Vardy Taunts Crowd in Draw Between Tottenham and Leicester

Tottenham Hotspur stumbled in their season opener against newly-promoted Leicester City, settling for a 1-1 draw on Monday night at the end of the first round of the English Premier League.

Tottenham took the lead through Spanish defender Pedro Porro in the 29th minute. However, Leicester’s talismanic striker Jamie Vardy, the club’s captain, leveled the score with a well-taken goal in the 58th minute.

The 37-year-old Vardy, known for his knack for scoring against Spurs, brought his tally to nine goals in 17 league appearances against the North London side. Following his substitution in the 79th minute, Vardy ignited social media buzz with his antics aimed at the Tottenham supporters. He pointed to the Premier League logo on his shirt, a reminder of Leicester’s historic 2015-16 title win, subtly mocking Spurs, who have yet to clinch the Premier League crown.

Leicester’s manager Steve Cooper deployed Vardy, the 2020 Premier League Golden Boot winner, at the spearhead of the attack. Meanwhile, Tottenham’s new coach Ange Postecoglou, who guided Spurs to a fifth-place finish in his debut season, fielded a front line featuring Dominic Solanke, recently signed from Bournemouth, alongside South Korean star Heung-Min Son and James Maddison.

Tottenham missed the chance to notch their 13th win in the last 22 encounters with Leicester. Their previous meeting ended in a resounding 4-1 victory for Leicester on February 11, 2023.

Postecoglou admitted it was a “disappointing evening,” one that started with promise but ended with anxiety over potentially dropping all three points.

“The first half was excellent. We controlled the match but made mistakes in front of goal,” Postecoglou reflected. “The same scenario played out in the second half. We started strong, but once Leicester equalized, their fans rallied behind them, and we lost our composure.”