Hot Spurs close in on Leicester
Harry Kane and Dele Alli have scored two goals apiece as a rampant Tottenham Hotspur thumped Stoke City 4-0 to slice Premier League leaders Leicester City’s lead to five points.
Tottenham's Harry Kane, bottom left, celebrates scoring a goal with Dele Alli, top, and Erik Lamela during their rout of Stoke City. Photo: Rui Vieira, AP.
The visitors produced a scintillating display of attacking football early today, Australian time, and took the lead after nine minutes when Kane curled a shot past Stoke keeper Shay Given.
Christian Eriksen struck the bar for Tottenham before halftime and the visitors wasted several good chances before Eriksen played in Alli to make it 2-0 in the 67th minute.
Alli then somehow struck the post with an empty goal gaping but Kane spared his blushes when, soon after, he coolly tucked away Erik Lamela’s pass for his 24th league goal of the season.
The outstanding Alli completed the rout, volleying in Eriksen’s clever chip as Spurs ran riot to inflict Stoke’s joint heaviest home defeat in the Premier League.
It comes as Leicester’s Jamie Vardy faces having his mandatory one-match ban lengthened, potentially ruling the striker out of more of his side’s title run-in, after he was charged by the English Football Association over his angry reaction to a red card.
The Premier League’s joint top scorer was sent off during Sunday’s draw with West Ham after being booked twice, the second time for diving in the penalty area after tangling with Angelo Ogbonna.
Vardy confronted referee Jon Moss, jabbing a finger at the match official while appearing to express his anger at receiving his first red card of the season.
The FA’s improper conduct charge, handed down overnight, means Vardy is likely to miss at least two of Leicester’s last four league games if he is found guilty.
Leicester has also been charged by the FA with failing to control its players over the reaction to a penalty being awarded in the 84th minute, which led to Andy Carroll levelling.
Leicester and Vardy have until Thursday afternoon, UK time, to respond to the FA charges.
Leicester’s remaining games in its pursuit of a first-ever top flight title are against Swansea, Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea.
Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri now has to consider how to reconfigure the team without Vardy.
One option is to partner Shinji Okazaki with Ulloa if Ranieri sticks with his favoured 4-4-2 formation. Okazaki has netted only six goals this season, while Ulloa took his tally to four with a controversial penalty on Sunday.
-AP, with Reuters
