that factor into Mauricio Pochettino's team selection tonight? Let's find out...
LEICESTER: Schmeichel; Pereira, Morgan, Evans, Chilwell; Mendy, Ndidi, Iborra; Maddison, Gray, Iheanacho
Subs: Ward, Fuchs, Maguire, Choudry, Albrighton, Ghezzal, Okazaki
Subs: Ward, Fuchs, Maguire, Choudry, Albrighton, Ghezzal, Okazaki
SPURS: Lloris; Aurier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Sissoko, Winks; Dele, Son, Lucas
Subs: Gazzaniga, Walker-Peters, Rose, Skipp, Eriksen, Nkoudou, Kane
Subs: Gazzaniga, Walker-Peters, Rose, Skipp, Eriksen, Nkoudou, Kane
Indeed Pochettino does have one eye on the Camp Nou showdown as he leaves Harry Kane out of his starting lineup. The only other games that the England striker has sat out this season have been in the EFL Cup, and the last time he did not start in the Premier League was in April's 3-1 win at Chelsea.
Leicester will be relieved to see Kane's name on the bench. The 25-year-old, who did spend a few months on loan at the King Power as a teenager, has a phenomenal goalscoring record against the Foxes, bagging 13 times in 11 meetings with them including seven on his three most recent outings.
Elsewhere Jan Vertonghen is restored after serving his one-match suspension in Wednesday's 3-1 win over Southampton. Juan Foyth has been enjoying a breakthrough run in the Spurs defence but he is missing with a hamstring strain so the classy Belgian pair of Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld are reunited.
Kieran Trippier made his return from injury against the Saints but a fresh groin problem has sidelined him this evening, with Pochettino taking extra precaution with Barca on the horizon. Serge Aurier is recalled and there is also a change on the other defensive flank as Ben Davies replaces Danny Rose.
Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli are also called back in after being rested in midweek, when Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura were both scorers and the form of the two wingers means that Pochettino can afford to keep Christian Eriksen, who is managing an abdominal problem, in reserve alongside Kane.
Erik Lamela, whose two goals in the season-ending 5-4 thriller with Leicester at Wembley in May set the platform for his career-best form this season, is still absent for Spurs, as is Victor Wanyama, Davinson Sanchez and Mousa Dembele. Georges-Kevin Nkoudou is brought in from the cold to complete the bench.
It is five changes in total from Tottenham, and four by Claude Puel from Leicester's 1-1 draw with Fulham. The Foxes boss may have been hoping to have Harry Maguire back after five weeks with a knee injury, but the World Cup hero is only on the bench so the fit-again Jonny Evans replces Caglar Soyuncu.
Ricardo Peirera and Demarai Gray are both recalled on the Leicester right, while Vicente Iborra is prefered to Marc Albrighton as Puel stiffens up his midfield which contains three holding players. Rachid Ghezzal is well enough to be named as a substitute, the Algerian yet to find his feet in English football.
No Kane for Spurs, and no Jamie Vardy for Leicester although the Foxes goalscoring hero is not even available from the bench because of a groin problem that may require surgery. Vardy has a good record against the Lilywhites - four goals and three assists in their last seven Premier League encounters.
In Vardy's absence, Kelechi Iheanacho leads the Leicester line but it will be James Maddison whom the hosts look to for attacking inspiration. The 22-year-old has taken to the top flight like a natural with five goals and two assists in 14 games, including a stunning volley in last weekend's win over Watford.
Interestingly, Spurs were linked to Maddison in the summer transfer window but opted not to pursue him as they thought buying from the Football League was 'too risky'. Riskier than being the only club in Europe's top five leagues to not signing anyone?! They should remember where they got Dele Alli from!
Maddison, who received his first senior England call up in October but is yet to be capped by Gareth Southgate, has been directly involved in more Premier League goals than any other Leicester player this season. Stepping into the attacking midfield void of Riyad Mahrez, he has filled those shoes very well.
Following last weekend's 2-0 triumph over Watford, the Foxes are seeking successive home league wins within a single season for the first time since January, although they did record back-to-back victories at the King Power against Arsenal and Wolves either side of the summer break.
Claude Puel's side have registered just four wins in 14 league games at home since the beginning of February, drawing six and losing four of the remaining 10. And this evening they are facing a side who boast an unrivalled 12 Premier League away victories in 2018, including seven from nine this term.
The Foxes do welcome Tottenham's happy travellers in decent form, though. Leicester's current six-match unbeaten league run is their longest since ending the title-winning 2015-16 season with a 12-match streak. However, that run has included four draws, so it is only two wins from eight in total.
RESULT: Chelsea have landed the first blow to Manchester City's title defence with a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge, David Luiz adding to N'golo Kante's first-half goal to inflict a maiden defeat on Pep Guardiola's boys this season. Liverpool will end the day top of the Premier League table.
AS IT STANDS: That Chelsea victory, and Arsenal's narrow win over Huddersfield earlier this afternoon, means that Spurs have slipped out of the top four prior to kickoff. A win tonight would see them regain third place, while three points for Leicester would take them up to spots to seventh.
A win would take Tottenham to 36 points, and represent their best record after 16 top-flight matches since the double-winning season of 1960-61, when they had the equivalent of 46 points under the old scoring rules. All that without a home ground and a single summer signing. Bravo, Mauricio.
During the Wembley years, Spurs have arguably found more joy on the road, away from the pressures of the national stadium. They lost at Arsenal last time out, but have not suffered consecutive away league defeats since November 2017, when Leicester dealth them one of three straight away losses.
Tottenham are the only team in the Premier League yet to draw a game this season, and have in fact gone 19 league matches without a draw since April's 1-1 stalemate with Brighton, winning 14 and losing five.
Around 10 minutes until kickoff at the King Power Stadium where we end what has been an eventful day in the Premier League. Visit our results section here to catch up on all of the earlier scores.
Pochettino's decision to rest Kane is especially surprising considering that December is his most prolific month. The England captain really enjoys the hustle and bustle of the busy festive programme, scoring 19 Premier League goals in December fixtures.
HEAD TO HEAD: While they were defeated at the King Power Stadium last season, Spurs do have some fond recent memories of this ground, recording their biggest ever Premier League away win when they beat Leicester 6-1 in May 2017, Kane bagging four on that occasion.
Since Leicester returned to the Premier League in 2014, this fixture has produced 34 goals - second only to Arsenal v Liverpool (38) during that period. This fixture guaranteed goals long before the Premier League's inception though - there has only been one goalless draw in 96 meetings between the two.
PREDICTION: Tonight could be the night that Tottenham's no-draw run ends. No Kane and no Eriksen takes away their two biggest attacking weapons and Leicester have set up to defend deep and break on Spurs so the visitors may find it difficult to regularly break the Foxes down. I'll go for 1-1.
KICKOFF: The action is underway at the King Power. Son Heung-min has started in the central striker role for Spurs but I'm sure there will be lots of rotation between the South Korean, Lucas and Alli.
It has been a well-balanced start here, with Spurs seeing most of the ball but Leicester getting into a couple of promising positions. Iheanacho made a good run into the right channel but Aurier followed his run and made the tackle.
Leicester try to counter from a Spurs free kick but Sissoko makes up good ground to halt Wilfried Ndidi. The Frenchman is enjoying his best run in a Tottenham shirt and that is the sort of stuff he has been doing very well.
Ndidi makes a run in behind and has too much pace for Vertonghen, but volleying Evans's long pass over his shoulder from 25 yards was perhaps overreaching from the Nigerian international, not known for his goalscoring.
YELLOW CARD! Referee Craig Pawson goes to his pocket early to caution Eric Dier, who flew into a tackle with Iheanacho and took the man as well as the ball. Dier is a bit unfortunate not to get away with that one with it being his first offence.
Chilwell escapes the attention of Aurier down the Leicester left and has loads of space from which to deliver a cross. Iheanacho is well placed, but so is Vertonghen at his front post to cut out the cross.
It has not been the best start from Spurs who have lacked crispness with their passing and can't stay forward in the Leicester half. Winks makes it really difficult for Davies with a pass into his throat, and Gray picks the ball up and wins another Leicester corner with a cross deflected off Vertonghen.
Referee Pawson evens up the card count by showing yellow to Mendy, who had caught the Achilles of Sissoko and left the Frenchman limping in pain. Pochettino wouldn't want to lose the in-form midfielder with Dembele and Wanyama already on the sidelines.
Davies overhits a free kick straight into the gloves of Schmeichel, and that is one place where Spurs will miss Eriksen tonight - on set pieces. The Dane's delivery is so good he has six assists this season and has only featured intermittently because of injury.
For the first time, Spurs are enjoying a sustained period in the Leicester half and Davies nearly works a shooting opportunity for Son, who is prevented from getting a shot away by Morgan standing up well. The attack ends with a brave Chilwell clearing header while he is clattered by Aurier.
The ball rolls invitingly into the path of Davies who has a great chance to run at Morgan but possesses neither the pace nor the confidence to do so. That is one area where Pochettino may be looking in the transfer market. Davies is a solid defender but the top full-backs these days offer so much going forward. Danny Rose of course is still at the club but is losing his battle to stay fit for any given time.
Gray tries to float a ball over the top for the run of Maddison through the middle but just has too much juice behind it. There have been a few 'nearly moments' for Leicester in this opening 23 minutes - good passes that have nearly yielded good opportunities, but not quite.
Tottenham create their first real opening, with Dier pinging a long ball over the top which Lucas brings down beautifully. It is too tight an angle to get a shot away but Alli was in a great position in the centre had the Brazilian been a little bit quicker with his second touch, after a brilliant first.
Spurs are starting to probe with a little bit more regularity and intensity now, and Son is arguably unfortunate to be on the wrong end of an offside call from Alli's through-ball. Leicester remain a threat on the break though and Vertonghen again has to intervene to cut out Pereira's low cross.
CHANCE! Alli has come alive in the last five minutes and nearly works a shooting chance here after interplay with Lucas. The England international probably should get a shot away but is hesitant on his left foot and eventually pokes tamely against the legs of Morgan with his right to win Spurs a corner.
Vertonghen does really well to get up at the back post but is off balance when he sends his header wide.
Leicester fall asleep from a throw-in and Alli is allowed to run to the byline and receive the ball. Thankfully for the Foxes, Son is a little sleepy too and is behind the play so Alli's cutback falls to a Leicester shirt.
Spurs are interchanging between a 4-3-3 system and three at the back, with Dier dropping in when they have the ball. Most of his passing from that position has been long but not with too much joy so far.
Harry Kane leaves the Spurs bench for a trot down the touchline. Having not started his star striker, I'm sure Pochettino will want to leave it as long as possible before turning to him if it stays at 0-0.
Iheanacho makes a good run into the right channel but does not have the awareness to see the run of Gray, who had gone unchecked into the middle. Spurs waste a promising opening of their own on the break as Sissoko fails to find either Lucas or Alli to his left in a three-on-three situation.
Son may have been frustrated not to have had an effort on goal before now because he chooses to take on a 35-yard free kick when he blazes high into the stands. He was never going to beat Schmeichel from the dead ball that far out.
The tempo of this game is dropping as we approach half time, perhaps a result of this busy week of Premier League fixtures. Spurs are passing it patiently around the halfway line with Leicester prepared to sit off and make it to the break.
So nearly for Spurs as Alli and Son work the ball through the middle only for Morgan to make a last-ditch tackle as Alli was preparing to prod home from 10 yards out. What an important intervention that could be from the Foxes skipper.
GOAL! LEICESTER 0-1 SPURS (SON HEUNG-MIN)
Spurs grab a goal just before half time and it has taken something special from Son Heung-min to break the deadlock. The South Korean drifts in from the right side of the area and whips an unstoppable left-footed shot beyond Schmeichel and inside the far post. It is a brilliant, brilliant strike from Son.
HALF TIME: LEICESTER 0-1 SPURS
Son's goal was very nearly the last kick of a half which had previously passed with very little fanfare. There had been some nice football but very little in terms of goalmouth action - Hugo Lloris and Kasper Schmeichel hadn't really made a save between them - but Son has brought this game to life.
The South Korean now has three goals in his last four Premier League games and has truly rediscovered his form. Lucas Moura also has five in the league this campaign and Erik Lamela four, so Spurs are not as reliable on Kane's goals as they might once have been.
It was a change of formation from Pochettino that brought about Tottenham's improvement in that half. They struggled to get at Leicester with the 4-4-2 diamond that they started with, but Dier dropping into a back three helped the wing-backs get forward, and although their final ball hasn't been up to much that has created space for Alli in particular to get on the ball.
Claude Puel will be pretty content with how his side played in that first half, especially without the talismanic Vardy. They got in behind Spurs quite a lot in the opening 25 minutes, but not so much since the visitors went to three at the back so that has given the Frenchman something to think about.
The only shot on target in that half was Son's stoppage-time goal, but I expect things to be a lot more open in the second. Leicester have set up to play on the break, but Spurs scoring the first goal will bring the Foxes out, and that should make for the end-to-end affair we're used to when these two meet.
BENCH WATCH: Pochettino won't want to use Kane or Eriksen but I think we can expect to see them in the final 20 minutes unless Spurs can kill this game off earlier. Puel has Albrighton to call upon to improve his final ball, and Shinji Okazaki although he is without a goal in 29 matches.
KICKOFF: We are back underway at the King Power. Spurs have only lost one of the last 51 games in which they have scored the first goal, although that was earlier this season against Watford at Vicarage Road.
Nervy moments at the start of the second half for Leicester as Moura heads a poor clearance back into the danger zone and Schmeichel flaps at it under pressure from Alli, looking for an offside flag that never came.
Son tries to repeat his first-half heroics but is leaning back this time and finds row z rather than the top corner.
Both goalkeeprs can breathe a sigh of relief here! Schmeichel's drilled goal kick is intercepted by Alli and Spurs have a three-on-three situation, from which Alli rolls in Son whose shot is blocked. At the other end, Lloris's poor kick is picked up by Chilwell who drives forward but slices his shot wide.
SHOT! Gray aims to emulate Son by drifting in from the right and trying to bend a shot beyond Lloris, who is equal to the low effort which did not have as much power or whip behind it as Gray would have liked.
SUBSTITUTION: Double change from Leicester as Puel turns to Ghezzal and Albrighton in place of Iheanacho and Iborra. Gray will place through the middle now with the two subs providing natural width.
GOAL! LEICESTER 0-2 SPURS (DELE ALLI)
LEICESTER 0-2 SPURS (DELE ALLI)
The visitors have a second goal and it is a landmark 50th in Spurs white for Dele Alli! Leicester give the ball away and Spurs spring through Lucas who knocks it left to Son, who takes his time before delivering a cross for Alli to head home at the back post. A half-century of Tottenham goals, and Spurs fans may remember this one is very similar to his first goal, a header also scored against the Foxes!
Puel will be disappointed with his defenders when he looks back on that goal. Son took his time on the left but nobody reacted to close the cross down, or pick up Alli who had been left unmarked in the box for a good 10 seconds. It was not as if Evans, probably the main culprit, did not have time to adjust.
As it stands, Spurs will be regaining third in the Premier League from Chelsea and knocking Arsenal out of the top four...
YELLOW CARD! Son is too clever and too quick for Albrighton who catches the foot of the South Korean with a late sliding challenge.
The job is not yet done for Spurs who have conceded quite a lot of late goals this season, and Wolves showed in the 3-2 thriller at Molineux that the Lilywhites can be shaky if you apply pressure. Leicester have not looked too threatening though with Lloris yet to be seriously stretched.
SUBSTITUTION: Eriksen is going to get a run out and it is Lucas Moura who makes way, possibly an indication that he will start against Barcelona on Tuesday. Can Son score another to persuade Pochettino otherwise?
Gray gets away from Dier, who is one Spurs player who is looking a bit leggy and could do with a rest, and continues to dribble into the area, earning a corner off Alderweireld which comes to nothing.
Tottenham's full-backs combine with Davies knocking a deep cross beyond Son but Aurier had made up good ground to arrive at the back post, heading unconvincingly into the ground and over.
SUBSTITUTION: Surprisingly at 2-0 up we are going to see Harry Kane who will get the last 16 minutes in place of Son. I don't see why Pochettino feels the need to make that particular change. Kane is not required here and there are other players who look more in need of a little rest that Son.
Leicester are enjoying a good spell of territory here, having a series of corners or throw-ins deep in the Spurs half but so far they haven't been able to create anything clear cut. Alderweireld and Vertonghen, in particular, have been very solid, a boost for the Belgian after his North London derby nightmare.
SUBSTITUTION: Tottenham's final change is enforced on Pochettino with Aurier escorted off by the physio. I'm not sure if there is too much damage done or whether it is precautionary, but regardless Kyle Walker-Peters is on for his first Premier League appearance of the campaign.
SUBSTITUTION: Last throw of the dice from Puel who brings on Okazaki. The Japan international was a key member of the title-winning team of 2015-16 but has been out of favour recently. Now would be a good time for him to end his drought and set up a tense finish at the King Power.
Spurs aren't being allowed to cruise through this last 10 minutes but again Lloris goes untested in the visiting goal. Walker-Peters makes a superb block to thwart Grat who had let rip from 25 yards out.
50 - Dele Alli's goal was his 50th in all competitions for Tottenham. Since the start of 2015-16, only Son Heung-Min (52) and Harry Kane (117) have more for the club in all competitions. Fantastic. #LEITOT pic.twitter.com/Gw0JZg7Sd0 — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 8, 2018
Spurs threaten a third as Sissoko releases Kane with a great 50-yard pass. The striker holds it up for Eriksen who waits for the overlapping run of Alli, but his pass is unusually flawed and intercepted by Evans.
SAVE! The Foxes finally work Lloris although this was pretty simple for the Spurs goalkeeper who anticipated Ghezzal's curling effort towards the far corner. The Algerian did well to create room for the shot but it lacked conviction.
SHOT! Ghezzal gets another good strike away, a left-footed half volley from 22 yards out but again it is not too much trouble for Lloris who gets his full body behind it to protect his clean sheet.
There will be THREE minutes of added time. Spurs are nearly over the line with three points and some impetus to take to Barcelona.
FULL TIME: LEICESTER 0-2 SPURS
Job done for Spurs who regain third place in the Premier League with a routine 2-0 win, even with Harry Kane spending most of the night on the bench. It is a good reponse to Arsenal and Chelsea's victories from earlier today but Leicester will be disappointed that they didn't make them work harder for it.
That's it from our coverage from the King Power Stadium. You can read our match report on the action here, and catch up on the rest of the scores from a significant day in the Premier League season. Thanks for joining me for this one. Until next time, goodbye!
That's it from our coverage from the King Power Stadium. You can read our match report on the action here, and catch up on the rest of the scores from a significant day in the Premier League. Thanks for joining me for this one. Until next time, goodbye!
Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
