City 0 Spurs 2
Report by Colin Hall
Leicester City's FA Cup dreams are over for another season after goals from Son Heung-min and Nacer Chadli gave Tottenham a 2-0 victory in a 3rd round replay at the King Power Stadium.
The visitors, eager to restore lost pride after the recent league defeat by the Foxes, looked hungrier and sharper throughout the game and fully deserved their win.
The tone was set for the evening when Ritchie De Laet was injured in the warm-up and had to be replaced by Danny Simpson. City made one other change from the previous Cup tie, with Danny Drinkwater replacing N'Golo Kante in midfield.
There were few incidents of note during the opening 15 minutes, which was just as well for the thousands of fans (including this correspondent) left shivering in queues outside the ground during this time. While the club are to be commended for their prompt apology, and promise of an investigation, this episode did not present them in a positive light.
Once inside the stadium, it was noted that much of the tenacity, spirit and endeavour that City regulars have come to expect for granted in recent months was absent from this fixture – as indeed were many of the regulars themselves.
Although day-trippers, often unable to attend league matches at this venue. filled many of the vacated seats, the atmosphere was inevitably subdued. For much of the match, the occasion appeared more like 1990's Family Night Football than a full-blooded FA Cup tie.
A tame Gokhan Inler free-kick, comfortably saved by visiting keeper Vorm, was as close as the home side came to opening the scoring during a lacklustre opening half. Meanwhile So, – a big-money buy with a particular point to prove, featured prominently in several Spurs attacks. It was therefore little surprise that he was the one to put the visitors ahead, with a 20-yard drive that beat Kasper Schmeichel at his near post.
City brought on Shinji Okazaki for Drinkwater at the break in an attempt to boost a flagging attack. The move almost produced an immediate impact, as a fierce angled effort by home debutant Demarai Gray was turned away by Vorm and, with the goal gaping, Nathan Dyer was unable to make meaningful contact with the rebound.
The next home substitution in which Simpson was replaced by Marc Albrighton, gave a strong hint about where the game lay in City priorities.
Minutes later Son sent Chadli through to extend the visitors' lead and seal the destiny of the tie.
Although Jamie Vardy was belatedly introduced in the later stages, the horse had long since bolted. By this stage the only issue to be settled was whether the Foxes could end their home scoring drought. Ultimately even this proved beyond them, although Vorm had to be alert to deny Albrighton and Leo Ulloa in the closing minutes.
While many fans would have happily settled for an even series between the two sides at the outside, some wondered about what could have been, especially had City been able to protect the lead in the first encounter at White Hart Lane.
With only one victory in the seven games since Christmas, it is clear that there are serious form and confidence issues within the City squad. Claudio Ranieri must find means of resolving these very quickly if our hopes in the league are to be fulfilled during the remaining games.
City (4-3-3): Schmeichel; Simpson (Albrighton 63), Wasilewski, Benalouane, Chilwell; King, Inler, Drinkwater (Okazaki 46); Dyer (Vardy 74), Ulloa, Gray. Substitutes not used: Schwarzer, Morgan, Kante, Mahrez.
Booked – Albrighton.
Spurs (4-2-3-1): Vorm; Walker, Dier, Wimmer, Davies; Carroll, Bentaleb; Chadli (Onomah 73), Eriksen, Lamela (Kane 60); Son (Alli 84).
Substitutes not used: Lloris, Trippier, Vertonghen, Winks.
Goals: Son 39, Chadli 66.
Booked – Davies.
Referee: Anthony Taylor. Attendance: 30,006.
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation