Daily Mail

If you haven't seen how Newcastle took the lead, then here you go.

I mean, it really did come out of nowhere, but it doesn't take away from how nice of a goal it is.

Newcastle are brilliant on the transition and they punished Spurs in the blink of an eye. A lovely cross, and a great finish.

Not a bad celebration, either.

Noni Madueke was on fire last week, wasn't he?

The winger was given a first Premier League start of the season and my word did he take his opportunity.

A second-half hat-trick away at Wolves drove Chelsea to a 6-2 thumping win in the West Midlands.

He needs to build on that performance with another today if he is to show he is the real deal.

The only problem is, he hasn't taken aim at the city of London...

I'm guessing that means no goal today then.

Alexander Isak is such a star.

In my mind, he is one of the most underrated strikers in the Premier League, I love watching him play.

Do you know who doesn't, though?

Tottenham. They are sick of the sight of the Swedish striker, he wreaks havoc on them every year.

He netted twice in the 6-1 pasting of them two seasons ago and then did the same last campaign.

They will be hoping he stays quiet today, but it's hard to see that happening, isn't it?

Am I the only person that think this photo looks odd?

Seeing Jadon Sancho in the blue of Chelsea will take some time getting used to, that's for sure.

But we won't be seeing him don the colours today as he was not registered by the club in time on deadline day.

I'm sure the loanee from Manchester United will be in the stands, though, watching his new teammates.

I bet he will be itching to get on that pitch.

I keep on talking about these memories, don't I?

I'm sure Tottenham fans do not need reminding of what I am badgering on about, but I will provide it anyway.

Spurs have conceded 10 goals in their last two trips to St James' Park, scoring just one themselves.

Newcastle have been relentless on both occasions, romping to a 6-1 win during the 2022-23 season, and another 4-0 victory a season later.

Both matches will live long in the memory of both fans for very different reasons. I know that they live in mine.

Surely we won't get a repeat of them today, will we?

I'm pretty sure that's what I said last time, though.

The Geordies are probably happy to see the back of the transfer window.

They had a really unsettled summer, struggling to get the players in the positions they wanted.

One of those being Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace, who has remained in south London after coming close to a move to St. James' Park.

Or maybe they wish they had a longer summer, so they could get them.

Either way, the dressing room is not in the best shape as they come into this one, with no new faces through the door on deadline day.

It means no fresh faces are starting for them today...

Sandro Tonali is in the building...

The Italian midfielder made his return to competitive football against Nottingham Forest in the League Cup in midweek, following a 10-month ban due to illegal betting.

I thought he would take a while to bed back into the game after so long out, but my word was I wrong.

Tonali was the Magpies' best player at the City Ground, it looked like he had never been away.

Will that impressive performance earn him a start today?

Every week there is a London derby, I swear.

This time it's the turn of Chelsea and Crystal Palace to lock horns and they will do so in the west of the city.

The Blues have of course provided entertainment both on and off the pitch over the last month, as they always do.

With plenty of new faces through the door, they looked the bee's knees last week away at Wolves as they ran rampant, scoring six at Molineux.

But their loss away at Swiss side Servette in midweek kept the club's renewed optimism in check and showed they still have a long way to go.

Today they face a Palace side who were tipped to do well this season, but they have had a terrible start.

Oliver Glasner's side have lost their two opening matches, which were also London derbies, to Brentford and West Ham, and they haven't looked particularly great.

With these two teams, though, I have no idea which way this will go.

It may only be three games in, but this is a monster clash.

Newcastle and Tottenham will both have the same goals this season and that is to make the top four.

Both have had similar starts to the season. Two games, one win, one draw, and a shaky performance or two were thrown into the mix.

When going for Champions League qualification, teams always want to get one over on their rivals, especially early on.

Newcastle have had major success in this fixture recently, but they can't go into this one thinking the same will happen again.

Meanwhile, those said results will be lurking in the back of Tottenham players' minds, but they can't let it affect them.

It could be a massive mental battle today.

We are in for a rollercoaster of a day, people.

There is a reason it is called 'Super Sunday', the three matches ahead today epitomise that saying to a tee.

While we are still a fair few hours away from the showstopper at Old Trafford later, we have some tasty appetisers for you to tuck into.

Chelsea will be looking to back up their thumping of Wolves when they face Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge later.

But the fixture I am licking my lips over is Newcastle hosting Tottenham - it always serves up a cracker.

Spurs fans will not be entirely optimistic after that last two trips to St James' Park, but I guess it's a new season.

Right then, that's enough of an introduction, let's get this show on the road!

Catfish And The Bottlemen have cancelled a gig at the last minute because of illness just days after fans expressed fear that their 'ambitious' concert at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would be overshadowed by Oasis' gig on the same day.

MCD Productions posted a statement from the Welsh band just after 6.45pm on Saturday, about 15 minutes before doors were due to open at the RDS Simmonscourt venue in Dublin.

The band said: 'We regret to inform you that tonight's show is cancelled due to artist illness.

'Refunds are available from point of purchase. Apologies to all the fans who have travelled to the show today and for any inconvenience caused.'

The post did not specify the illness or who was unwell.

Fans worry that Oasis' comeback could spell bad news for the Catfish who also announced an arena tour this month which some fans now believe will sell 'negative tickets.'

The band, whose most famous song Cocoon was released 10 years ago, recently played Reading and Leeds festival as part of their comeback trail, which will culminate with a new album and a string of dates at arenas next year.

Catfish are set to play at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 3 next summer, but the show now coincides with one of Oasis' comeback gigs, just 12 miles away at Wembley.

Even before the Gallaghers' announcement, tickets were not exactly flying off the shelves for the Catfish show.

They have previously won BBC Music Introducing's artist of the year, and in 2016 took the Brit Award for best British breakthrough act.

Catfish And The Bottlemen are due to travel to Australia and New Zealand in September for several tour dates, before playing shows in the US throughout October and November.

Ange Postecoglou insists he is relishing the prospect of a return to Glasgow after his Tottenham Hotspur side were drawn to face Rangers in the Europa League.

After spending two hugely successful years in charge of Celtic, Postecoglou admits he will be in for a hostile reception when Spurs travel to Ibrox.

It proved to be a blockbuster draw for Rangers, with Philippe Clement’s men also travelling to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.

The revamped format of the Europa League will also see them play Lyon, Nice, Olympiacos, Malmo, Union Saint-Gilloise and Steaua Bucharest.

The draw was made yesterday afternoon on transfer deadline day, with Rangers securing a loan deal for Dutch defender Neraysho Kasanwirjo from Feyenoord.

The 22-year-old centre-back moves to Ibrox on a season-long loan, with Rangers then having an option to buy the player next summer.

Rangers were also closing in on a £3.5m deal last night to sign Albanian international midfielder Nedim Bajrami from Italian side Sassuolo.

But the clash with Spurs proved to be the highlight of the draw earlier in the day, with Postecoglou set for a box-office return to Glasgow.

Asked how he felt about the draw and the prospect of going back to Ibrox, the Australian said: ‘Exciting. It’s good to be a part of.

‘Some good games. I am sure I will get a warm reception at Ibrox and they’ll look forward to seeing me.’

On the transfer front, Kasanwirjo was well known to Clement and Rangers head of recruitment Nils Koppen.

The young defender spent last season on loan at Rapid Vienna and is also an Under-21 international with Holland.

‘I am a defender who likes to play with the ball,’ said the 22-year-old, who could go straight into the squad for tomorrow’s Old Firm clash at Parkhead. ‘Obviously I can play my duels, I am fast, I am strong, I can play. That is what the coach is looking for.’

Clement added: ‘We are thrilled to welcome Neraysho to the football club and we believe he will be a big asset to the team.

‘He can play in a number of defensive positions and will be a good option for the squad with the domestic and European commitments we have this campaign.’

Elsewhere, Scott Wright left Rangers to join Birmingham City in a deal worth £300,000, while Todd Cantwell was last night finalising the terms of his move to Blackburn Rovers.

Yves Bissouma has been on his very best behaviour according to Ange Postecoglou ever since the indiscretion featuring a balloon full of nitrous oxide.

He has been uncharacteristically punctual, first into the team meetings, keen to prove a lesson has been learned about responsibility.

And, having been forced to sit out the first game of the Premier League campaign as a punishment, Bissouma held steady on the road to redemption by marking his return to the team with his first goal for Tottenham on his 57th appearance.

Lashed into the top corner from the edge of the penalty box, it was the first of a comfortable victory that gave lift off to Postecoglou's second season.

'We know he's a good footballer, there's no doubting his ability,' said the Spurs boss afterwards. 'He has ability to do something special. We want to make him the best version of himself. That starts off the field as much as on it.

'Discipline is a big thing for him and it was a disciplined performance. Not just the goal but he had an important job for us. He had to be there to mop up and intercept and he was clean for the most part in possession. It's a good start. He's still got work to do.'

Heung-min Son pounced on a mistake by Jordan Pickford for the second as Spurs assumed complete control and later claimed the fourth after Cristian Romero had marked his 100th appearance for the club with the third, headed in from a corner.

All of which left Everton looking rather feeble. They have leaked seven goals in their first two games without finding the net, have not won away from home in 2024 and the threat of points deductions still lingers in the background.

They were depleted and patched-up in North London and on the back foot from the outset. 'Too subservient,' was Sean Dyche's description. Pickford made three excellent saves before he was beaten, blocking from Romero, flying to his right to keep out a deflected shot from Son and dashing from his line to smother another from James Maddison.

Brennan Johnson missed the target with a header he ought to have scored but Bissouma's aim was true. Dejan Kulusevski jinked into the box from the right and teed-up the chance. Struck first time, it veered away from Pickford and hit the net.

Everton's goalkeeper was at fault for the second, however, ruining his previous efforts. He was guilty of a poor touch as he shifted the ball across his body to kick with his left foot. Son pounced, tearing past with a searing burst of acceleration to steal the ball and roll it into an open goal.

Pickford held up his hands in apology. It felt like a long way back from here although Tottenham are so loose, they always offer glimmers of hope. One decent chance to equalise at 1-0, was squandered by Jack Harrison slicing wide on the half volley at the back post.

And there was a spell of pressure before half time when Everton threatened from a series of set-pieces. Spurs were painfully vulnerable defending set pieces last season and have worked hard to improve but they are not a powerful team in the air, unlike the visitors.

Maddison was back in his own goalmouth to make one vital clearance denying Abdoulaye Doucoure in stoppage time at the end of the first half.

For a spell after the interval, Tottenham failed to generate the same intensity and Everton flickered after the introduction of Iliman Ndiaye and Jesper Lindstrom, who forced a splendid save from Guglielmo Vicario within seconds of coming on.

But it was brief. Postecoglou was quick to respond, sending on Pape Matar Sarr and Richarlison. Maddison went close to the third from free kick before Romero scored it, climbing above James Tarkowski from one of Maddison's corners.

Son made it four, beating Pickford from a tight angle after an exhilarating run by Micky van de Ven, carving a path down the centre of the pitch before claiming an assist.

Destiny Udogie hobbled off sparking concerns until Postecoglou dismissed it as nothing more than fatigue and tight hamstrings.

The deeper managerial problems sit firmly with Dyche, already braced for another survival fight.

'There's no acceptance of anything,' said the Everton boss. 'There's a reality to all the challenges in football but that's not acceptance.

'It's tough to come here to Spurs and it's tougher with a thin squad. I don't like making excuses but that's a fact. Does that mean they win? No, it doesn't because it doesn't always work that way, but you have to make it not work that way.'

As for the prospect of reinforcements in the transfer market before Friday's deadline, Dyche said: 'Until I'm told different there isn't any finance to go and to go and change things. This is what we are.'

Tottenham's victory was supercharged by several electrifying performances

Tottenham piled more misery on Everton with a 4-0 thumping thanks to a brace from Son Heung-min and goals from Yves Bissouma and Cristian Romero.

While Ange Postecoglou's men are in the top four after the first two games, the Toffees are rooted to the bottom of the table after conceding seven without reply.

In the first half Bissouma scored his first Tottenham goal after 59 games with a thumping top-corner striker before Son capitalised on a Jordan Pickford error to make it 2-0.

With 19 minutes to go Romero rose to head home James Maddison's corner and Son put the result beyond all doubt minutes later with a slick finish.

James St Denis brings you the player ratings from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham (4-3-3)

Guglielmo Vicario: 6.5

Commanded his area well when called upon, which was very rarely. Saved Everton's only shot on target well and spent most of the match improving his passing.

Destiny Udogie: 6.5

Like his fellow fullback, the Italian was a constant attacking threat and linked well with new boy Odobert. Unfortunately his game ended early due to injury.

Micky Van de Ven: 8

Athletic, strong and brilliant on the ball, no one was getting past the Dutchman today. He capped off a fine performance with a superb assist for Tottenham's fourth.

Cristian Romero: 7.5

Shut out Everton's forwards with relative ease before scoring Tottenham's third of the match with a powerful header. A champions performance on his 100th Spurs appearance.

Pedro Porro: 7.5

Another electric performance from the Spaniard. Superb in attack and defence, the 23-year-old was a constant menace throughout, tormenting Everton's left-hand side of McNeil and Mykolenko.

Brennan Johnson: 6

Plenty more to offer but a solid overall performance. The Welsh international showed glimpses of what he can do when at his best, but did not do enough.

Yves Bissouma: 7.5

Back with a bang. After a nervy opening couple of minutes on his return, the Malian midfielder rifled in Spurs' opener after a brilliantly orchestrated move.

James Maddison: 8

The architect for everything Tottenham did well going forward, the midfielder was also on hand to divert Tarkowski's header off the goal line late in the first half.

Wilson Odobert: 7

A surprise inclusion in the starting eleven. Sharp, quick and direct, the Belgian was a constant threat down the left-hand side, receiving a round of applause when he was substituted.

Heung-Min Son: 8.5

Superb composure to double Tottenham's lead after capitalising on Pickford's howler, before having the guile to dispatch his side's fourth of the match. A hard working performance from the captain.

Dejan Kulusevski: 7

Along with his piece of individual brilliance to weave his way through Everton's defence before assisting Bissouma for Spurs' first goal, the Swede put in yet another combative performance.

Substitutes

Richarlison (67'): 6

Second appearance since returning on injury, and unsurprisingly looked off the pace. Tried his best but needs more game time to get fully fit.

Pape Matar Sarr (67'): 6.5

Dropped seamlessly into the midfield. Composed in possession and great at carrying the ball forward. Another good option for Postecoglou.

Archie Gray (73'): 6

So much composure for an 18-year-old midfielder. Dropped into defence to help Spurs' tiring defenders and was always looking to get involved.

Djed Spence (73'): 6

Looked sharp straight from the off in his limited minutes, offering a good attacking threat and defensive cover. Has worked hard to get into Postecoglou's plans.

Lucas Bergvall (75'): 6.5

Last player to enter the fray for the hosts but was instantly willing to get the ball forward. An interesting option for future matches.

Everton (4-2-3-1)

Jordan Pickford: 4

A very poor error from the England number one to gift Tottenham a second goal early in the first half in a disappointing performance.

Roman Dixon: 6

Thrown into the deep end on debut, but performed admirably. Kept Spurs new boy Odobert relatively quiet and showed promise at both ends of the pitch.

Michael Keane: 4.5

It is never nice to concede four goals away from home and the Englishman was powerless to stop Tottenham's relentless attack.

James Tarkowski: 5.5

Rumoured to have suffered an injury in the build up to this match, the Everton captain tried his hardest but looked off the pace.

Vitali Mykolenko: 5

The Ukrainian struggled to contain the right side combination of Johnson and Porro, allowing too many dangerous balls to come in from that side.

Idrissa Gueye: 5.5

Found some composure the longer the match went on, especially after struggling to contain the hosts during the opening half an hour.

Abdoulaye Doucoure: 5

Another victim of Tottenham's explosive first half. Tried to force the hosts' hand when Everton went forward, but like Gueye also struggled throughout.

Tim Iroegbunam: 6

One of the newer faces in Dyche's side, the former Aston Villa man was composured when his teammates struggled, and linked play well when presented the opportunity to do so.

Jack Harrison: 4.5

Anonymous throughout. Rarely tested Tottenham's defence when presented the opportunity and was hooked early in the second half with the game all but over.

Dwight McNeil: 5.5

Helped the Toffees carry the ball deep into Spurs' half and was the visitors main source in attack. Still struggled and was ushered out the match.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin: 5

Like Harrison was largely anonymous, with Romero and Van de Ven too strong and powerful for the Englishman to navigate. He was subbed off with 20 minutes remaining.

Substitutes

Iliman Ndiaye: 6

Showed promise when given the opportunity to attack Tottenham's defence, but that did not happen enough. A player Dyche should lean on in the future.

Jesper Lindstrom: 5

Rarely had time on the ball but was not effective enough when in possession. Still adapting to Premier League football but needs to show his qualities soon.

Beto: 5

Ineffective when introduced. Failed to make an impact even against Spurs' tiring defenders and was caught in no man's land too many times.

Tottenham winger Manor Solomon is in talks to join Leeds United on loan.

The Israel international has been given clearance to leave Spurs after a difficult spell with injuries since joining last summer as a free agent.

After featuring in five of the club's opening seven Premier League games under Ange Postecoglou, an injury in early October saw required surgery to the meniscus on his right knee and brought his campaign to a premature end.

Getafe had made enquiries but the 25-year old has been insistent on remaining in England.

Former Shakhtar Donetsk and Fulham flyer Solomon is due to undergo a medical this weekend.

Leeds signed Largie Ramazani on Friday from Almeria but want to add more attacking options and see Solomon as someone who can have a major impact on the Championship.

Leeds are also looking to add a striker and a full back before next week's deadline.

After missing out on promotion following defeat by Southampton in the play-off final last season, Daniel Farke has seen several of his top stars depart the club this summer.

Archie Gray joined Spurs in July, with fellow England youth international Charlie Creswell leaving for Toulouse later that month.

Georginio Rutter joined Brighton for a club record £40million fee earlier this month, while last season's top scorer Crysencio Summerville has completed a most to West Ham.

Jamie Vardy was up to his usual tricks during Leicester's 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur as he brutally trolled Spurs fans after he was substituted.

Vardy, 37, returned to the top flight with a bang as he netted as 57th-minute equaliser to earn a surprise point for the newly-promoted side.

Steve Cooper's Leicester had been under the cosh for the majority of the match until Vardy delivered the sucker punch to the north London team.

The former England striker, who had been an injury doubt before the match, couldn't see out the full 90 minutes and was substituted with 79 minutes on the clock.

As Vardy left the pitch he couldn't help himself and decided to taunt the away support for their lack of a Premier League title.

After handing the captain's armband to team-mate Harry Winks, Vardy took the opportunity to turn to the Spurs fans before heading off the pitch.

He first points at the Premier League badge on the sleeve of his shirt before pointing to himself and then raising one finger to indicate his title win in the 2015-16 season.

The striker then points back to the badge before aiming his finger in the direction of the Spurs fans and motioning the number zero, highlighting the fact Tottenham are still yet to win a Premier League title.

As he finally left the pitch he also got into an x-rated spat with Spurs defender Cristian Romero.

The Leicester man was caught telling the Argentine centre-back to 'f*** off' in a heated argument.

Following the match, Vardy was asked about the incident, but he played it down as just a bit of fun.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Vardy said. 'You take a bit of stick during the game, but it’s part of football. As long as they can take it when I’m giving it back, that’s all that matters.'

Former Liverpool defender, Jamie Carragher, who was working on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football show, loved Vardy's tongue-in-cheek gesture.

'Thank God Jamie Vardy went and seen Steve Cooper midweek and said he was ready, ready to play,' said Carragher. 'And I mean, never change Jamie Vardy.

Vardy's strike against Spurs was his ninth Premier League goal against the club, he has only netted more against their rivals Arsenal, and Watford.

It was also his 103rd goal since turning 30 years of age, showing that he still has what it takes at the top level of English football.

His performance earned a lot of praise from pundits, no less so than Carragher who was in awe of his display.

'That was Vardy at his best,' Carragher added. 'He could have scored the winner and he got the goal to start with.

'It was chalk and cheese the second half performance [from Leicester], and there was energy in the stadium.'

The former Liverpool defender's fellow pundit, Gary Neville, was also left impressed by Vardy's performance.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said: 'I loved it when he first came into the Premier League when he came into our sights, the idea of this non-league mentality playing.

'He's a throwback, but I did think he'd be one of those players that relies completely on his pace, running off the shoulder, counter-attacking.

'Then when he actually lost his pace or lost a yard, he's still quite quick, I thought he would find it difficult to adapt his game, which I think many others have, but he's still going at 37.'

Steve Cooper's first game as Leicester City manager saw his side fight back from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night.

Spurs bossed the opening 45 minutes and took a deserved lead into the interval thanks to a well-worked goal finished by Pedro Porro.

But the Foxes equalised 12 minutes after half-time when Jamie Vardy headed home from close range.

Spurs then lost midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur - who went off in a concussion substitution after suffering a serious head injury - and they will feel like they lost the game, considering how dominant they had been at times.

Mail Sport's TOM COLLOMOSSE watched the action live at the King Power Stadium and has provided his player ratings below.

Leicester City (4-4-2)

MADS HERMANSEN 7.5

Good saves from Johnson, Solanke (twice) and Bentancur could do little about Porro's opener. His long kicking was erratic – no surprise as he was required to play everything short under Enzo Maresca last season – but a fine display overall.

JAMES JUSTIN 6

Brendan Rodgers once called him a £50million player yet serious injuries mean he has never quite recovered that form, and he struggled to contain Spurs' frequent raids down the left. Improved after the break.

WOUT FAES 6.5

Kept going but everything felt a struggle. It was lucky for the Leicester defence that Solanke was still finding his feet in a new team, otherwise it could have been a seriously rough night. Booked.

JANNIK VESTERGAARD 6.5

This will be a very different season for the Dane, with little opportunity to bring the ball from deep as he did in the Championship. Stuck to his task well though, like Faes, it always seemed as though he was at full stretch.

VICTOR KRISTIANSEN 6.5

Back from loan after helping Serie A club Bologna qualify for the Champions League, had his work cut out to stop Johnson and Porro down the Spurs right before playing a key role in the equaliser. Grew into the game.

ABDUL FATAWU 7.5

One of the most devastating wingers in the Championship last term spent most of his time helping out Justin at right back. When he had his chance to attack, he made it count, providing a perfect cross for Vardy to head in.

HARRY WINKS 7

The former Spurs midfielder was the more precise of Leicester's central two but often found himself chasing shadows as for the first hour of the game the visitors made excellent use of their extra man in the middle.

WILFRED NDIDI 7

Brilliant clearance from under his own bar stopped Spurs taking an instant lead. Though this was not the Ndidi who shone in Rodgers' first two years in charge, he perked up hugely after the equaliser like the rest of his team and drew a fine save from Vicario late on.

BOBBY DE CORDOVA-REID 6

Black mark for allowing Porro to drift goal side of him and head Tottenham into the lead. Tried to score from the halfway line with Vicario out of goal, and nearly hit the corner flag.

JAMIE VARDY 8

Declared himself available for this one even though not fully fit and promptly nodded in the equaliser and could have had a second. There was even time for a rant at Romero as he was subbed. He turns 38 in January. Mine's a Red Bull with ham and cheese omelette, please.

FACUNDO BUONANOTTE 6.5

Playing alongside Vardy, the on-loan Argentine did not get everything right, but always looked to hurt the opposition and worked hard to help out his midfield when Spurs were rampant before the break.

SUBS

STEPHY MAVIDIDI 6

BOUBAKARY SOUMARE 6

KASEY McATEER 6

MANAGER

STEVE COOPER 7

His side struggled desperately for most of the first hour yet on his first competitive game in charge, the Welshman did well to ensure the players kept their shape and kept their belief.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3)

GUGLIELMO VICARIO 7.5

Confident with his feet and hands, he had one hairy moment before the break when he raced out to head clear and left his goal open. Left stranded for Vardy's goal but made two crucial stops.

PEDRO PORRO 7.5

Until Leicester equalised, he was totally dominant on the right, scoring the first goal and keeping De Cordova-Reid at bay. Quieter after that but still a fine display.

CRISTIAN ROMERO 5.5

Could have scored with an early header and generally had little trouble with Vardy – until the moment he was caught under the ball for the veteran forward's goal.

MICKY VAN DE VEN 5.5

Like Romero, had little defensive work to do in the first half and then his job suddenly became a lot harder. Interesting to see how he and Romero cope when the tide turns like this against better teams.

DESTINY UDOGIE 6

Lucky not to be booked for a foul on Buonanotte and while he is a dynamo going forward, the Italy international left-back cannot always be relied upon going the other way.

PAPE SARR 7

Always full of running, the Senegal man was available when his team-mates needed him and made a brilliant recovery block on Reid

RODRIGO BENTANCUR 6.5

Afforded far too much space in the middle of the pitch as he revelled in being Spurs' spare man. Carried off on a stretcher after a clash of heads, which led to a seven-minute delay in the action.

JAMES MADDISON 7.5

Ran the show in the first half against his former club, setting up the goal for Porro and proving too difficult for Leicester to handle. Faded a little after that. Clapped off when he was subbed.

BRENNAN JOHNSON 7

Forced a good save from Hermansen when he connected nicely with a volley and combined well down the right with Porro, until Kristiansen started to get the better of him as the match wore on.

DOMINIC SOLANKE 5.5

The £65million man does not yet look on the same wavelength as his team-mates but he will be confident that understanding will develop. Could have had a debut goal with calmer finishing.

HEUNG-MIN SON 7

Used on the left, he stayed wide and regularly linked effectively with Maddison and Udogie, especially in the first half. Will be interesting to see how he is used across the campaign.

SUBS

LUCAS BERGVALL 6

Brilliant delivery from a late free-kick should have led to the winner.

DEJAN KULUSEVSKI 7

Brilliant recovery challenge on Ndidi as he raced back towards his own goal and always a danger going forward. Will think he should have started.

RICHARLISON 5

Somehow headed over from inside the six-yard box in the final moment of the game.

DJED SPENCE 6

ARCHIE GRAY 6

TIMO WERNER 6

MANAGER

ANGE POSTECOGLOU 7

He will know his team should have been out of sight long before Leicester levelled the match. Tried to turn the tide with a quadruple substitution in the closing stages.

REFEREE

CHRIS KAVANAGH 6

Drew the anger of the home fans, who were convinced Spurs were getting the benefit of the 50-50 challenges. Seemed to determined to let the game flow, even when he shouldn't have.

Jamie Vardy, remember him? Tottenham Hotspur would prefer to forget but last night at the age of 37 he was back to bother them again with his own very special brand of menace.

No house party this time. No wild kitchen celebrations as there were on that night in the spring of 2016 when Tottenham’s challenge was ended by a Chelsea comeback and handed the title to Claudio Ranieri’s 5,000/1 outsiders.

Simply, on this occasion, his ninth Premier League goal against Spurs. And that proved enough to transform what for almost an hour looked like a very comfortable away win into an unlikely point for Leicester City and perhaps the spark required to light the Steve Cooper era.

Vardy was unmarked at the back post to nod in a cross by Abdul Fatawu in the 57th minute and wipe out the opener scored by Pedro Porro in the first half.

He nearly found a winner, foiled by a fabulous Guglielmo Vicario save as he dashed clean through 20 minutes from time.

And could not resist return the taunts from those in the away when he was replaced near the end, stopping to point at the Premier League crest on his sleeve and signalling one for him and zero for them.

It had been all Tottenham for almost an hour, but his goal turned the contest on its head.

How fitting Vardy should be the hero on a night of commemoration for Craig Shakespeare, assistant to Ranieri during that magical season when they won the title before taking over from the Italian as Leicester reached the last eight of the Champions League.

The tributes to Shakespeare, who died this month at the age of 60, included an electrifying minute of applause before kick-off.

Vardy, the last of the players at the club from those glorious times, had plans of his own.

The former England international and Footballer of the Year had not been expected to start against after struggling with injury in preseason but with Patson Daka out injured after an operation, he told Cooper he would give it a go. In fact, he made it through 79 minutes.

For Spurs, the draw tasted like defeat. They had set off with such pace and purpose, zipping passes forward, squeezing up the pitch and forcing Leicester to retreat as they created and failed to convert early chances from a series of corners.

Wilfred Ndidi was on hand to hook clear a near-post header by Rodrigo Bentancur and goalkeeper Mads Hermansen saved a sweet Brennan Johnson volley before Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke both headed wide from Porro crosses.

James Maddison, greeted with a mixed reception on his first return, flickered into life and became more influential as the first half unfolded, looking to penetrate the massed ranks of blue shirts in the Leicester penalty box with disguised passes.

The home crowd delighted when one attempt ended in undignified fashion, with the England international dumped onto his backside near a corner flag, but he was back on his feet conjure the opener for Porro, who darted forward from right back and glanced a header past Hermansen in the 29th minute.

The first half became one of complete domination. Played almost entirely in one half of the pitch, the home crowd’s spontaneous applause at the half time whistle told of their relief at making it through the sanctuary of the interval without greater damage.

Leicester’s only effort at goal was a speculative one from debutant Bobby de Cordova-Reid after Vicario ventured from his penalty area to head clear. It ended up closer to the corner flag than the open goal.

Cooper resisted the urge to make a change during the interval and although the contest continued in the same pattern and Hermansen had to make saves from Solanke and Bentancur his team did begin to threaten on the break.

Leicester took heart, went forward with more confidence and levelled when a left-wing cross by Victor Kristiansen spilled out onto the opposite flank where it was collected by Fatawu and clipped back across.

Vardy found the net with a header from close range. Cue pandemonium and a chaotic finale, disrupted by a long stoppage for treatment for Bentancur. The Uruguay midfielder, who ruptured knee ligaments on his previous appearance at the King Power, clashed heads and fell heavily at a corner.

Thankfully, he was clearly conscious again before being carried off and Postecoglou confirmed afterwards that Bentancur was “conscious and communicating”.

The two teams were able to pick up the same breathless tempo as substitutions came and went. Tottenham made six, including a concussion sub for Bentancur.

Ndidi forced Vicario into another fine save with a header in added time and Richarlison headed the last chance of the game over from a free-kick.

Nobody was eclipsing Vardy. Back in the Premier League with a bang.

It's a massive day for Dominic Solanke.

With the price tag of £65million looming over his head, the Spurs fans will expect him to deliver.

He netted 19 goals for Bournemouth last campaign, so it's no surprise that Tottenham went and snapped him up. He's a sharpshooter.

However, he has been at big clubs before and not succeeded, take his time at Liverpool, for example, he scored just one Premier League goal.

That's not exactly great, is it?

This is a different Solanke, though, he certainly knows where the goal is now, don't doubt that.

It's worth adding, he is practically Harry Kane's replacement. Spurs spent the most of last year just playing Son Heung-Min up top.

Can Solanke fill the former legend's shoes?

I bet James Maddison is feeling a little strange right now...

The Tottenham midfielder knows the King Power like the back of his hand, he played their for five years.

Now he will play in the East Midlands for the first time as an opposition player since leaving in 2023. That will feel weird.

Leicester fans weren't overly fond of the way he left, either...

Meanwhile, Harry Winks may also be feeling a little odd as he goes up against Spurs after spending 21 years at the club from the junior to senior level.

I'm sure there will be lots of hugs and handshakes in the tunnel, but once they cross that line, there is no time for friendships.

I hope I don't jinx it with this post...

When these two teams meet, there are usually fireworks and lots of them - trust me.

This fixture has produced 128 goals in just 34 Premier League meetings. Yes, you read that right.

It has the highest average goals per game of all Premier League fixtures to have been contested 20 times or more.

These sides last faced off in the 2022-23 season, and my word did the goals fly in.

Spurs won 6-2 at home early in the campaign before Leicester returned the favour by battering them 4-1 victory at the King Power Stadium.

Let's hope we see action like that today (I love goals).

It's fair to say, Leicester City have had a tough summer...

After winning the Championship at a canter last year, things have not gone so smoothly since they were promoted back to the big time.

Now under Steve Cooper, the Foxes look very different to the side that romped the second tier under Enzo Maresca.

They have lost some big names such as Kiernan Desbury-Hall and Kelechi Iheanacho.

Yes, they have brought in some reinforcements such as Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Issahaku Fatawu, who was on loan last year.

But are they stronger?

And then there is the threat of PSR looming over their heads which has them in danger.

Despite all this, expect the King Power Stadium to be bouncing this evening, and they could cause Tottenham problems.

It's time to close out the opening Premier League weekend.

We have witnessed nine drama-filled contests so far that have set the tone for what is set to be another frenetic season.

The new campaign has certainly not disappointed so far. From dramatic late winners to a crazy headbutt, we have seen it all.

Let's hope tonight is no different as Tottenham Hotspur travel to the East Midlands to face Leicester City upon their return to the top flight.

These two have served up some belters in the past, but both are in two very different places now.

In my opinion, it's a great way to finish a fantastic first weekend of the 2024-25 season.

Right, I think that's enough of an introduction, don't you?

Let's get cracking!