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Spurs hold Blues, Vardy hits mark
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JOSE Mourinho dropped his main striker Diego Costa for Chelsea’s English Premier League visit to Tottenham Hotspur yesterday but the champion still proved toothless up front as it ground out an undistinguished goalless draw at White Hart Lane.
Mourinho said before the game that his out-of-sorts Spanish striker was lacking confidence but having left him on the bench all afternoon, a Chelsea team with Eden Hazard as an unlikely target man offered only intermittent threats in an unusually tepid London derby.
Spurs enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and chances and forced some decent work in the first half from Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic as it went a 13th straight league game without defeat, its best run since a 14-match streak in 1984-1985.
Hazard was at the center of Chelsea’s best opportunities, heading over the bar from a pinpoint Oscar cross in the 20th minute and volleying to force a tremendous save from Hugo Lloris in the 68th.
Yet still the Footballer of the Year saw his EPL goal drought stretch to 17 games as Mourinho’s side, unable yet to string together back-to-back league victories following last week’s win over Norwich City, still struggles in 14th place on 15 points.
Spurs, unbeaten since the opening-day loss to Manchester United, remain fifth on 25, four points off the top of the table.
On Saturday, Jamie Vardy became the first player to score in 11 straight EPL games in helping Leicester City draw 1-1 with United, capping a frenzied day of goals and drama that ended with Manchester City back in first place.
Vardy beat former United star Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record — held since 2003 — for netting in consecutive games by scoring in the 24th at King Power Stadium on Saturday, continuing a stunning run that began in late August.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Vardy, who was playing non-league football four seasons ago and wasn’t even a regular starter for Leicester last season.
Leicester began the day in first place, scarcely believable given the team narrowly fought off relegation only last season, but slipped to second after conceding an equalizer to Bastian Schweinsteiger in first-half injury time.
City reclaimed top spot after beating Southampton 3-1 at home to end a sobering week on a high, following losses to Liverpool in the league and Juventus in the Champions League.
Vardy’s record-breaking goal was typical for a player who has become one of the hottest properties in English football. Racing onto a through-ball behind the defense and one-on-one with the goalkeeper David de Gea, Vardy took a touch, composed himself, and shot powerfully into the bottom corner. He wheeled away in celebration, pointing repeatedly to his chest, shouting out loud and taking in the adulation of the crowd before getting mobbed by teammates.
“I’ve just been keeping my head down this week, not letting it sink in my head and just concentrate,” Vardy said. “It was just another game we tried to get three points from.”
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