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.
This story is from the August 21, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the August 21, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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