Premier League: Tottenham beat Leicester City 3-0
Tottenham boosted their chances of Europa League football next season and inflicted a huge blow on Leicester’s Champions League ambitions with a superb performance.
Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester side have been in the Premier League’s top four for much of the season but a devastating 3-0 away defeat leaves them with a difficult task going into the final league game next Sunday.
The Foxes finish the season against fifth-placed Manchester United, but should the Red Devils beat West Ham on Wednesday and claim a draw at the King Power, they will be assured of a top-four finish at the expense of Leicester.
James Justin’s own goal from Son Heung-min’s strike and a double from Harry Kane – including a sumptuous curling effort – sealed Spurs’ victory following a splendid first-half showing.
Leicester did have chances but could not find a way past an inspired Hugo Lloris, who made a string of superb saves to deny Jamie Vardy, Ayoze Perez and Demarai Gray.
Jose Mourinho’s side moves up to sixth in the table, two points clear of Wolves, but Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have a game in hand.
Spurs were in disarray when chairman Daniel Levy made the shock decision to sack the popular Mauricio Pochettino and replace him with ex-Chelsea and Manchester United boss Mourinho.
They were 14th in the league and had won just three of their opening 12 league games this season, but the Portuguese boss has utilised his vast experience to turn things around.
Though a desperately poor loss against Sheffield United left him questioning the mentality of his players, their overall form has been excellent since the restart, and they have collected five wins and two draws from eight games.
While clinching European football for next season looked unlikely earlier in the campaign, a late-season surge means seventh could be enough for a Europa League spot, depending on the winners of the FA Cup.
Spurs’ finishing in the first 45 minutes was clinical – forward Son seeing his shot deflect in off James after wrong-footing Kasper Schmeichel, before England captain Kane showed his class.
