Tottenham Hotspur dropped to fourth in a row Premier League defeat against Leicester City this afternoon, piling even more pressure on the under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou.
Richarlison put the Lilywhits ahead at the break, but two quick second-half goals from Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannous secured three vital points for the Foxes in their hunt for survival.
The result leaves Spurs in 15th place in the table, just eight points clear of the relegation zone after their 13th defeat of the season – the same number as newly promoted Ipswich Town.
Injuries certainly played a part in the recent dip in form, but too many players failed to deliver and/or make an impact, contributing to the embarrassing defeat.
A number of players looked off the pace today and their displays pushed Postecoglou closer to the brink of losing his job, which would have brought his almost two-year spell to an end.
A disappointing performance by Tottenham against Leicester
Striker Dejan Kulusevski made his tenth consecutive league start this afternoon against player Ruud van Nistelrooy, often a reliable figure given recent injuries.
However, the Swede looked like his fixture list was starting to take its toll, taking a toll on him giving up possession 22 times – the most of all players on the field.
He also failed to complete any of his three dribble attempts and he dribbled twice on the counter, looking leggy as the hosts pushed for a late equaliser.
Heung-min Son has failed to shine so far this season, failing to reach the performance levels he achieved for so many years as a player in North London.
Today was no different, as the winger failed to finish any of his six attempted crossesand unable to create any clear-cut chances to put Postecoglou’s side back in a winning position.
Such displays from the aforementioned strikers highlight the need to invest in the striker department before the end of the window, with another player lucky enough to retain his starting role after his own performances.
Tottenham’s biggest underperformance against Leicester
Pope Sarr he started again in the heart of midfield for Spurs this afternoon, partnering talented youngster Lucas Bergvall and the returning Rodrigo Bentancur.
However, his outing was one to forget, arguably the least influential of the trio, as shown by his withdrawal in the 54th minute due to a lack of positive impact.
Sarr managed only 34 touches during his time on the pitch, with his subsequent tally lower than goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky’s 35 – showing his lack of influence at the heart of the side.
|
Pape Sarr vs Leicester City |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics |
Tally |
|
Minutes played |
54 |
|
It touches |
34 |
|
Tackles won |
0 |
|
Cuts have been made |
0 |
|
Lost property |
6x |
|
Key passes completed |
0 |
|
Offenses committed |
1 |
|
Statistics via Sofascore |
|
The Senegalese was also equally alien off the ball, unable to complete a single tackle or interception – failing to prevent the visitors from getting back into the game.
If nothing else, the 22-year-old helped them with the tries, giving them the ball in the build-up to their first try, giving them a lifeline and an added boost that saw them eventually take all three points.
Such possession was only one of Sarr gave the ball away six times back to the opponent, causing him to commit a foul trying to return the ball to his side.
As a result of his poor showing, Sarr received a poor match rating 3/10 by Daily Express reporter Tom Parsons, further showing how poor he was in north London against the Foxes.
His display contributed greatly to another embarrassing defeat, one that could spell the end for Postecoglou in his tenure in charge of the club.
Regardless of the managerial situation, the youngster will be happy to be in the starting line-up ahead of Thursday night’s clash with Elfsborg, leaving himself at risk of being dropped after such a toothless display.
