Leicester City 0 Tottenham Hotspur 2

Doing the double this season was always going to be a long shot for Leicester City, and there is no chance of it now. Tottenham Hotspur, on the other hand, remain in the hunt for success on multiple fronts, as goals from Son Heung-min and Nacer Chadli helped them overcome Claudio Ranieri’s team, at last.

Their next FA Cup challenge is to do the same to Colchester United.

This was the clubs’ fourth meeting of the season and their third in 10 days, a quirk that prompted the King Power stadium announcer to tell Tottenham fans before kick-off that “you lot are almost like family now.” If that was the case, then Leicester came into the match as the daddies, enjoying a better position in the Premier League table and the upper hand in their clashes so far in the campaign: two draws and a victory.

As in the first Cup match, at White Hart Lane, the starting line-ups bore little resemblance to those usually entrusted with pursuing these clubs’ ambitions in the Premier League. Mauricio Pochettino made eight changes from the side that began Tottenham’s last outing in that competition.

Claudio Ranieri intended to make even more but had to confine himself to the same number after Ritchie De Laet suffered an injury in the warm-up, meaning the usual right-back, Danny Simpson, started after all.

Leicester’s full-back on the other side was Ben Chilwell, one of two 19-year-olds making their home debut; the other being Demarai Gray, the winger recruited earlier this month for around £3.75m from Birmingham City.

If the alterations showed where the clubs’ priorities lie, the fact that both kept potent reinforcements on standby on the bench suggested that neither Ranieri nor Pochettino was willing to cede anything easily to an opponent to whom giving an edge could have knock-on effects on multiple fronts.

Gray made a bright first impression, starting in the opening minute when he collected the ball near half-way and skittered towards the Spurs’ box, his run only stopped by a foul. The youngster used the resultant free kick to send a cross towards the back post but the visiting goalkeeper, Michel Vorm, snaffled the ball without bother.

Leicester’s line-up may have been different but they were sticking to what has become their usual pattern: dropping deep and allowing the opposition plenty of possession while seeking chances to counterattack in lightning bursts. They did not get much chance to do the latter bit in the early stages but they successfully prevented Spurs from threatening, too.

It was 14 minutes before the visitors forged a clear opportunity, but Christian Eriksen sliced way wide from the edge of the area after a cutting move down the left. Ten minutes later, Ben Davies missed by almost as much when a rehearsed corner routine presented him with a chance to shoot from 20 yards. Erik Lamela then missed the target with a header from a cross by Davies. With those being the only hints of danger at either end, the deadlock was starting to look terminal.

Just before the half-hour, Chilwell tried to take the game to the visitors as Gray had sporadically attempted to do, and after darting in-field the full-back was tripped at the edge of the area by Tom Carroll; Vorm made a comfortable save from Gokhan Inler’s free kick. Spurs took charge of the game again and, in the 39th minute, their initiative was rewarded.

Leicester had been consistently crowding out their opponents but this time Son created space for a shot with a little shuffle that wrong-footed Chilwell before driving the ball past Kasper Schmeichel from 20 yards.

Now it was up to Leicester to attack but they could not get on to the front foot, as Spurs spent the remainder of the first half probing for a second goal.

Ranieri tried to make his side sharper for the second half by withdrawing Danny Drinkwater and introducing Shinji Okazaki, who was instructed to play closer to Leonardo Ulloa, who had lumbered ineffectively by himself up front in the first period. The sheer dynamism of the Japan international almost led to an equaliser in the 53rd minute, when Okazaki, after pestering the Spurs defence, slipped the ball through to Nathan Dyer, whose curling shot from the left was tipped around the post by Vorm.

Suddenly Leicester cranked into overdrive as they played with a zest and boldness unseen in the first period.

Spurs were straining to keep the hosts at bay. Eager to reverse the flow, Pochettino turned to Harry Kane on the hour. Within two minutes Schmeichel had to beat away a 20-yard shot from the striker.

Spurs strode closer to victory in the 66th minute with a goal of exquisite class. Kane popped the ball to Son, who dissected the defence with a precise pass into the path of Chadli. The Belgian slotted the ball expertly past the advancing Schmeichel, while the Korean would later be named man of the match.

Leicester unleashed Jamie Vardy towards the end but a comeback never looked likely, especially after Albrighton shot straight at Vorm from close range in the last minute. Guardian Service