Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City. Premier League.
White Hart LaneAttendance35,850.
Thursday 14 January 2016 07:54, UK
Robert Huth's late header shocked Tottenham at White Hart Lane and gave Leicester an impressive 1-0 victory in the title race.
After 83 minutes of exhilarating Premier League football, with a string of chances for both sides, the Foxes centre-back nodded into the top corner beyond Hugo Lloris after being left unmarked from a corner.
The game had looked destined to end in a second stalemate inside four days following their 2-2 draw in the FA Cup on Sunday, with Harry Kane hitting the bar and Leicester seeing three shots blocked on the line.
But Huth's effort stunned the home crowd and ended Leicester's run of over five hours without a league goal to move them level with Arsenal at the top of the league.
Both sides made extensive changes from the weekend, with Lloris, Kane and Dele Alli among seven returning players for Spurs, while Leicester changed nine, with Jamie Vardy returning from injury.
Spurs dominated the first 15 minutes and both Alli and Christian Eriksen had shots on goal before Kasper Schmeichel tipped a awkward Toby Alderweireld header away from the top corner.
But Leicester hit back and the dynamic, vibrant combination of Vardy, Shinji Okazaki and Riyad Mahrez caused numerous problems for Tottenham's defenders, with Okazaki exploiting an error from Kyle Walker to shoot just wide of the near post.
Lloris had to tip wide Danny Drinkwater's superb first-time volley from distance before Schmeichel pushed wide another Eriksen shot from distance, also at full stretch, before half-time.
Vardy had his best chance when he spun a shot narrowly over the crossbar on 50 minutes but the home side dominated until Huth's goal had them open-mouthed in disbelief with eight minutes remaining.
Kane thought he had scored on 61 minutes when he was put through by Erik Lamela and shot low under Schmeichel, but the keeper's ricochet sent the ball at the crossbar before Alli's rebound was blocked on the line.
Substitute Leonardo Ulloa and then Drinkwater also had shots blocked before the net by defenders in an intense final 15 minutes but there was not a white shirt close enough to prevent Huth's well-directed header finding the corner and winning the game.
Player ratings
Tottenham: Lloris (7), Walker (6), Alderweireld (7), Vertonghen (7), Davies (7), Dier (8), Carroll (6), Lamela (7), Alli (7), Eriksen (7), Kane (6).
Subs: Dembele (6), Son (6), Onomah (6).
Leicester: Schmeichel (7), Simpson (7), Morgan (7), Huth (8), Fuchs (7), Mahrez (6), Kante (7), Drinkwater (8), Albrighton (7), Okazaki (8), Vardy (6).
Subs used: King (6), Ulloa (7).
Man of the Match: Robert Huth
