After both Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester had suffered midweek defeats in the Premier League, the sides went into this tie looking for a response and it was Leicester who did just that.
Jamie Vardy scored from the penalty spot while an own goal by Toby Alderweireld secured second place in the Premier League at Christmas for Foxes.
At the end of an even first half, Serge Aurier bumped into Wesley Fofana in the Spurs box and, after a VAR check, a spot-kick was awarded, which Vardy cooly converted.
Leicester City thought they had gone two clear soon as the second half started when James Maddison converted a long pass forward, but VAR spotted an offside. But then, Toby Alderweireld who had been impressive all along gave Leicester another helping hand on 59 minutes, turning Vardy’s header into his own net.
The result compounds a bad week for Jose Mourinho and his boys who have now only won one of their last five Premier League games and currently sit fifth after Manchester United’s win over Leeds.
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Watch the highlights of the match below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbfJxs74ERM
Manager’s reaction
Jose Mourinho: “We didn’t start well. I could go on the individuals but I don’t. But in our best period in the first half, when we were totally in control and had a couple of good chances to score, expecting to go in 0-0 you go with 1-0 down. Then in the second half we score in our own goal when we had possession and we were in more creation. That was difficult.
“The reaction was positive. Schmeichel made a couple of important saves. But in the end it’s the game we lose with the penalty and the own goal and it looks like, with the result, the opponent was totally in control or better than us but that was not the reality. Our performance was not good but it was not like they deserved to win, or we deserved to lose. It was a poor game.”
Brendan Rodgers: “I thought in the first half we really controlled the game, with and without the ball. We denied them any counter attacks, where they’re very strong. We played with confidence and a nice rhythm in our game. We looked a really good side and deserved to be in front.
“Second half we controlled the game without the ball, but still looked a real threat, had the confidence to play and actually with a better final pass and a wee bit more finesse we might have scored a bit more. It was unfortunate with the goal disallowed as well, the thickness of a line on the telly, but over the course of the game we were outstanding and it was a very good win for us.”
West Brom 0-3 Aston Villa: Jack Grealish impresses for Villa as the Baggies lose on Sam Allardyce’s debut
Aston Villa took full advantage of Jake Livermore’s red card to secure a 3-0 victory at The Hawthorns and hand Sam Allardyce his first defeat in charge of West Brom.
The Villians were up by a goal with five minutes on the clock and the Baggies were left with a much harder task before the break when captain Jake Livermore had a yellow card for a lunge on Jack Grealish upgraded to red following a VAR review.
West Brom, however, showed great spirit in the second half to stay in the game as long as they could, but the numerical advantage eventually told as Bertrand Traore’s classy strike and El Ghazi’s second from the penalty spot wrapped up a comfortable derby win.
Sam Allardyce told BT Sport: “Starting off and dreaming on the first goal was something I was not pleased about after four minutes, it was a simple cross, not a great cross and we were ball watching and went 1-0 down.
“We kept it tight. I was concerned whether we would keep our shape, we were trying, not that successfully, but the sending off has completely thrown it against us. That was the last thing we needed.
“If we are to go anywhere, this is the third red I believe, you cannot lose control. You don’t need to make a tackle like that, Jake Livermore is an experienced player and he has decided for whatever reason to lunge at him.
“When the VAR has to look at it, you fear the worst, I have to agree with the decision. But the Kortney Hause tackle on Grady Diangana, why has VAR not asked the referee to look at the screen? We might have got the same decision.”
Other Premier League results
- Brighton 1-1 Sheffield United
- Tottenham 0-2 Leicester City
- Manchester United 6-2 Leeds United
- West Brom 0-3 Aston Villa
Losing the title race a lose at a time