Jamie Vardy made Tottenham Hotspur pay for their wastefulness as Leicester City started the Steve Cooper era by battling to a 1-1 draw on their Premier League return.

Jamie Vardy made Tottenham Hotspur pay for their wastefulness as Leicester City started the Steve Cooper era by battling to a 1-1 draw on their Premier League return.

Ex-Leicester man James Maddison set up Pedro Porro to head home the opener in Monday’s match, which Ange Postecoglou’s visitors dominated for large periods.

But 37-year-old veteran Vardy, whom Cooper had ruled out with an injury only a few days before, scored a ninth career Premier League goal against Spurs to delight the home supporters.

Spurs, who lost Rodrigo Bentancur to a head injury that caused a lengthy stoppage in the second half, were left to rue a series of missed opportunities, with debutant Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson and Richarlison all culpable.

How the match unfolded

Leicester had already resisted a wave of Spurs attacks when Maddison’s clipped ball was flicked into the bottom-right corner by Porro after 29 minutes.

Shortly afterwards, another great Maddison delivery was volleyed wide of the left-hand post by Johnson, who should have done better after ghosting in unmarked at the back post.

Solanke and Bentancur were then thwarted by Mads Hermansen and Spurs’ wastefulness was punished when Abdul Fatawu’s dink from the right side of the area was nodded in at the back post by Vardy just before the hour-mark.

It could have got even better for Vardy and Leicester as he was played through on goal, but Guglielmo Vicario made a fantastic save.

Bentancur was helped from the field on a stretcher after clashing heads with Fatawu, causing a lengthy delay.

In the last of nine minutes of stoppage time, Richarlison missed a gilt-edged chance, heading wide from close range after a fabulous free-kick from fellow substitute and teenage debutant Lucas Bergvall as the spoils were shared.

Evergreen Vardy still the man for Leicester

Leicester paid an emotional tribute to former manager and assistant Craig Shakespeare, who passed away earlier this month, before kick-off. Nigel Pearson – the last man before Enzo Maresco to get the Foxes promoted to the Premier League – was in attendance to pay tribute to his great friend.

Maresca’s departure for Chelsea in June means Cooper is the new man in the dugout, and the former Nottingham Forest boss will be all too aware of the challenges facing Leicester this season.

Indeed, on a different day the Foxes could have been out of it by half-time, with Bentancur denied on the line by Wilfred Ndidi and Hermansen thwarting Johnson and Solanke, before Richarlison fluffed his lines.

But Vardy, even at the age of 37, remains a talisman for the Foxes and he was in the right place at the right time to score a ninth career Premier League goal against Spurs in the 57th minute.

Incredibly, Vardy – part of Leicester’s famous title triumph in the 2015/16 campaign – nearly found a winner, only for Vicario to deny him.

All in all, Cooper will know improvements are needed but will be heartened by a dogged point against top opposition.

Maddison impresses on return but isn’t rewarded

Maddison was once a hugely popular figure at Leicester but he was met with a mixture of audible boos and some applause on his first return to the King Power Stadium since departing in June 2023.

The attacking midfielder, no doubt keen to remind people of his quality after missing out on UEFA EURO 2024 with England, was at the heart of everything good about TSpurs’ play until being replaced in the 79th minute.

He set the tempo, displayed his wide array of passing ability and provided an excellent assist for Porro. Another for Johnson should have arrived shortly after. But Maddison’s efforts proved in vain as Spurs were punished for their profligacy.

New boy Solanke, signed in a reported £65million deal from AFC Bournemouth earlier this month, was lively but missed a big chance when he shot straight at Hermansen shortly before Vardy’s equaliser.

Spurs missed out on UEFA Champions League football by only two points last season, and if they are to make the jump to the top four this campaign, Postecoglou will want to see a much more clinical edge from his team.