Spurs denied opening-day victory as Jamie Vardy lands Leicester leveller

Jamie Vardy rolled back the years to terrorise Tottenham again and earn Leicester a 1-1 draw in their Premier League opener.

Spurs were ahead at half-time thanks to Pedro Porro's 29th-minute header after a one-sided first 45 at King Power Stadium.

It was a different story after the break though with veteran Vardy able to punish slack away marking in the 57th-minute to earn Steve Cooper a point in his first match in charge.

A lengthy delayed occurred during the second half when Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur left on a stretcher after a head injury but despite nine minutes of stoppage-time no winner could be found.

Tributes were paid before kick-off to former Leicester manager and assistant Craig Shakespeare, who died earlier this summer with applause breaking out long before the announcer invited appreciation.

Newly promoted Foxes, under the management of Cooper for the first time, were boosted by the surprise return of 37-year-old Vardy, but his old partner in crime James Maddison received boos from sections of the home faithful.

Oliver Skipp had swapped Tottenham for Leicester hours before this opener and watched his former team-mates start strongly.

Bentancur, in for the suspended Yves Bissouma after his laughing gas incident, had a header cleared off the line by Wilfred Ndidi before Brennan Johnson’s volley was parried away by Mads Hermansen.

Spurs’ new £65million forward Dominic Solanke should have done better with a header soon after and sent another straight at the Leicester goalkeeper during a frantic early period.

An opening goal for Tottenham felt inevitable and it arrived with 29 minutes played.

Maddison was the architect after he cut inside and produced another dangerous delivery, which was this time flicked into the