Leicester, Aug 20, 2024, IANS

Leicester, Aug 20 (IANS) Jamie Vardy’s late inclusion paid off spectacularly for Leicester City as the 37-year-old striker salvaged a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at the King Power Stadium. The match began with Tottenham in full control. Spurs dominated possession, holding over 70% of the ball in the first half, and looked every bit the team with top-four aspirations. Their pressure eventually told when Pedro Porro coolly slotted home after being picked out by a superb James Maddison cross, giving Tottenham a well-deserved lead. The London side continued to probe, with new £65 million signing Dominic Solanke getting into promising positions, though he failed to convert any of the several chances that came his way. Leicester, on the other hand, struggled to make any significant inroads into the Spurs defense. The Foxes, missing their first-choice striker Patson Daka due to injury, appeared to lack a cutting edge in the final third, with Vardy’s inclusion seen more as a last resort than a strategic move. However, football has a way of turning the script on its head. Just twelve minutes into the second half, with Leicester still searching for their first real chance, Vardy proved once again why he remains one of the Premier League’s most dangerous forwards, even at 37. Abdul Fatawu delivered a perfectly weighted cross, and Vardy, with the timing and precision that has defined his career, rose to nod the ball past Guglielmo Vicario into the Tottenham net. It was a goal out of nothing, but it electrified the King Power Stadium and injected new life into Leicester’s performance. The goal shifted the momentum, and suddenly it was Tottenham who looked vulnerable. The visitors, who had seemed so assured in the first half, found themselves on the back foot, and they might have conceded a second if not for a brilliant save from Vicario, who denied Vardy from close range with a sprawling stop. As the game wore on, Tottenham’s frustrations were compounded by the sight of Rodrigo Bentancur being stretchered off after an eight-minute stoppage, adding to the growing sense that the evening was unraveling. Spurs, who had begun the night looking like potential winners, were left to rue their missed chances and wonder how their dominance had slipped away.