Leicester City on Sunday pushed Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou closer to the exit door with a 2-1 win that extended Spurs’ dismal run, while Aston Villa’s hopes of UEFA Champions League qualification for a second consecutive season were dented by an understrength West Ham United.
Tottenham blew the lead on home turf as they crumbled to a sixth defeat in their past seven league games.
With only one win in their past 11 top-flight matches, Postecoglou’s side are languishing in 15th place, just eight points above the bottom three.
Photo: Reuters
It was another woeful result for the beleaguered Australian, who has faced mounting calls for his dismissal throughout a turbulent second season in charge.
Spurs are dangerously close to being sucked into the relegation battle, but Postecoglou believes his injury-ravaged squad are still fighting for him.
“When you are the manager of a football club, you can be very vulnerable and isolated. I don’t feel that,” Postecoglou said. “I feel like this group of players, not for me, are giving everything for the club. I have a group of staff that is really committed. I focus on that.”
Richarlison had headed the hosts in front, but two goals in four minutes at the start of the second half from Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannouss ended Leicester’s seven-game losing streak in the league.
While Postecoglou fights to save his job, Leicester head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy can breathe a little easier over his own future.
Leicester are now one place and one point above the relegation zone.
“It’s a massive win,” Van Nistelrooy said.
In Birmingham, West Ham battled back to earn a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa.
Jacob Ramsey’s strike was just reward for a fast start by Unai Emery’s side.
Graham Potter was forced to name four fullbacks in his starting lineup for the injury-hit Irons, who were without captain Jarrod Bowen.
However, the visitors rallied in the second half and were unfortunate not to take all three points after Emerson Palmieri’s header leveled.
Lucas Paqueta thought he had won the game in stoppage-time, but Tomas Soucek had strayed offside before teeing up the Brazilian to quell Potter’s jubilant celebration on the touchline.
Villa remain in eighth, four points off the top four, while West Ham are 14th.
Brentford benefited from penalty controversy to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park.
Thomas Frank’s team earned a 66th-minute spot-kick when Maxence Lacroix fouled Nathan Collins.
Bryan Mbeumo’s spot-kick hit the post, but Palace’s reprieve was short-lived as the video assistant referee ruled that Marc Guehi had encroached before the shot.
The Brentford forward gratefully accepted his second chance by sending Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson the wrong way for his 14th goal of the season.
Kevin Schade netted in the 80th minute for Brentford, before Palace winger Romain Esse came off the bench to score with his first touch on his debut five minutes later.
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