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FULL TIME
1-1
MATCH PREVIEW & MORE INFO
Leicester possible starting lineup: Hermansen; Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Justin; Winks, Ndidi, Soumare; Reid, Mavididi, Fatawu
Tottenham possible starting lineup: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Solanke
Match Preview
Monday night football returns to the Premier League on August 19 as Leicester City takes on Tottenham Hotspur at the King Power Stadium in their 2024-25 season opener. Leicester, adjusting to life without their Championship-winning coach Enzo Maresca, will face a challenging test against a Spurs side eager to fulfill their top-four ambitions after a near miss last season.
Tottenham's rivalry with Arsenal remains fierce, and many of their fans took solace in denying their rivals a title while sacrificing their own Champions League hopes. A 2-0 loss to Manchester City late in the season saw Spurs finish in fifth place, securing direct entry into the Europa League, but there was a lingering sense of missed opportunity for the North Londoners.
Under Ange Postecoglou, who took 26 points from his first 10 Premier League games, Spurs showed promise early last season. However, injuries and inconsistency saw them slip out of the title race. Postecoglou, however, emphasized that his first campaign was about showing progress rather than chasing a top-four finish.
Spurs had a strong start to pre-season, defeating Hearts, Queens Park Rangers, Vissel Kobe, and Team K-League. However, their momentum was disrupted by back-to-back losses to Bayern Munich, the latter after the departure of top scorer Harry Kane. Despite these setbacks, Tottenham has lost only one of their last eight Premier League openers.
For Leicester City, Monday's match marks the competitive debut of new head coach Steve Cooper, who replaced Maresca after the latter was lured to Chelsea. Despite leading Leicester to the Championship title last season, Maresca’s style had begun to wear thin among some fans, and his departure was not entirely unwelcome.
Leicester’s return to the Premier League was secured with 97 points, edging out Leeds United and Ipswich Town. However, their pre-season has been rocky, with three consecutive losses to Palermo, Augsburg, and Lens following wins over Villarreal and Shrewsbury Town. Additionally, the threat of a potential points deduction for alleged financial breaches looms over the club, though a decision on this matter is not expected until 2025.
Leicester’s last encounter with Tottenham at the King Power Stadium in February 2023 ended in a memorable 4-1 victory for the Foxes, something they will hope to replicate in their return to the Premier League.
Team News
Tottenham manager Postecoglou has made his expectations clear, suspending midfielder Yves Bissouma for Monday's game after the Mali international was caught inhaling laughing gas. Fraser Forster (foot) and Richarlison (calf) are doubtful, though Richarlison has been pushed down the pecking order by £65m signing Dominic Solanke, who is expected to make his full debut for Spurs.
Tottenham has not seen a debutant score on their first Premier League appearance since Steven Bergwijn in 2020. However, captain Son Heung-min, who has 13 direct goal involvements in 14 meetings with Leicester, will be a key figure for Spurs.
Leicester has suffered a significant setback with the injury to Patson Daka, who underwent surgery for a serious ankle injury and will be sidelined for several months. Jamie Vardy, who has been recovering from a pre-season knock, is also expected to miss the game, along with Conor Coady (hamstring), while Luke Thomas faces a late fitness test.
With Daka and Vardy unavailable, Leicester is likely to turn to Tom Cannon or Stephy Mavididi to lead the line. Former Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks is expected to start in midfield against his old club.