To kick off their Premier League season for 2024/25, newly promoted Leicester City played host to Tottenham Hotspur. In the end, a goal in each half was enough to see things end all square at 1-1, but there was something unusual about the game.
No, it wasn’t Jamie Vardy winding up the away support with his cheeky trolling – that’s nothing new. But rather, that Spurs used six substitutions in the game.
Since the 2022/2023 season, Premier League clubs decided that on matchday, clubs will be permitted to use five substitutes. However, there is a way for teams to make as many as seven in a game.
The Monday night match looked to be heading towards all three points for Tottenham with Pedro Porro heading in the opening goal just shy of the half-an-hour mark. And while Ange Postecoglou’s men would largely dominate – with over twice as many shots (15 to seven) and 71 per cent possession – the Foxes just about hung in there to grab a point.
Indeed, the aforementioned Vardy struck with 57 minutes played and despite having chances to go on and win it from there, the game ultimately ended as a 1-1 draw.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Vardy is the only Premier League player to have scored over 100 goals (103) since turning 30. Ian Wright is the closest behind him on 93.
An injury in the latter stages of the game may explain why Spurs were unable to go on and steal a winner. With 12 minutes to play, Rodrigo Bentancur with Leicester City’s Abdul Fatawu. It was a nasty-looking aerial collision and having suffered a blow to the head, the midfielder left the pitch on a stretcher.
At this point, Postecoglou opted to make four substitutes and he then made a further two changes in the 92nd minute. This meant the Australian manager had made a total of six across the game, one more than usually permitted.
However, due to Premier League rules, as Bentancur went off with a concussion, this allowed Spurs to make a change without using one of their allotted five subs
Be the first to comment