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Tottenham kicked off their 2024/25 with a Draw against Leicester

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Wednesday August 28 2024, 9:17am

Tottenham Hotspur were held to a 1-1 by Leicester at the King Power Stadium in the opening game of the 2024/25 Premier League, thanks to 37-year-old Jamie Vardy’s equalizer just before the hour mark.

Ahead of the match, a £20 million transfer deal, including a sell-on clause, was agreed between the two clubs for Tottenham’s Oliver Skipp. The 23-year-old has made over 100 appearances for Tottenham since rising through their academy. He is set to feature for the Foxes this season but was signed too late to feature in Leicester’s first game back in the Premier League against his former side. He watched the game from the stands.

Leicester made an astonishing comeback to the Premier League after being relegated to the championship in 2023. The Foxes went ahead to clinch the Championship trophy and power their way back into the Premier League this season. Their potential and spirit weren’t to be forgotten too soon, and they were far from underdogs heading into the first fixture against Spurs.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old £30 million Tottenham’s signing from Burnley – Wilson Odobert was unavailable as the club was still awaiting his work permit. However, Ange Postecoglou included £65 million summer signing Dominic Solanke in his starting XI for the first game of the season, with new arrivals Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall on the bench.

Tottenham opened the scoring in the King Power Stadium after 30 minutes when former Leicester player James Maddison delivered a precise cross for wing-back Pedro Porro, who found the net with a stunning header. Spurs created numerous chances throughout the game but failed to convert them. Twelve minutes into the second half, Jamie Vardy equalized for Leicester from their only real opportunity, heading in Abdul Fatawu’s cross past Mads Hermansen at his back post.

Neither team could secure a winning goal, and Spurs suffered a huge loss when Rodrigo Bentancur was stretchered off in the second half with a possible concussion after a collision during a corner. Former Leicester player James Maddison was substituted in the 79th minute and constantly received boos from the home fans.

Tottenham’s goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario made key saves in both halves, though he couldn’t stop Vardy’s effort in the 57th minute. He denied the English striker a huge opportunity to win the game for the Foxes.

Pedro Porro was impressive in the early stages of the game, he delivered brilliant crosses and headed one at the back of the net to give Spurs the lead. He failed to track Vardy and stop the equalizer in the second half. Cristian Romero had a solid start to the game but also lost track of Vardy during the Foxes’ goal, though he redeemed himself with a vital interception in the closing stages. Micky van de Ven performed steadily, while Destiny Udogie had a more challenging time against Fatawu, who provided the assist for Leicester’s equalizer.

In midfield, James Maddison was influential in the first half, delivering a string of dangerous balls, including the assist for the opening goal. He got tired and made little difference in the game before his substitution. Brennan Johnson had some early opportunities but needed more finishing. Dominic Solanke was active, creating a couple of early chances and showing good movement but needs more time to regain sharpness in front of goal.

From the bench, Archie Gray impressed on his Premier League debut, despite a mistake that forced Vicario to make a save. Dejan Kulusevski contributed with good offensive movements and defensive work, while Timo Werner struggled to make an impact in the game. Richarlison missed a late header from Bergvall’s free-kick, and Djed Spence added energy on the right in his brief introduction.

When asked about his overview of the game and his team’s impression, Ange Postecoglou said; “Yeah, look at the disappointing outcome. It was a very dominant first half, really wasteful in front of the goal. We started the second half simile. The first 15-20 minutes were very dominant and wasteful but you know at 1-0 there is always an opportunity for the opposition to come back into the game. That’s what happened and we lost our way for 15 or 20 minutes. We lost our composure and the crowd got behind them, but again finished strong. Just really disappointed we lacked a little cutting edge in the front third, made some poor decisions, lacked some composure, and didn’t get the reward our football deserved.”

Leicester has experienced remarkable highs and lows in recent years, from winning the Premier League and competing in the Champions League to suffering relegation to the Championship. The Club has had one constant thing throughout it all – Jamie Vardy. The striker, who netted 136 goals in 307 Premier League appearances during his first spell in the top flight, remained with the Foxes following their relegation to help secure their immediate return to the Premier League.

Vardy signed a one-year contract extension this summer which could be within his final season in top-flight football. He has shown that despite his age, he remains a vital player for Leicester. Initially, it was uncertain whether he would be fit enough to play against Spurs, but Vardy stepped up for Steve Cooper’s injury-hit team and made the most of his unexpected appearance with a goal. Although he displayed some rustiness when he failed to secure the winner by hitting a shot too close to Vicario, a chance he would usually have slotted into the far corner, Vardy proved he would be a key figure in Leicester’s battle to avoid relegation, especially with a potential points deduction looming due to an alleged breach of profit and sustainability rules.

Tottenham started strong but had a slow finish to the 2023/24 season. Aston Villa beat them to the last spot in the Champions League in a headed pursuit. Ange Postecoglou’s team struggled to get into the UEFA Europa League group stages ahead of Chelsea, Newcastle, and Manchester United. This New season hasn’t begun badly for them either and Ange Postecoglou’s team will be tasked to do better in front of goal, their wasteful form cost them full points against Leicester in the King Power stadium. Since the departure of English striker – Harry Kane, the team still struggles with inconsistency in front of goal. The introduction of Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth is meant to remedy the situation, hopefully, he will grow to sync with the team sooner.

While Tottenham’s path through the Europa League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup remains uncertain, Here is Tottenham’s upcoming match schedule for the coming months:

Newcastle Vs. Tottenham

Sunday, 1st September

Premier League