Key events
41 min: Buonanotte steals the ball off Udogie, and makes off down the right again. He’s hauled back by the Spurs defender, who is extremely fortunate not to go into the book for his cynicism. Winks takes the resulting free kick, and it’s an easy pluck for Vicario.
39 min: Buonanotte does well to advance down the right wing for a while, but he’s got nobody up with him to help, and eventually Van de Ven and Bentancur combine to get the ball off him.
37 min: Faes blooters long down the middle. Vardy chases after it, but Vicario comes miles out of his box to head clear. The ball drops to Decordova-Reid, who attempts to Beckham it into the empty net from halfway. It’s on, but his improvised hoick sails harmlessly wide right.
35 min: The Leicester fans are pretty quiet. Fatawu tries to cheer them up by progressing down the right, but his cross is too close to Vicario and there’s nobody in blue in the box anyway.
33 min: Maddison nearly gets another assist to his name. He shapes to shoot, but instead wedges a clever diagonal ball towards Johnson on the right-hand edge of the six-yard box. Johnson meets the dipping ball on the volley, sending it screeching across Hermansen and inches wide of the left-hand post. So close to number two.
32 min: Ndidi comes clattering into the back of Maddison, 25 yards from the Leicester goal, just to the left of the D. He’s fortunate not to go into the book. But this is a free kick in a very dangerous position. Maddison’s eyes light up.
31 min: A slightly fortunate finish, but Spurs deserved their good break. They’re more than good for their lead. Maddison, the subject of so much pantomime abuse, will be delighted with his assist.
GOAL! Leicester City 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Porro 29)
This had been coming all right. Son probes down the left. He pulls back to find Maddison, who sends an inswinger towards Porro on the penalty spot. Porro glances the ball towards the bottom right – off his shoulder! – but it’s on target and the keeper has no chance.
27 min: … but Spurs quickly regain their smooth rhythm. Udogie and Son link up down the left, the latter spinning elegantly into the box before his low cross is hacked clear. Leicester continue to hang on in there.
26 min: It all gets a little scrappy in midfield. Leicester won’t mind that too much.
24 min: Maddison sashays down the inside-left channel before cutely wedging towards Solanke in the middle. Justin heads away. Fatawu then eases Maddison onto the floor and makes off with the ball, much to the amusement of the Leicester fans.
22 min: A free kick for Leicester in Tottenham’s half. Winks and Decordova-Reid attempt some sort of training-ground routine, but it doesn’t come off. Leicester try again, Buonanotte looking for Decordova-Reid on the left with a raking diagonal, but the ball sails out for a goal kick. Again, it’s better, though the bar’s set so low.
20 min: Spurs come again, Maddison spinning into space down the right and dinking infield for Solanke, who attempts to turn Vestergaard in the hope of shooting from close range, but falls over instead. He wants a penalty – and there was a little contact on his ankle before the defender cleared – but he’s not getting one. Referee’s call!
19 min: From Tottenham’s seventh corner, Son leans back and hoicks a cross deep into the stand behind the goal.
18 min: Johnson bustles down the right and wins a corner off Vestergaard. They’re racking them up. This is number six. It’s only half cleared, and Son has a dig from the left-hand edge of the D. The shot’s deflected out to the left for number seven.
16 min: A bit better from Leicester as Fatawu’s industry wins the ball in midfield and sends Decordova-Reid dribbling down the left. Decordova-Reid enters the box but can’t work enough space to get a shot away, eventually turning tail.
14 min: Fatawu fouls Van de Ven out on the left flank. The resulting free kick is half-cleared to Porro on the right. Porro loops into the mixer. Solanke whistles a header straight at Hermansen. Spurs have done everything except score.
13 min: Son is released into acres down the left by Sarr. He feeds Maddison on the overlap. Maddison looks for Solanke in the middle, but the low cross is bundled out for a corner, from which nothing comes. A Spurs goal feels no more than a matter of time.
11 min: Maddison links up with Son this time, and yet another corner is won down the left. He takes it himself. Fatawu eyebrows it out for a corner on the other side. Maddison takes this one too. It’s worked back to Son. He crosses for Romero, who attempts to guide a header across Hermansen and into the bottom right. He beats the keeper but the ball bounces wide right.
10 min: Udogie and Maddison combine down the left to cause Leicester more bother. The former’s low cross is tidied up by Justin. Spurs are well on top here.
8 min: Hermansen in action again as Spurs win a corner out right this time. It’s played back to Son, who curls into the mixer for Solanke, who doesn’t really connect with his low diving header, six yards out. Easy for the keeper to claim.
6 min: Son again pops up on the left and wins another corner. Maddison’s delivery is much better this time, a vicious inswinger towards the near post. Bentancur flicks it towards the top right. It’s heading in, but Ndidi clears off the line, a wonderful swivel and hook. Leicester can only half clear, then Johnson has a belt from distance. Hermansen parries well.
5 min: The corner’s no good. Maddison takes up possession again a little later, and now the boos are more audible. Pantomime season arrives earlier every year.
4 min: Son crosses from the left. It’s deflected out by Justin for the first corner of the evening. Leicester old boy Maddison gets more applause than abuse as he prepares to take it.
3 min: Spurs knock it around the back awhile, establishing some early control.
1 min: A quick hoof down the middle for Vardy to chase. At the age of 37 and without a full pre-season in his legs, he’s not beating Van de Ven any time soon. Perhaps ten years ago.
A knee of equality is taken … then Spurs get the ball rolling. The final match of the opening round is underway.
Before the match starts, there’s a minute of warm applause in memory of Craig Shakespeare, who passed away earlier this month. Shakespeare was an integral part of Leicester’s title win in 2015-16, assisting Claudio Ranieri, and went on to manage the club himself. A banner in the crowd reads “rest easy”.
The teams are out! It’s anticipation o’clock at the King Power, you can hear it, you can feel it, you can almost touch it. Both sets of fans in good voice. Leicester in blue, Spurs in white. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes.
As mentioned in the preamble, this is the highest scoring match-up in Premier League history. Here’s the top of the list of the all-time goals-per-game averages, as flashed up by Sky Sports just now.
3.8
Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur
3.7
Sunderland and Chelsea
3.4
Manchester City and Fulham
Liverpool and Crystal Palace
3.3
Liverpool and Leeds United
Southampton and Newcastle United
Pre-season reading. Come get it before reality starts depleting your reserves of optimism.
Ange Postecoglou’s turn for a chat with Sky. “It’s a little bit less chaotic than last year … Harry Kane left about 24 hours before the first game … so it’s fair to say we’re a little bit more settled … having said that we got off to a great start so maybe that doesn’t mean anything … whatever Spurs’ ambitions are are my ambitions … I’m certainly not here just to take part … it’s a big club … we know we haven’t had success for a long time … there’s only one way to change that … I’m really happy to get Dominic Solanke in … we were always a little bit short every week … it’s going to make an enormous difference … he’s a perfect fit for us … works hard … linking up … always in the box.”
Steve Cooper talks to Sky Sports. “Jamie Vardy came to see me a couple of days ago … he feels good and was uncomfortable we didn’t have a fully fit striker … he made himself available … you have to trust his judgement … that’s what we’ve done … the lads did brilliantly last season … to win the Championship a lot of good things have to happen … so inside the training ground it’s been really positive … a really good spirit … it’s a massive step up to the Premier League … one thing that we can do is give everything and play well … show an identity … keep the good thing going … also tailor it to what’s coming … some things might have to look a little bit different … it’s about putting a plan together.”
Jamie Vardy starts for Leicester City. Bobby Decordova-Reid and Facundo Buonanotte make their debuts. It’s too early for a sighting of former Spurs man Oliver Skipp.
Tottenham also have a debutant in their starting XI: £65m striker Dominic Solanke. Exciting new midfielders Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall are on the bench. James Maddison returns to his old club for the first time since leaving for Spurs last year.
The teams
Leicester City: Hermansen, Justin, Faes, Vestergaard, Kristiansen, Ndidi, Winks, Fatawu, Buonanotte, De Cordova-Reid, Vardy.
Subs: Ward, Okoli, Mavididi, Choudhury, Ricardo Pereira, Soumare, Nelson, Cannon, McAteer.
Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie, Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison, Johnson, Solanke, Son.
Subs: Austin, Dragusin, Richarlison, Gray, Bergvall, Werner, Kulusevski, Spence, Davies.
Referee: Christopher Kavanagh (Lancashire).
Preamble / Harbinger
The very first time these two clubs met in this fixture, in the FA Cup in 1914, the game ended 5-5. Since then, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur have met another 119 times, and there’s only been one goalless draw, at White Hart Lane in 1948. The last time the teams met, at the King Power in 2023, Leicester won 4-1, payback for the 6-2 thrashing Spurs gave them a few months earlier at their place. And in 34 Premier League meetings, these clubs have shared 128 goals at an average of 3.76 per game, the highest rate in the competition’s history. So tonight’s match comes with as close to a guarantee of goals as you’re ever going to get. Don’t disappoint us by cocking a snook to history, now, chaps. Kick-off is at 8pm BST. It’s on!
PARISH NOTICE: In the event of the first-ever 0-0 in this fixture, apologies for jinxing it will be made just after 10pm.
