Tottenham Late Show Denies Leicester Champions League Place
Leicester missed out on the Champions League for a second successive season after a 4-2 defeat to Tottenham on the final day saw them finish in fifth, while Spurs secured their European place.
The Foxes needed results to go their way elsewhere, but had to secure their own victory first to ensure the best possible chance of finishing in the top four.
It began well for them too as Leicester were awarded a penalty inside 15 minutes. Toby Alderweireld caught Jamie Vardy around the ankles, and the striker fired home from the spot (18). But just before half-time, Harry Kane (41) finished superbly to secure his third Premier League Golden Boot – the joint-highest number of wins in history with Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer – in possibly his last game for Tottenham.
The second half followed a similar pattern. Leicester were awarded a second penalty shortly after the break, won by Vardy again after a tangle with Davinson Sanchez. The striker scored in an almost identical fashion too, slotting home another confident penalty (52).
With Chelsea trailing Aston Villa and Leicester ahead, they were in pole position to finish in the Champions League places, but a late flurry from Tottenham condemned the Foxes to the Europa League. The second equaliser was a bizarre moment as a Heung-Min Son corner defected off Kasper Schmeichel’s hand (76) and into the back of the net.
A Gareth Bale double (87, 90+6) then fired Tottenham into seventh, securing their own place in the Europa Conference League next season. They have also finished a point and place above Arsenal.
The result will be a bitter blow for Leicester, with Brendan Rodgers’ side having spent the most nights in the top four this season. But they will again compete in the Europa League next term, finishing just a point behind Chelsea in fourth.
