Jamie Vardy left his stage pointing at the Premier League crest on the arm of his shirt. The one raised finger indicated to Tottenham supporters that he has won one more title than them. At 37, he may be the oldest wind-up merchant in the division. He is also – along with N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez, Claudio Ranieri and co – the man who prevented them from triumphing in 2016, even if there was something Tottenham-esque about an ability to come third in that particular two-horse race.
As Leicester returned to the top flight, Tottenham contrived to share the points in a match where their dominance was such that their hosts had a lone touch in the box in the first half. The eventual total stood at 60-11 in Spurs’ favour. It counted for very little, courtesy of Vardy’s equaliser. Such matches can happen: in a low-scoring sport, away from home. There is always a temptation to read too much into opening-night results.
It was, though, Ange Postecoglou who referenced the bigger picture and hinted at failings that could cost his side: a lack of a killer instinct. Drawing 1-1 with Leicester felt wasteful in itself; six of last season’s top eight have won already and even the anomalies, Chelsea, could at least argue they were playing Manchester City.
In contrast, Tottenham were playing the champions of the Championship. They had 15 shots, seven on target, 71 per cent possession, 13 corners. They got one goal and one point.
Esta historia es de la edición August 21, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición August 21, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Begum will not return to UK, says foreign secretary
Shamima Begum will not be returning to the UK, David Lammy said following calls from Donald Trump’s incoming counterterrorism chief for the repatriation of British members of Isis being held in Syrian prison camps.
Lammy declares 'Trump is right' on defence spending
David Lammy has declared that the hard-won “post-Cold War peace is well and truly over” as he used his first major speech of 2025 to take aim at Vladimir Putin and Russian aggression.
Pot calls kettle black? Truss says Reeves is pushing UK to brink of economic crisis’
Rachel Reeves has been blamed by Liz Truss for a dramatic drop in the value of the pound, which has sparked fears of a new recession.
Food prices could rise by a fifth as financial crisis looms
Fears of recession fuel calls for Reeves to cancel trip to China
Draper puts health first in his bid to break the top 10
Brit No 1 managing hip problem ahead of Australian Open
Arteta needs a 'can opener' to cure misfiring Gunners
Mikel Arteta is aware that Arsenal need more “explosiveness” in attack, and his staff are looking to rectify this in the January transfer window, although much of this would have been clear to see before Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle United.
Hammers seek Potter magic after Lopetegui exit farce
Farewell, Julen Lopetegui. You leave West Ham as you arrived: unwanted by fans, and even by technical director Tim Steidten, it seems.
Spurs subdue Liverpool and dream of Wembley
It’s a bit premature to say this was a night when Tottenham Hotspur’s young team came of age, but this 1-0 victory over Liverpool was an impressive show of maturity when they most needed it. An 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall appropriately settled it, crowning the fine work of fellow teenager Archie Gray.
FTSE 250 and pound slump as UK gilt yields hit a high
London’s stock markets faltered yesterday, with the FTSE 250 slumping to a five-month low and the pound weakening as UK long-term borrowing costs continued to spike.
Bodies of father and son hostages recovered in Gaza
The bodies of two Israeli hostages have been recovered by troops in Gaza, Israel’s defence minister said yesterday.