Evening Standard
·26 janvier 2025
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·26 janvier 2025
Ange Postecoglou under major pressure after fourth consecutive defeat
Two goals in four second-half minutes helped Leicester earn a first Premier League win since December 3 with a 2-1 victory at Tottenham to pile more pressure on Ange Postecoglou.
A weary Spurs had taken the lead after 33 minutes through Richarlison, but the Foxes, who had lost their previous seven matches in the division, levelled in the 46th-minute through captain Jamie Vardy.
Bilal El Khannouss made it 2-1 four minutes later with a fine 25-yard effort and with limited options on the bench due to the unavailability of 10 players, Postecoglou watched Tottenham suffer another defeat.
It is six losses from their last seven matches in the Premier League for Spurs, but it was a day to savour for Leicester manager Ruud van Nistelrooy with his team out of the relegation zone for the first time in 2025.
This was a contest between two teams horribly out of form in the league and while Spurs welcomed back Pape Sarr, they suffered a fresh blow with James Maddison not fit enough to face his former club to further deplete the hosts.
Pleasantries were exchanged between Son Heung-min and Leicester boss Van Nistelrooy, former team-mates at Hamburg, before play got under way in monsoon like conditions.
Jordan Ayew had an early effort blocked by Ben Davies as the Foxes dominated the early exchanges without being able to fashion many clear-cut chances.
Quality was on short supply until Son raced past James Justin and Ayew before his curled effort from 22 yards was brilliantly tipped wide by Jakub Stolarczyk after 17 minutes.
Son went even closer when a cross-cum-shot was clawed away by Stolarczyk before the deadlock was broken in the 33rd minute.
Pedro Porro was the provider as his fantastic delivery from the right picked out Richarlison to head home at the back post.
It was only Richarlison's third goal of an injury-hit season, but Leicester responded as Justin had an effort deflected wide before El Khannouss had a shot deflected onto the roof of the net.
Tottenham made it through to the break in front and yet the Foxes levelled 57 seconds after half-time through a familiar foe of the home side.
Boubakary Soumare found Bobby De Cordova-Reid on the left and his inch-perfect cross was finished off at the second time of asking by Vardy for his 10th goal against Tottenham.
The turnaround was complete four minutes later when El Khannouss was given too much space and rifled into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
Spurs fans turned on chairman Daniel Levy in the immediate aftermath and called for the long-serving director to leave the club.
Postecoglou also reacted with Sergio Reguilon and Moore introduced for fatigued duo Sarr and Richarlison, which was met with boos.
It sparked Tottenham into action, though, as Antonin Kinsky brilliantly played through Dejan Kulusevski, but Stolarczyk blocked his deflected strike.
Porro was next to try his luck and rattled the crossbar with a stinging 25-yard free-kick before he fired into the side-netting when he had team-mates well placed in the area.
Radu Dragusin headed over soon after before Stolarczyk gathered Porro's low effort as the seconds ticked away.
Postecoglou turned to Under-21 forward Will Lankshear during seven minutes of stoppage-time, but they tasted defeat for the 13th time in the league this season.