Tottenham striker Richarlison celebrated his first home start of the season by scoring in the first leg against Leicester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Brazil international Richarlison took advantage of a generous save to meet Pedro Porro’s cross with a brave header to break the deadlock after 33 minutes and put Spurs on course to end a three-game losing streak in the Championship.
That ambition was derailed 58 seconds after the restart when Jamie Vardy fired home a second attempt to equalize for Leicester, while Bilal El Khannouss compounded their opponents’ misery with a long-range strike four minutes later.
“They get an overload on the right and it’s a beautiful cross,” said former England goalkeeper Rob Green BBC Radio 5 Live Richarlison’s goal.
“The pressure was growing. Leicester can do nothing. Richarlison can’t miss — that’s a good header.”
Rich 🤩 pic.twitter.com/ZE9rqdKnf9
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 26, 2025
Richarlison stats
Richarlison featured in just 10 of his side’s 34 games in all competitions as part of another 2024/25 season. full of injuries.
The absence of the 27-year-old was greatly felt by manager Ange Postecoglou, who burdened by a series of injuries among his group.
The former Everton man returned on January 15 for his first league appearance in almost three months, making 12 minutes of the Defeat against Arsenal 2-1.
He scored in the 92nd minute on his return to Goodison Park on 19 January, but the goal was scant consolation as the visitors lost 3-2 to their relegation-threatened opponents.
They fared better against the Foxes, going close a minute before Richarlison’s first strike when Son Heung-min’s cross was deflected onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk.
Bilal in battle ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/jNRVGulkmd
— Leicester City (@LCFC) January 26, 2025
Tottenham vs Leicester
Tottenham won 3-2 at Hoffenheim in the Europa League on Thursday – when Richarlison also started – but they have gone six games without a win in the league, including five defeats.
Leicester are in even worse form, having lost their previous seven league games and their last away win at bottom-of-the-table Southampton on October 19.
New manager Ruud van Nistelrooy already appears to be under pressure, although his players started brightly at Tottenham before famous defensive lapses saw them fall behind.
Van Nistelrooy’s words at the interval had an immediate effect when Vardy turned the ball over from Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s left.
El Khannouss then put the side that started the day on the other side forward, curling in a superb right-footed effort.
