Tottenham seal third spot by winning thriller against Leicester although Harry Kane misses out on golden boot
Tottenham Hotspur 5-4 Leicester City: Spurs trailed 3-1 after 47 minutes but fought back through Kane and the superb Erik Lamela, who almost scored a hat-trick
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Tottenham Hotspur ended their brief spell as Wembley Stadium tenants in memorable fashion as they won a remarkable game against Leicester City 5-4 with Harry Kane’s winner met with a dance of delight from their former player and guest of honour Paul Gascoigne.
This final day encounter had just about everything in an attacking sense with both sides throwing caution to the wind.
Spurs have spent the campaign away from White Hart Lane, which is being rebuilt, and their supporters sang “Tottenham’s going home” as they said goodbye to their temporary home in style. Wembley has played host to some special games throughout the years but there cannot be many more remarkable than this one.
Spurs were 3-1 down before taking a 4-3 lead but it was Kane who scored a second of the game to finally settle it, along with a third place finish, after Erik Lamela’s double and two for Leicester’s Jamie Vardy.
Tottenham were forced into a re-shuffle at the back at the 11th hour after Jan Vertonghen picked up a calf injury in the warm-up. Eric Dier moved to centre back with Victor Wanyama a late addition to the starting eleven.
Not surprisingly losing their key defender disrupted Mauricio Pochettino’s side and in only the fourth minute, Vardy capitalised, glancing home unmarked from Riyad Mahrez for his 22nd club goal of the season.
But just three minutes later it was Leicester’s turn to defend poorly, Harry Kane bursting through unchallenged before finishing left footed, becoming the first Tottenham player to 40 in a season since Clive Allen 31 years ago.
Spurs really struggled at the back and Mahrez ensured the Midlands side were back in front on 16 minutes with a goal that could be a parting gift with continued doubt over his future.
The Algerian finished well left footed after Tottenham had failed to clear, Adrien Silva finding Vardy with the loose ball then making its way to Mahrez.
Dier was unfortunate not to level for Spurs when his header from point blank range from Christian Eriksen’s corner was brilliantly saved by Eldin Jakupovic before at the other end Leicester should have made it three with Hugo Lloris stopping Demarai Gray who had been played in by Vardy’s pass.
If it was not and end of season contest with little to play for, you would guess that both managers would have had something to say about their defending at the break.
But both sides remained happy to attack demonstrated by three goals in the opening eight minutes of the second half.
First Iheanacho scored a superb individual goal, shaking off Wanyama, before firing home into the top corner 25 yards out to give Leicester a two-goal cushion.
Within two minutes and Tottenham were back in it as Lamela, despite a suspicion of offside, slotted home from close range following Kyle Walker-Peters’ cross to round off a fine move.
It was Lamela’s first league goal since August 2016 and he was heavily involved in the equaliser on 53 minutes. Harry Maguire’s attempted clearance ricocheted off the Argentine and found the net via a deflection off Christian Fuchs with the effort credited as an own goal.
Lamela then completed a quite dramatic turnaround on the hour as he converted, again from close range, from Walker-Peters cross.
But Tottenham did not hold on, Leicester equalising to make it 4-4 on the break, Mahrez feeding Vardy who fired home with a left footed finish that beat Lloris at his near post on 74 minutes.
Back came the hosts though with Kane scoring his 30th league goal of the season two minutes later, deceiving Hamza Choudhury before beating Jakupovic from just inside the area, to bring jubilant scenes at Wembley Stadium where Gascoigne’s excitement summed up a genuine thriller.
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