Tottenham vs Leicester match report: Robert Huth heads in late winner to keep Foxes in hunt for Champions League

Tottenham 0 Everton 1

Robert Huth celebrates his winning goal for Leicester (Getty Images)

Leicester City had gone six hours without scoring a league goal, but after Robert Huth headed in Christian Fuchs’ late corner they moved level with Arsenal and seven points clear of Tottenham Hotspur.

This was Leicester snapping out of their goalless streak in the most dramatic way possible. Huth’s header, and Joe Allen’s equaliser at Anfield a few minutes later, leaves Claudio Ranieri’s side separated from the top of the table by goal difference alone. It is a remarkable position for them to be in. Manchester City, in third, are three points behind. West Ham United, in fifth place, are eight points behind. With 17 games left to play they can almost start to count their way down towards Madrid and Barcelona.

This was the most impressive win of Leicester’s season, because it was unlike so many of the others. Much of Leicester’s success this year has been built on the twin threats of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez. Here both were quiet and were substituted in the second half, but Leicester still won.

This side is built on far more than just those two, as they showed here. They defended with heart and intelligence, in two compact banks of four. They shut out a Spurs side who started well but then faded and struggled to create enough chances to exploit their dominance. Mauricio Pochettino said afterwards that the stats were all in his side’s favour, which is true. But Leicester deserved to win because they were more efficient at both ends of the pitch.

For Tottenham this was a demonstration of the failings that could cost them a place in next season’s Champions League. This squad is still not at the level it needs to be. All night they needed more help for Harry Kane up front, who was effectively shut down by Huth and Wes Morgan at centre back. Spurs needed an extra striker to help Kane but all they had was Heung-Min Son, introduced by Pochettino with just eight minutes left. Huth scored the only goal one minute later. If Spurs do not sign another striker in the second half of the transfer window, it could mean another season of Europa League trips they are hoping to avoid.

Spurs are now some distance behind Leicester and have more on their plate in the second half of the season. They need Ranieri’s team to start dropping points. But there is no sign that will start happening any time soon.

What frustrated Pochettino afterwards was that his team had started so strongly. For the first 15 minutes Spurs played up to the stakes of the occasion. They had made seven changes from the FA Cup tie between these sides on Sunday and they had the energy to move the ball quickly when they had it, and harass Leicester when they did not.

It was one of the best spells of football Spurs have produced recently but they could not turn it into a lead. Christian Eriksen, who had one of his quieter nights, forced two saves from Kasper Schmeichel. Three consecutive corners led to two Toby Alderweireld headers, one saved, the second off-target.

But Leicester are a resilient defensive unit. Even though they have lost some of their attacking sharpness, they still work ferociously hard, with precious little space between defenders or between the lines. They are so compact that a few minutes before the interval striker Shinji Okazaki even robbed Erik Lamela of the ball on the edge of his own box.

As Leicester repelled Spurs’ early surge they grew in confidence, and in their threat on the break. Jan Vertonghen had to make a crucial tackle on Vardy, Eric Dier had to do the same to Okazaki. After Hugo Lloris’ diving save to deny Danny Drinkwater, Leicester went into the interval clearly on top. They began the second half in the same way, forcing their own run of corners.

Spurs were left hanging on, hoping to score on the counter. Erik Lamela should have done better with two far-post chances from Ben Davies crosses. Kane and Lamela played an incisive one-two, which ended with Schmeichel diverting Kane’s shot so it bounced up and slowly off the crossbar. Pochettino span away infuriated, sensing that the game was slipping away from his side.

After a flurry of substitutions Leicester only strengthened their grip on the game. Leonardo Ulloa provided a physical presence that they had lacked. Vertonghen had to block shots from Mahrez and Ulloa. Pochettino finally turned to Son, but Spurs lost the game one minute later.

Spurs have conceded too many from set pieces this season, and with seven minutes left they let in one of the more painful goals of this season. Christian Fuchs hit a long outswinging corner from the left hand side. Robert Huth stood in space at the back of the box. He did not even need to jump and powered his header back over Ben Davies and into the far top corner of the net.

There were still seven minutes left, but this goal meant too much to both teams. Spurs were on the floor and had nothing left. Leicester did what they had been doing all night and saw out the win.