Tottenham 0 City 1
Report by Colin Hall
An 83rd-minute header by defender Robert Huth gave Leicester City a hard-fought 1-0 victory in the second game of this month's triple-header with Tottenham.
The result ended the Foxes' recent winless streak and extended the gap over their high-flying hosts to seven points. On an evening which saw title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City both drop points, the victory also rekindled genuine hopes of a first-ever top-flight title.
Both sides started at full strength, with Jamie Vardy having recovered sufficiently from a groin operation to start for City. As in Sunday's cup encounter, though, the home side made the stronger start, with Eriksen and Alli both going close in the early stages.
City, again as on Sunday, struggled to gain a foothold in the game, surrendering possession cheaply on too many occasions. But occasional breaks troubled the home defence and gave glimpses of the spirit that has sustained the side so well in this campaign.
Indeed, the closest that either side came to breaking the deadlock in the opening half came when Shinji Okazaki flicked a Christian Fuchs throw into the path of Danny Drinkwater who forced a fine full-length save from Lloris in the Tottenham goal.
After the break, the visitors presented more of an attacking threat, with Drinkwater again going close and Vardy seeing a close-range shot blocked. Spurs responded by stepping up the tempo, with Lamela steering a Davies cross inches wide.
Minutes later, the talismanic Kane, previously subdued by the visiting defence, came even closer to putting the hosts ahead, as his shot was parried by Kasper Schmeichel into the ground and bounced onto the top of the crossbar when it could so easily have crept into the net.
In general, though, it was the City defence – so often derided as the weakest link in the side – that was keeping the side competitive in this game, with Huth and skipper Wes Morgan instrumental in repelling wave after wave of home attacks.
City almost grabbed an unlikely lead after 76 minutes when Riyad Mahrez, Drinkwater and sub Leo Ulloa all had shots blocked during a frenetic goalmouth scramble.
Immediately afterwards, Okazaki was replaced by Andy King and City switched to a 4-5-1 formation. To many in the crowd, this move signalled a willingness by the visitors to settle for a point in the closing stages.
Instead, it provided a platform for City to deliver the killer blow. Pressure from N'Golo Kante forced Alli into conceding a corner, from which, as home defenders Alderweireld and Dier collided, Huth was left unmarked to send a powerful header into the roof of the Tottenham net.
The City defence was able to see out the closing minutes in far more comfort than they had managed in the cup tie, and thus secure the most important victory of this incredible season to date.
Not only does the victory restore momentum that had been lost following the recent failure to beat lowly Bournemouth, it also reinforces the resilience of the remarkable record that has seen City lose just one of the last 16 away games in all competitions.
The defeat of fellow title contenders will also give Claudio Ranieri's side an extra boost as they prepare to face further challenges during the weeks ahead.
Although the performance was not the most fluent we have seen from the Foxes on our travels this season, the resilience and spirit proved enough on this occasion for them to prevail.
And if – as the cliché goes – the ability to win without playing well is what makes champions, then the Blue Army have every reason to hope that the greatest prize in the English game still lies within our grasp.
Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Lloris (c): Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier (Onomah 90), Carroll (Son 82); Alli, Eriksen (Dembele 70), Lamela; Kane. Subs not used: Vorm, Rose, Trippier, Wimmer
Booked: Dier
City (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan (c), Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez (Dyer 90), Kanté, Drinkwater, Albrighton; Okazaki (King 77), Vardy (Ulloa 70). Subs not used: Gray, Wasilewski, Schwarzer, Inler
Goal: Huth 83
Attendance: 35,850 Referee: Lee Mason
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