Antonio Conte endured a painful return to the Tottenham dugout as his side were battered 4-1 at Leicester.
Less than a week after Spurs were at their best to see off Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – a match Conte missed as he recuperated from an operation – they were outplayed and outfought at the King Power, with James Maddison and Harvey Barnes masterminding the home side’s victory.
Spurs did take the lead when Bentancur stabbed home a loose ball from a corner at close range, but the game was turned on its head in less than two minutes.
A goal-of-the-season contender from Nampalys Mendy pulled them level, before James Maddison slotted them in front moments later.
A fine Kelechi Iheanacho strike on the stroke of half-time cemented Leicester’s advantage, and after Spurs offered little improvement in the second 45 minutes, the hosts rounded off a fine afternoon with Harvey Barnes’ pinpoint finish into the bottom corner sealing a deserved thrashing at the King Power Stadium.
Spurs’ wretched afternoon was compounded by a potentially bad injury to goalscorer Bentancur, who was forced off midway through the second period.