Tottenham vs Leicester result: Christian Eriksen inspires Spurs to victory after Jamie Vardy offered late hope

Tottenham's 3-1 win against Leicester keeps them in touching distance of the league leaders

Christian Eriksen inspired Tottenham to victory and ensured Mauricio Pochettino’s side kept pace with Premier League leaders Liverpool and Manchester City at Leicester City’s expense.

Jamie Vardy, who was dropped to the bench amid reports of a fractious relationship with Claude Puel, scored to give his side a late lifeline after having a penalty saved.

Davinson Sanchez met Eriksen’s curling cross to head the ball beyond Kasper Schmeichel and give Spurs the lead after a cagey start.

After Hugo Lloris saved Vardy’s effort from the spot, Eriksen added a much-needed second with a powerful, clever finish from range to beat the goalkeeper at the near before the Leicester forward made it 2-1 with 15 minutes to go before Son Heung min scored on the breakaway in added time to seal it.

Here are five things we learned at Wembley:

1. Tottenham keep title hopes alive

With Liverpool returning to winning ways against Bournemouth, anything short of three points would have ruled Tottenham out of the title race for good.

This latest win, Tottenham’s fourth in a row, keeps them five points short from Liverpool, who they play in late March, and two behind Manchester City, who host Chelsea later on Sunday afternoon.

Tottenham kept their title hopes alive (Getty)

Another positive result ensures the momentum of the Tottenham title brigade moving in the right direction, keeping the pressure on the teams above them. If they can build on this form and make it relentless then there is no reason to doubt their ability to pounce if Liverpool or Manchester City slip. The return of Harry Kane and Dele Alli will also be a boost to the team as they enter a vital stage of the season.

2. Eriksen inspires Tottenham to victory

His precise curling cross to set up Sanchez to score the opening goal of the game was his 57th Premier League goal he has assisted since making his debut in 2013, six more than Ozil in second.

If his cross was good then his goal was great. To seal the win he collected the ball on the left, cut inside onto his right foot and lashed a powerful effort beyond Kasper Schmeichel at the near post.

(AFP/Getty Images)

With Kane and Alli missing through injury, Eriksen has taken the added responsibility to inspire the team in his stride. His next task will be to replicate this impressive display in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund in four days’ time.

3. Tielemans offers hope

For much of the season Leicester have relied on moving forward as a team to create chances or hope that James Maddison provides a moment of inspiration from midfield. The limited creativity has produced a shallow goals return for a side that is supposedly adventurous.

Things went Leicester’s way in the late stages of the January transfer window and they were able to bring Touri Tielemans to the club on a loan deal, with Adrien Silva going the other way to Monaco until the end of the season. Tielemans had featured regularly for the French side, but the return of Leonardo Jardim, who he had a difficult relationship with, to replace Thierry Henry prompted him to move to the Premier League.

Tielemans made a good impression on his debut (AFP/Getty Images)

On his debut, the young Belgian midfielder wasted no time in showing exactly why he is so highly rated, threading passes from midfield to set players through on goal. His poise in possession from deep areas was a welcome asset to Leicester and he proved a versatile outlet when running with the ball in wide areas.

Leicester have experienced great success in the French market, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante show that, and this could be the latest gem. While it is only a loan deal, an enjoyable time with the Foxes could convince the 21-year-old to commit to them in the long-run.

4. Tottenham extend strange draw record

Tottenham’s win at Wembley means that they have now gone 30 matches without a draw in the Premier League, extending the record they hold.

The reason for this, perhaps, is their expansive style of playing and the character that Pochettino has installed in this squad to not know when it is beaten.

Recent late wins against Watford and Fulham to turn one point into three shows that there is certainly a winning spirit in this group, no matter how depleted it may be at times.

Vardy gave Leicester late hope (REUTERS)

5. Vardy shows Puel what he is missing

Ahead of the game, Puel insisted him and Vardy have a “good relationship” after it appeared that Vardy was unhappy with his manager for talking to Paul Pogba after the Manchester United defeat a week ago. Relegating him to the bench, however, might suggest otherwise.

His first kick of the game was the chance to put Leicester back on level terms from the penalty spot, but his powerful effort to the left was well-saved by Lloris. However, the English forward atoned for the miss and gave his side a way back into the game with a late strike.

Before Vardy came on, Leicester twice found themselves through on goal in the opening exchanges. Demarai Gray lacked the pace to burst away from the defence and Harvey Barnes dragged a shot away after he escaped the back line, two chances, you feel, that Vardy would have done much better.