Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City. Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Report and free highlights as Harry Kane's double takes him to 23 goals for season
Monday 20 July 2020 06:50, UK
A Harry Kane masterclass saw Tottenham beat Leicester 3-0 and pile yet more pressure on the Foxes' Champions League hopes.
James Justin deflected Heung-Min Son's effort past Kasper Schmeichel inside six minutes in a nightmare start for the visitors, before Leicester responded with Hugo Lloris at his best to keep out a Jamie Vardy backheel and Ayoze Perez's control and finish.
But the Foxes proved the masters of their own downfall when Spurs added a second after breaking from a defensive corner, with Lucas Moura finding Kane's run to slot beyond Schmeichel eight minutes before half-time.
If that was good from the England captain, what would follow three minutes later was something else, cutting inside Ryan Bennett from the edge of the box before arching an effort just inside the far post to end the game as a contest with his fourth goal in two games.
Neither side produced anything to seriously trouble either goalkeeper after the break with both knowing the game had already been won, and fourth-placed Leicester already looking forward to next weekend's final-day meeting with Manchester United, in fifth, who they now lead only on goals scored.
Depending on how United fare in their game in hand against West Ham on Wednesday and Chelsea's results in their last two games, next Sunday's match-up looks like being be a straight shoot-out in the race for Champions League qualification, while Spurs, in sixth, will be guaranteed a Europa League spot if Sheffield United lose against Everton on Monday evening.
With Leicester hoping they could still end their nightmare 2020 with Champions League qualification, it was imperative they followed up last week's win over Sheffield United with another strong performance in north London.
But with less than six minutes gone, they had already shot themselves in the foot. Kane's excellent pass on the half-turn found Son in space on the left, but from just inside the Leicester half he posed little immediate danger.
Bennett continued to back off the forward and when inside the box allowed him to turn onto his stronger right foot, before deceiving Schmeichel when his effort took a big deflection off Justin's leg and beat the wrong-footed goalkeeper.
Leicester did not let that knock them. Vardy saw an effort blocked before turning Wes Morgan's header from a corner goalwards, with Lloris getting down to keep his shot out, while Perez was given space to control Luke Thomas' cross, but was denied by a strong hand by the goalkeeper.
It looked a matter of time before an equaliser would follow, but Leicester's poor defending put paid to their hopes. Moura cleared a corner from his own near post before Lo Celso set him away over the half-way line. With Kane in pursuit he picked out the forward's run with a slide-rule pass, and Spurs' talisman did the rest from 12 yards.
Having given Kane a simple finish with a first assist, he made life harder for the striker with his second. Stood up by Bennett, he turned into the box before a pinpoint finish left Schmeichel with no chance from a tight angle.
"It's absolutely incredible. He's cut inside, he's put it on a postage stamp. It's an amazing finish," Jamie Redknapp told Sky Sports at the break.
Tottenham looked to produce a typical Jose Mourinho performance to see out victory after half-time, but Leicester still caused them problems in fits and starts.
Demarai Gray's 25-yard free-kick needed tipping over while Kalechi Iheanacho also tested the Frenchman from distance. But despite their lowest home possession record since 2003/04, Spurs racked up a fourth straight home win with aplomb to ramp up the pressure Leicester next weekend.
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho: "I think we were strategically good. We knew what was obvious for us, Brandan did an amazing job since he's arrived, but at the moment he's a little bit in trouble with injuries.
"There's always a danger, you need your goalkeeper to make a couple of important saves which he did, but we were phenomenal. They had so many corners, but we were always in control, our block was in control, and I felt very comfortable.
"I think really we are one of the teams with more points during this period after the break, and I think that's a very good feeling. Now we have to fight to finish sixth, but it doesn't depend on us."
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers: "We got done on the counter-attack. We had good numbers around to prevent it. We started okay, but defensively we could've been more aggressive, and obviously we conceded the goals at bad times.
"We've achieved the goals we initially set out to achieve by having European football, and we have a game to have a shot at the Champions League. For some that will be a disappointment, for others they'll be gratified by what the players have given them this season."
"We talk a lot about defending, why don't we talk about how brilliant that is from Harry Kane? It's absolutely incredible," said Jamie Redknapp about the England captain's wondrous second goal, but that was just the cherry on the cake of a marvellous performance.
This was a man back to his best and looking in rude health, but not only in front of goal. His turn and pass for Son for the opener was superb, so too a pinpoint 25-yard reverse pass he should have done better with after half-time.
Is he up with the best Mourinho has worked with? "Of course he is," said the delighted Tottenham boss, who once coached Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, told Sky Sports after full-time. It's easy to see why on this form.
Tottenham face a cross-London trip to Crystal Palace on the final day of the season next Sunday. All games kick-off at 4pm.
Leicester host Manchester United at the King Power Stadium in their last game, in what looks increasingly likely to be a head-to-head showdown for a Champions League spot.
