Puel: It Was A Crazy Game
- Leicester City beaten 5-4 by Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium
- Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Iheanacho score to put City 3-1 up in the second half
- An Erik Lamela double and Christian Fuchs' own goal puts Spurs back in front before Vardy levelled at 4-4
- Harry Kane scored the winner, leaving City in ninth position in the table at the end of the season
The Foxes took an early lead at Wembley Stadium through Jamie Vardy’s glancing header but Spurs responded when Harry Kane smashed a goal home just minutes later to set the tone for an entertaining afternoon.
Riyad Mahrez put City back in front before a stunner from Kelechi Iheanacho made it 3-1 in the second half. Erik Lamela then added three goals - the second via a Christian Fuchs deflection - to put Tottenham 4-3 up and turn the match on its head, but Vardy was able to bring things level at 4-4 until Kane struck the winner.
The result leaves City in a respectable ninth position after 38 games and with a performance that in many ways built on their victory over Arsenal earlier this week, particularly in the first half.
Puel reflected: “I think it was a crazy game. It was open but I think we started the game well, like our last game at home against Arsenal. It was good to see them to play with this desire and consistency and to attack with good pressing on the floor.
“We had a lot of chances and good moves. It was encouraging and when we scored the third game at the start of the second half, I thought we should have gone on to win the game.
“With a little more experience [we good have]. At the end it’s a shame because we scored four goals away. We showed our desire to counter attack and we lost goals from mistakes. Perhaps it was the same for Tottenham, but we did have a lot of chances and with our quality and desire, we could have won, but unfortunately, we lost.”
Vardy’s double saw him take his tally of Premier League goals for the season to 20 – a remarkable feat for the City No.9 who was at his clinical best – much to the delight of his manager.
“I’m happy about his mentality,” added Puel. “He doesn’t just score goals, he gives a real boost to the team with his pressing and his character. I think Jamie needs good service and with his play, we can give him good opportunities – not just long balls.
“He got good service and had good chances, especially in the first half. He is always available between the lines and he moves well in behind. He is a good goal scorer and it’s a good feeling for him to score 20 Premier League goals. I hope in the future we can continue to give him good service.”