LONDON: Leicester pushed Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou closer to the sack with a 2-1 win that extended the north London side´s dismal run and lifted the Foxes out of the Premier League relegation zone on Sunday.
Postecoglou´s troubled team blew the lead on home turf as they crumbled to a sixth defeat in their last seven league games.
With only one win in their last 11 top-flight matches, Tottenham are languishing in 15th place, just eight points above the bottom three.
It was another woeful result for the beleaguered Postecoglou, who has faced mounting calls for his dismissal throughout a turbulent second season in charge.
Tottenham are dangerously close to being sucked into the relegation battle and trips to Brentford and Aston Villa in their next two league games — either side of a League Cup semi-final second leg clash with Liverpool — could decide the Australian´s fate. Tottenham hold a 1-0 advantage from the first leg against Liverpool and a Wembley appearance could buy Postecoglou time to get his team back on track.
With 14 players absent for Thursday´s Europa League win at Hoffenheim, Tottenham´s injury crisis has led to criticism of Postecoglou´s tactics and the level of intensity in training.
The former Celtic boss accepts the blame for the rash of injuries, but his claims that Tottenham remain on the right path under his leadership look more questionable with each woeful result that edges him closer to the axe.
While Postecoglou fights to save his job, Leicester manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy can breathe a little easier over his own future. Van Nistelrooy, who replaced Steve Cooper in December, had presided over seven successive league defeats before their much-needed success against Tottenham.
Leicester are now one place and one point above the relegation zone.
A protest banner against Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was unveiled by fans before kick-off with the slogan “24 years, 16 managers, 1 trophy – time for change”.
Pedro Porro tried to lift the mood on a filthy, rain-lashed afternoon in north London as his stinging strike was parried to safety by Leicester keeper Jakub Stolarczyk.
In the 33rd minute, Porro whipped a pin-point cross into the Leicester area and Richarlison rose to head home from close-range for just his third goal this season. But Leicester equalised less than 60 seconds after half-time when Bobby De Cordova-Reid´s cross was mishandled by Antonin Kinsky, ricocheting off Jamie Vardy´s shin as it trickled into the net.
