Leicester City beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday to all but end Spurs’ faint hopes of wining the Premier League title.
Two stunning first half goals set Leicester on their way with Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez putting the Foxes 2-0 up at half time. Harry Kane (who else?) pulled one back with just over 10 minutes to go to set up a tense finish but both Christian Eriksen and Fernando Llorente missed glorious chances as Spurs slipped up once again.
With the win Claude Puel‘s Leicester rose to ninth place and have 17 points, while Spurs are in fifth on 24 points and are now 13 points off leaders Manchester City who also have a game in hand.
Leicester started well and Danny Rose cleared Wes Morgan‘s header off the line, while at the other end Spurs went close with Rose causing plenty of problems down the left.
Vardy then lobbed Leicester into the lead with a fantastic finish as Marc Albrighton‘s cross found him on the edge of the box and he lifted the ball over Lloris and into the net. 1-0.
11 – Since the start of last season, Jamie Vardy has scored 11 Premier League goals against the 'big six' – five more than any other player. Party. pic.twitter.com/GoYdCspO0K
Spurs responded well to going behind as Moussa Sissoko raced free but Kasper Schmeichel smothered his effort and the ball looped towards the goal but Vicente Iborra cleared off the line.
Kane then cut inside and curled a shot just over the bar as Spurs continued to search for an equalizer and he went even closer soon after. Dele Alli had a shot saved by Schmeichel and he then had a follow-up which Kane, in an offside position, left as the ball squirmed agonizingly wide.
Right on half time Leicester doubled their lead with a simply stunning goal. Mahrez cut in from the right flank, jinxed past three Tottenham players and curled an unstoppable effort into the far top corner to make it 2-0.
Spurs failed to generate many clear-cut chances at the start of the second half with Davinson Sanchez’s header almost turned in by Alli as Leicester started to sit back deeper.
Leicester were dangerous on the break as Vardy raced clear but Jan Vertonghen did well to recover and clear the danger with a last-ditch tackle.
Christian Eriksen missed a glorious chance at the other end as from five yards out the ball came to unexpectedly and he skewed his effort wide when he was off balance.
Kane did pull one back from with an emphatic finish as he drilled home at the near post as substitute Erik Lamela made the goal on his return to action after 13 months out with a head injury. 2-1.
Substitute Fernando Llorente then got it all wrong with Serge Aurier whipping in a great cross but the Spaniard prodded over from close range with the goal gaping.
Schmeichel made a brave stop late on to deny Kane an equalizer as the Englishman came flying in to try and get on the end of an Aurier cross.
Rose went down in the box late on claiming a penalty kick after he looked to be caught by Wilfried Ndidi but nothing was given and Leicester held on for a huge win.
4 – Spurs have now lost as many Premier League games this season as they did in the entirety of last season (4). Stutter. pic.twitter.com/c0EmQkS3mr
Now that the summer transfer window is closed in the Premier League, it is time to let the dust settle and figure out, amid all the madness, who actually did the best business.
Below we give all 20 PL teams a grade and sum up their summer window.
Manchester United – A
Their business was done early and properly with Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic starting off superbly and Victor Lindelof will settle in. Smart business by Jose Mourinho with his squad now looking like a much stronger unit overall. Didn’t need a new wide player in the end because his team started the season so well.
Manchester City – A- Pep Guardiola did plenty of business early in the window and he addressed his needs superbly with Kyle Walker, Danilo, Benjamin Mendy and Ederson improving their defense. Bernardo Silva is a luxury signing and Alexis Sanchez would have been something similar but City couldn’t get it over the line. Very solid window but one more center back would have given them an A.
Everton – B+
Like Man United and Man United the Toffees did their business early. Ronald Koeman strengthened his defense with Michael Keane and Jordan Pickford and spent the Romelu Lukaku cash wisely with Gylfi Sigurdsson, Davy Klaassen and Wayne Rooney likely to score and create plenty of goals. However, failing to sign a recognized targetman could come back to haunt Koeman. Olivier Giroud or Diego Costa would have been perfect for this system.
Tottenham Hotspur – B+
Spurs had a really strong finish to the window, adding Davinson Sanchez, Serge Aurier and Fernando Llorente. That gives them more cover in defense and an extra option off the bench with Llorente happy to back up Harry Kane. Selling on Kyle Walker for over $65 million made sense and Mauricio Pochettino will be happy with his summer window after keeping hold of Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Kane and Danny Rose.
West Brom – B+
The Baggies had a really decent window and pulled off a big shock with silky midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak arriving on loan from Paris Saint-Germain. Jay Rodriguez, Kieran Gibbs and Gareth Barry are all solid additions who will start and Tony Pulis managed to keep hold of his skipper Jonny Evans despite interest from Man City and Arsenal.
Leicester City – B+
Decent window for the Foxes as they managed to keep hold of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy and although it seems likely they lost Danny Drinkwater to Chelsea, they added some deadline day deals in Aleksandar Dragovic and potentially Adrien Silva. Early additions of Harry Maguire, Kelchi Iheanacho and Vicente Iborra seem to have strengthened the overall squad too.
Liverpool – B Mohamed Salah and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are both key additions in the window and sealing the deal for Naby Keita was a big one for next summer. However, not adding a top-class center back (the Virgil Van Dijk pursuit was doomed from the start) was a big letdown and there is still an issue with the goalkeeping department. Some issues not addressed but Philippe Coutinho seems all but certain to stick around, so that’s a positive.
Huddersfield Town – B David Wagner added more new players than any other team and Huddersfield have looked the part early on. Steve Mounie is a powerful forward with an eye for goal, grabbing Aaron Mooy on a permanent deal was superb business and goalkeeper Jonas Lossl has settled in well. Unlike the other promoted teams Huddersfield did their business early and were rewarded.
Swansea City – B
They held out and got a huge sum of $57.6 million for Gylfi Sigurdsson which they then spent wisely on re-signing Wilfried Bony and adding Renato Sanches on loan in a stunning deal from Bayern Munich. They did lose Fernando Llorente too, but Tammy Abraham seems like a steal on loan and the Swans will be hopeful their young squad can surprise opponents. Decent window all things considered.
Burnley – B
They lost Michael Keane and Andre Gray but did recoup over $60 million for the duo and spent it wisely with Chris Wood, Jack Cork and Jonathan Walters coming in. Plenty of experience added by Sean Dyche and the Clarets will once again be tough to break down. Solid window.
Watford – B Marco Silva added some decent signings from Udinese around deadline day and brought in Andre Gray and Richarlison to strengthen their attack. Nathaniel Chalobah and Will Hughes will add energy in midfield and overall an inventive window, once again, from the Hornets.
Stoke City – B
The Potters did some really good business late in the window which saved them. Jese and Choupo-Moting look lively up top and Kurt Zouma, Kevin Wimmer and Bruno Martins Indi will improve them defensively. Darren Flecther is another solid buy but another striker would have been ideal for Mark Hughes.
Southampton – B-
They kept hold of Virgil van Dijk which was the main aim and added Mario Lemina in midfield and center backs Jan Bednarek and Wesley Hoedt. Saints really could have done with freshening up their attack but it didn’t seem like they were close to key forward additions.
Chelsea – B-
A really weird window for Chelsea who kept seeing players turn them down. From Romleu Lukaku to Oxlade-Chamberlain and Llorente to Ross Barkley, Antonio Conte couldn’t get deals over the line and Chelsea’s squad isn’t looking as strong as it did at the end of last season. Selling Nemanja Matic to Manchester United was a bad decision and the situation surrounding Diego Costa’s future was handed poorly. Alvaro Morata will be a star and both Bakayoko and Rudiger are also good additions, but not a great window at all for the Blues.
Bournemouth – C+
Adding experience was the main aim and Bournemouth did that early with Asmir Begovic and Jermain Defoe coming in. Nathan Ake should be a solid buy too but Eddie Howe‘s attack is looking a little lackluster after the opening weeks of the season.
West Ham United – D
It looked like decent business on paper but three of their four buys in the window look like they could be ill-advised. Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez will score goals for fun but Pablo Zabaleta and Joe Hart look low on confidence and Marko Arnautovic already has a red card and some poor displays against his name. Not a great window for the Hammers.
Crystal Palace – D-
Yes, they may well add Mamadou Sakho, but apart from that it has been a disastrous start to life in the Premier League for Frank De Boer. With three defeats he needed to add another two defenders and another striker to help ease the load on Christian Benteke. Palace have some big squad issues with a new playing style not suiting many of their players.
Brighton – F
Numbers have arrived but real quality hasn’t for the Seagulls. It is early days but you have to think more firepower was necessary for them to have any chance of staving off relegation. Davy Propper could be a good buy and so too could Jose Izquierdo but apart from that an underwhelming window. If they manage to add Vincent Janssen it would improve their grade, but not by much.
Arsenal – F
My goodness. What happened? From still having Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil around, to losing out on Thomas Lemar on the final day and selling Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arsene Wenger has a nightmare. They added Alexandre Lacazette but did they really need another striker? Yet another window has come and gone without Wenger addressing the glaring problems in central midfield and defense. They way this situation has been handled from the top of the club is shambolic.
Newcastle United – F Rafael Benitez and his owner Mike Ashley have been airing their dirty laundry in the media and Benitez has not got the deals he wanted. Joselu could score some goals but overall it was a really poor window for Newcastle, a team who should be challenging for a top four finish considering their stadium and fanbase. This window suggests they will be battling relegation.
Others, like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Thomas Lemar, did not move at all.
Then there were the intra-league moves that happened or didn’t. As of post time, there are no new homes for Alexis Sanchez, Riyad Mahrez, and Diego Costa.
So who did move? Below are all the deals for each club via PremierLeague.com.
Here’s a new way to break transfer news: on your family’s Facebook page.
Fernando Llorente’s brother and agent, Chus Llorente, posted a photo of the Spanish striker in his new Tottenham Hotspur shirt on the “Fernando Llorente‘s Family” Facebook page.
The Swansea City striker has been widely linked with a move to join old pal Antonio Conte at Chelsea, but Spurs leapt into the fray to give themselves a high quality alternative to Harry Kane for a very difficult UEFA Champions League campaign.
Chus calls the last few days “difficult,” but says the family is very happy with his move to #tottenhamhotspurs. Plural.
Llorente rebounded from a four-goal season at Sevilla to score 15 for Swans last season, his seventh double-digit league goal campaign in the last seasons.
Below you will see live updates throughout the day on all the latest news on deals which could happen and everything else going on in the final hours of the window.
And remember, there is a live Deadline Day show on NBCSN and online from 5 p.m. ET today which you can steam by clicking on the link below.
9:04 p.m. ET – Liverpool has finally confirmed the sale of Mamadou Sakho to Crystal Palace. We’re going to call it a night.
8:52 p.m. ET – Drinkwater’s move to Chelsea is complete, and Leicester says it has received a record haul. Separate reports say the Foxes are comfortable that Adrien Silva’s $29 million arrival will go through.
8:00 p.m. ET – Vincent Janssen has reportedly turned down a move to Brighton and Hove Albion, depriving the club of their much-wanted striker.
Also, Sky Sports is reporting that Diego Costa may still make a move to Atletico Madrid with La Liga’s transfer window not closing until Friday. Atleti can buy Costa, but they cannot register him until January due to a transfer ban.
7:21 p.m. ET – Still waiting on several moves, including the assumed Mamadou Sakho to Palace reunion.
6:43 p.m. ET – Brighton and Hove Albion have reportedly requested an extension in order to land striker Vincent Janssen from Tottenham.
6:26 p.m. ET – Also announced by the buyers: Davide Zappacosta from Torino to Chelsea, Molla Wague and Orestis Karnezis on loan from Udinese to Watford, and Ezequiel Schelotto from Inter Milan to Brighton and Hove Albion.
6:13 p.m. ET – The BBC is reporting that Leicester has requested a two-hour extension to get its Adrien Silva deal over the line, while Swansea City’s cat is well and truly out of the bag.
UPDATE: Spurs have announced the purchase of Llorente, and Swans have revealed Bony’s return.
6 p.m. ET – Nothing major as the deadline hits, though we wait to hear whether moves for Danny Drinkwater and Riyad Mahrez make it across the line. If deal sheets have been submitted, teams have a couple hours to get the rest of the paperwork done.
Hopefully your team feels more positive than the back page of the Newcastle Chronicle:
5:28 p.m. ET – Here’s a jaw-dropping story, one that actually lowered Robbie Mustoe’s mandible. Ross Barkley showed up at Chelsea for his medical, but left midway through the medical. He could still move in January, or sign a pre-contract then and ride out the final few months at Goodison Park, which will not make him friends amongst his boyhood club.
4:57 p.m. ET – Danny Drinkwater is ready to go to Chelsea. In fact, he’s already at the club’s training facility. But according to Sky Sports sources, the midfielder is “awaiting permission from Leicester to undergo a last-minute medical.”
4:42 p.m. ET – Arsenal has Tweeted out the fate of a CONCACAF star, as Costa Rica’s Joel Campbell will spend another season on loan at Real Betis.
3:45 p.m. ET – Sky Sports says Eliaquim Mangala‘s planned loan move to Crystal Palace will not be happening as Man City now knows it will not land Johnny Evans from West Brom.
3:33 p.m. ET – Nick Mendola here, taking the wheel so JPW can catch his breath.
Quick hits to get you caught up on the last hour’s buzz, with about 2.5 hours to go ’til the window slams shut.
Spurs look set to nip Chelsea to Fernando Llorente, providing Swans can get a forward over the line.
In what would be a fantastic move for Leicester City, the Foxes may be bringing Adrien Silva to the Premier League but are waiting to see if Chelsea gets the job done with taking Danny Drinkwater.
Ryan Kent impressed this preseason with Liverpool, and is heading to the Bundesliga on loan to get more playing time with Freiburg.
2:34 p.m. ET – The deals keep on coming with Leicester loaning out midfielder Nampalys Mendy to Nice for the season, Watford bringing in Molla Wague on a season-long loan from Udinese and Stoke loaning out Bojan to La Liga side Alaves for the 2017-18 season.
2:25 p.m. ET – What is the latest with Arsenal’s move for Thomas Lemar? Well, brace yourself Gunners fans. Drum rollllll please…. It’s off. Apparently Lemar has decided he doesn’t want to play for a team not in the UEFA Champions League, and therefore Liverpool’s move for Alexis Sanchez also appears to be in jeopardy. Monaco were said to have accepted the bid of $118 million, but Lemar wanted more time to think about the deal. And, oh yeah, Lemar is starting for France in their crucial World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands at the Stade de France which kicks off in about 20 minutes.
2:18 p.m. ET – Arsenal have loaned Lucas Perez back to Deportivo La Coruna, the club they bought him from for $21.9 million last summer. Perez, 28, scored seven goals in 21 appearances for the Gunners last season but made just seven appearances in the Premier League.
1:40 p.m. ET – Non-Premier League news here, but Kylian Mbappe has signed for Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco on a season-long loan deal which can become permanent next summer for $214 million. Mbappe, 18, joins Neymar at PSG but Les Parisiens may be in trouble with UEFA as the deal for Mbappe may breach Financial Fair Player rules. Let’s see what happens but Mbappe’s arrival is a massive moment for PSG.
1:20 p.m. ET – We have another DONE DEAL in the Premier League. Just the sixth signing by a PL club today. Dutch left back Marvin Zeegelaar, 27, has arrived at Watford from Sporting Lisbon on a four-year deal. The Ajax academy product played in the UEFA Champions League for Sporting last season and Marco Silva was searching far and wide for a new left back. Job done.
1:10 p.m. ET – Virgil Van Dijk has left Southampton’s training ground but it doesn’t appear to be for the last time. Below is the latest on VVD as Pro Soccer Talk understands there has been “no change” in his situation as Southampton do not want to sell him this summer. Saints stay strong.
1:05 p.m. ET – As we enter the final stretch, speculation regarding two Leicester players heading to Chelsea seem to be the biggest talking point. According to beIN Sport Chelsea have had a $58 million bid for Mahrez accepted by Leicester, while Conte’s men have also put in yet another bid for Danny Drinkwater. Let’s see how this one plays out, but one thing we do know is that N'Golo Kante is clearly now in charge of sorting out transfers at Chelsea.
12:50 p.m. ET – For those of you out there desperate to see your club make a big signing in the final hours of the window, there is just over FIVE HOURS to go. With that in mind, here’s a little musical inspiration from Journey…
12:25 p.m. ET – DRAMA! Thomas Lemar is apparently not too keen on joining Arsenal despite the Gunners putting in a $118 million bid to Monaco for the French international winger. Sky Sports claim that Lemar, 21, wants to join Liverpool because he wants to play in the UEFA Champions League. It doesn’t appear likely that Liverpool will come back in for Lemar though…
12 p.m. ET – Manchester City’s talented teenage star Jadon Sancho has joined Borussia Dortmund for a fee believed to be $13 million. Sancho was chased by Chelsea and Arsenal but the England youth team star has decided to head to the Bundesliga. Dortmund have given him Ousmane Dembele’s old No. 7 shirt too.
11:49 a.m. ET – Spurs have been linked with moves for two midfielders in Andre Gomes and Ross Barkley, but the clock is ticking for Mauricio Pochettino‘s men. It is believed Barcelona and Portugal midfielder Gomes is also wanted by West Ham, while Everton are keen to offload Barkley but the want over $45 million for the attacking midfielder. Spurs are said to be in talks with Barcelona about a loan deal for Gomes.
11:30 a.m. ET – As we approach midday on the east coast of the USA, let’s focus in on what each Premier League team needs in the final SIX HOURS of the window. Think of it as a checklist to see which clubs are doing the best business in the final hours of the window. Tick-tock…
10:30 a.m. ET – Reports state that Crystal Palace have bid $23.1 million for Man City center back Eliaquim Mangala. The French international joined Man City from FC Porto in the summer of 2014 for $54 million but was loaned out to Valencia last season and is not in Pep Guardiola‘s plans. Palace have had bids turned down for Liverpool’s Mamadou Sakho, so Frank De Boer is obviously in the market for a center back.
10:15 a.m. ET – Okay, is everyone alright out there? It is time to catch our breath and round up the DONE DEALS so far on Deadline Day in the Premier League…
Orestis Karnezis arrives at Watford from Udinese on season-long loan
Stoke’s Gianneli Imbula joins Toulouse on season-long loan
10:07 a.m. ET – Divock Origi has left Liverpool to join Bundesliga side Wolfsburg on a season-long loan. It is believed Wolfsburg will pay $8.5 million for the loan deal. The Belgian forward has moved down the pecking order at Anfield and in a World Cup year he knows he will have plenty of competition to make Belgium’s World Cup squad.
9:55 a.m. ET – DONE DEAL! Burnley have signed Nahki Wells from Huddersfield Town on a three-year deal. The Bermudian international striker has arrived at Turf Moor for a fee believed to be in the region of $6.4 million. He helped the Terriers gain promotion to the Premier League last season but after suffering an ankle injury in preseason he has also moved down the pecking order at the John Smith’s Stadium with Steve Mounie and others ahead of him. Wells will add something different to Burnley’s attack alongside powerful forwards Ashley Barnes and Sam Vokes.
9:51 a.m. ET – Chelsea making moves! Reports out of Italy state that Davide Zappacosta (how cool is that name!?) will arrve frm Torino in a $30 million deal. The right back will provide competition for Victor Moses. The last full back Antonio Conte signed from an Italian side on Deadline Day (Marcos Alonso from Fiorentina last summer) worked out pretty well for the Blues… More details on Zappa (his new nickname, obviously) below.
9:32 a.m. ET – Stoke City have confirmed that midfielder Giannelli Imbula, who arrived from Porto in February 2016 for $23.5 million, has joined Ligue 1 side Toulouse on a season-long loan deal. Safe to say is move to Stoke has never really worked out.
9:12 a.m. ET – Another DONE DEAL on Deadline Day and it is one of the biggest in Swansea’s history. Paul Clement has pulled off a real coup by getting Renato Sanches in on loan from Bayern Munich. Sanches, 20, signed for Bayern from Benfica last summer for over $36 million but barely featured for Carlo Ancelotti and now Clement, the former Bayern assistant coach, has beat the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Juventus to sign Sanches. What a deal and a great replacement for Gylfi Sigurdsson. It is believed Swansea will pay a loan fee of less than $6 million for Sanches for the season.
9:08 a.m. ET – Watford have signed goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis on a season-long loan from sister club Udinese. The Greece goalkeeper will provide cover for Heurelho Gomes.
9 a.m. ET – Wilfried Bony‘s nightmare at Man City could soon be over. A fee of $18 million has reportedly been agreed for the Ivory Coast forward to return to the club he left in January 2015. Bony, 28, scored 26 goals in 54 Premier League goals in an 18-month spell at Swansea in the past and it looks like he will return to South Wales to replace the outgoing Fernando Llorente. That seems like a decent deal if Bony can regain his confidence and form.
8:50 a.m. ET – Some BIG NEWS coming through as multiple reports claim that Manchester City have offered over $77 million for Alexis Sanchez. The Arsenal star, who of course has less than 12 months to run on his contract, is currently on international duty with Chile in South America. The reports also claim that Thomas Lemar will be heading to Arsenal to replace Sanchez and that the Gunners have asked City for extra time to get that deal in place. Wow.
MEGA-DEAL ON? 🤔 Man City have reportedly made a 2nd bid for Alexis Sanchez; Lemar to replace him? | #MCFC#AFChttps://t.co/cpiKDUqdWh
8:20 a.m. ET – The Telegraph is reporting that Arsenal have renewed their interest in Paris Saint-Germain winger Julian Draxler. Does that mean Manchester City have made a break through for Alexis Sanchez?
8:15 a.m. ET – Fernando Llorente is said to be close to joining Tottenham Hotspur over Chelsea in a $18 million. It looks likely the Spaniard will leave Swansea City today with the veteran forward still recovering from a broken arm he suffered on a family vacation in the summer. Spurs beating Chelsea to a transfer target will not make Antonio Conte a happy man…
8:10 a.m. ET – Now, to the latest onRiyad Mahrez’s future at Leicester City seems in jeopardy. The Algerian winger was released from the national team ahead of their World Cup qualifier in Zambia. Social media is awash with rumors about where Mahrez has flown to with Paris, Barcelona and Chelsea all mentioned to be the destination for the 26-year-old. Leicester reportedly say that no fresh bids for Mahrez have arrived. Intriguing…
8:05 a.m. ET – Andddd let’s continue with the DONE DEALS, shall we? Serge Aurier has signed for Tottenham Hotspur from Paris Saint-Germain for $30 million. The 24-year-old right back has signed a five-year deal at Spurs after being granted a work permit in the UK. Aurier, who comes with plenty of baggage, is currently away on national team duty with the Ivory Coast but this is what he had to say about the move.
“This is a huge and exciting opportunity at a massive football club and I am determined to prove myself as a professional both on and off the pitch,” Aurier said. “This is a fresh start for me and I will do everything to make the Spurs fanbase, which is huge and diverse, proud of me. The fans are the most important people at any club and I am looking forward to showing them and everyone at Spurs the real Serge Aurier.”
