Jamie Vardy uses Leicester’s title-winning magic to once again defy expectations against Tottenham

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There is still evidence for LeicesterPreference for the improbable and is expressed in the inimitable figure of Jamie VardyHis career has was an exercise in remarkableand equalized against a Tottenham team that appeared completely dominant at the bottom of his list of unlikely achievements. But as long as Leicester has the last remnants of its championship teamone feels as though they might conjure up some of the spirit of the 5000-1 underdogs.

And if those weren’t exactly the odds before Vardy’s equaliser, Leicester’s return to the top flight eight years after winning the title was a sobering affair. They were outmatched for almost an hour. But, as it turned out, not out of the game. Steve Cooper was the eighth Leicester manager to benefit from a Vardy goal. His own entry into the new club was made easier by a man signed by Nigel Pearson.

And the Vardy story, which was so far-fetched that it once caught Hollywood’s attention, will still have another chapter. At 25, he played in the amateur league. He is back in the Premier League at 37. That’s not a normal development, but Vardy and normality parted ways some time ago. In a game where Tottenham’s £65m signing Dominic Solanke seemed to be the striker with the best chances of scoring when Leicester’s star was the returning James Maddison, Vardy managed to outshine both of them. Maddison, at least, shouldn’t be surprised. He’s seen this before.

Vardy had spent most of the first half as a spectator, separated from his teammates, racing the Tottenham defenders to get past him. He had not looked fit; in fact, it had been assumed before the game that he was not. But, Cooper said, Vardy had declared himself fit to play. And although his legs seemed slower, his goal-scoring instinct was still intact.

When Abdul Fatawu hit a cross unguarded to the far post after he had Spores Goalscorer Pedro Porro headed Vardy in what could have been the first of a quick double. Vardy ran onto a pass from new signing Facundo Buonanotte and smashed a shot that Guglielmo Vicario parried, the force of which knocked him over. His night was marked by two shots on goal and just three successful passes; a sign of how little possession Leicester have had, but also of how their game has evolved. But he left to a standing ovation. He had scored his 137th Premier League goal, roused a previously dejected stadium and changed the momentum. There could have been a winning goal without him: substitute Kasey McAteer headed the ball into the roof of the net and a charging forward Wilfred Ndidi forced Vicario into a diving save. But unlike their fellow promoted side, Leicester started the season with a draw.

For Tottenham, a point was a poor reward for their initial superiority. Their evening was poor in several respects. The loss of Rodrigo Bentancur, who was taken off on oxygen after a head injury, is worrying. Two points eluded them just when they seemed to be exposing Leicester’s weaknesses.

City’s vulnerability to high balls was evident even before the first goal. They looked weak from set pieces, with Ndidi having to clear the ball off his own line and Cristian Romero heading just wide. Maddison, meanwhile, combined his set piece expertise with class in possession.

Leicester didn’t need many reminders that he can be the preeminent playmaker. He provided one nonetheless, marking his first return to the King Power since his sale in 2023 with a cross. Porro sneaked in to head the ball home and the Spaniard popped up near the penalty spot. This felt like Ange Postecoglou’s vision, given his emphasis on attacking, inverted full-backs.

There was a new pillar in his rebuild. Solanke came on for his debut; other managers have held off making big summer signings, but Postecoglou sent the £65m striker into the game. Solanke showed he can play a central role in attack, something Heung-Min Son cannot. Mats Hermansen saved first a diving header, then a powerful one, then a shot on the turn. But when it looked like a centre-forward might score, Leicester’s experienced attacker did it instead.

It felt doubly fitting. Leicester were paying tribute to Craig Shakespeare, the Championship team’s assistant coach who was among those who made Vardy a champion. Relegation in 2023 was a reminder that the sport’s unpredictability can cost Leicester dearly, too. But if drama is a constant, then Cooper, the Nottingham Forest icon who has arrived at their Midlands rivals after a 97-point season last season and with a likely deduction this season, swapped Enzo Maresca’s constant possession for defensive resolve. Leicester were boxed in, put under pressure, and yet ended up exhilarated and almost victorious. For Cooper, it was a first taste of the Vardy effect. For Leicester, another.