Rodgers insisted that £15m defender Harry Souttar “did really well” despite an “unfortunate” first-half own goal, but it was Brazilian winger Tetê who drew the attention of the Premier League (PL), netting what was ultimately the winner in a riveting performance that Rodgers described as “what I have been talking about for 18 months”.
They and Danish left-back Victor Kristiansen reinvigorated Rodgers’ side with a “freshness” that they’re going to need ahead of a tricky trio of PL fixtures against Tottenham, Manchester United (away) and Arsenal (home) that could potentially leave them again flirting with the relegation zone if they add further to their nine PL losses as pre-match outsiders this season (W4, D1).
Despite delivering an inconvenient “truth” at the beginning of 2023 that expecting a top-four finish from his club in such a busy season was “unrealistic”, a “proud” Antonio Conte would have been wishing he was in the dugout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when his side avenged their 4-2 loss away to Manchester City in January with a 1-0 home win in the reverse fixture last time out.
That kept them intimately close to the top four, though Conte’s fear about the 2022/23 schedule being overwhelming is about to be tested as they prepare for a midweek UEFA Champions League trip to AC Milan next week.
You would therefore expect that this much shorter journey to Leicester is going to have to be managed delicately as Spurs again seek to balance the demands of domestic and European football.
Players to watch: Leicester midfielder James Maddison recorded the Foxes’ early equaliser before they bulldozed Aston Villa and he has scored in his last two meetings with Spurs. Overshadowing him is recent record-breaker Harry Kane, who has amassed more career goals against Leicester (20) than any other opposition, including goals in nine of the last 11 PL H2Hs.
Hot streak: The last 12 H2Hs have all produced a winner (Tottenham W9, Leicester W3), with seven of Tottenham’s nine wins coming by a multiple-goal margin.
