Tottenham put the pressure back on Arsenal with a superb home display against Leicester that saw Son Heung-min and Harry Kane lead Antonio Conte’s side to a 3-1 win.
Sonny took the match into his own hands, making sure the result was never in doubt. His pinpoint corner found Kane on the opener. Sonny then scored a second-half brace to ensure Spurs took all three points and, at least temporarily, fourth spot ahead of Arsenal.
Defence
Hugo Lloris 7/10
Hugo did what he had too in a quiet outing. He was only forced into one save, but also made a smart play dashing off the line to knock away from danger with an outstretched paw. He had no chance on Iheanacho’s last-minute goal.
Ben Davies 7/10
The Welshman created a few of his own issues early in the match, but stabilized thereafter. After the first half, he was solid and wasn’t put under too much duress.
Eric Dier 8/10
You could see what this match meant to Eric Dier. He was visibly communicating with his colleagues, galvanizing and gesticulating, ensuring nobody took a moment off. In a purely footballing sense, Dier was stable if not brilliant. He also made a few excellent outlet passes and created difficulties for Leicester on set pieces, namely corners.
Cristian Romero 9/10
Cristian Romero was a man possessed this afternoon, taking it upon himself to ensure Spurs would take all three points. His full-blooded challenges interrupted Leicester on multiple occasions, including when he dispossessed the away side on a brilliant slide tackle that led directly to Son Heung-min’s goal, giving Spurs the cushion they so desired.
Midfield
Rodrigo Bentancur 8/10
Solid, tenacious and confident. Three characteristics we’ve come to expect from Rodrigo Bentancur. Like every Tottenham player, Bentancur has endured a few off days. Today was not one of them. He was smart in possession, dictated the tempo and closed Leicester’s space expertly. He definitely had jump back in his step.
Pierre Hojbjerg 7/10
The Dane was excellent in the middle of the park. As usual, he was left wanting from an offensive standpoint. He had a few opportunities to either shoot or pick out a telling pass, but struggled to make the right decision or execute what he intended. However, Hojbjerg was sound defensively and protected the rearguard well.
Ryan Sessegnon 6/10
Ryan Sessegnon did what he had to today. By no means was the Englishman outstanding, but he was stable enough not to detract from Tottenham’s game plan. Sessegnon provided an outlet and remained at home in case Leicester countered.
Emerson Royal 7/10
Emerson Royal certainly did whatever he could to make life easier for his teammates. Historically inefficient going forward, Royal made numerous positive runs and had the right intent. He also played sound defensively and didn’t cough the ball up like he customarily does, making solid passing decisions in the process.
Forwards and Subs
Harry Kane 8/10
Harry Kane scored the all-important opener off a corner kick in the first half thanks to a superb Sonny assist. Aside from the goal, Kane picked out some telling passes and had a strong bounce-back performance.
Son Heung-min 10/10
What a performance from Spurs’ talismanic forward. Sonny was outstanding throughout, which was apparent from kickoff. His second goal and Tottenham’s third was one of the goals of the season. He struck the ball nonchalantly, yet so majestically from another area code, swerving it perfectly with his left foot inside the far post. The strike was so stunning that Hojbjerg couldn’t quite believe it happened. The Dane held his head in disbelief as he watched it fly into the top corner.
Lucas Moura 5/10
Lucas endured a difficult outing and struggled to come to terms with a rare chance in the starting team. He made a few swift moves early but had difficulties thereafter. It looked like his confidence isn’t quite where it needs to be, which makes sense after losing his spot to Dejan Kulusevski.
Dejan Kulusevski 9/10
The Swede came on and made an immediate impact, assisting on Sonny’s first. He was lively, strong and bullish, things we’ve come to expect. He also made the intelligent pass to Sonny on his wonder goal. What a cameo!
Steven Bergwijn N/A
Probably should have moved a bit quicker to close down Iheanacho’s space on Leicester’s lone goal.