Leicester have not been bashful about their lofty ambitions for this season and they certainly have no reason to lower their sights after emerging from this high-class showdown with maximum points. This was a rollicking contest featuring fast and muscular action, an extraordinary goal by Harry Kane, two dramatic interventions by VAR, a terrific equaliser by Ricardo Pereira and, finally, a late strike by James Maddison that can only do Leicester good as they strive to upset the Premier League’s established order again.

“We have to be seen as one of those top sides,” said Maddison. “Nobody will want to come to this place when it’s rocking like this. If you look at our performances at Chelsea and Manchester United, we came away shaking our heads in disappointment because we didn’t get what we deserved. We’re showing we’re a big threat now.”

Leicester had to dig deep and show a range of qualities – mental, physical and technical – to get the better of a strong Spurs team.

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Tottenham will feature plenty in the highlights but ultimately left deflated, having let another lead slip on the road. They have not won away in the Premier League since January. But Mauricio Pochettino professed to being satisfied with the performance for most of this match, the turning point coming when Serge Aurier had a goal expunged after a VAR review because Son Heung-min was judged to have been offside by a matter of millimetres in the buildup.

Leicester took heart from that reprieve, Pereira equalising two minutes later before Maddison secured all three points.

Pochettino did not grumble about the decision, saying he trusted the officials and could not blame their ruling for the defeat even if Leicester got a boost when Aurier’s strike was annulled.

Brendan Rodgers said he had held several meetings with his players to stress the importance of staying mindful during any VAR confusion. “VAR is part of the game now,” he said, “so whether it goes for you or against you, just keep your focus.”

Pochettino made six changes to the lineup that began Wednesday’s Champions League draw at Olympiakos, with Christian Eriksen demoted to the bench, Dele Alli omitted and Hugo Lloris’s absence on paternity leave meaning Paulo Gazzaniga started in goal.

The visitors swarmed over the hosts early on, with Son shooting wide in the third minute after being set up by Erik Lamela.

Leicester started giving better than they were getting in a match of fearsome intensity. But then Spurs stole the lead with an amazing breakthrough by Kane. The striker’s 170th goal for his club was unlike any of his others. It originated in a pass by Lamela to Son, who backheeled into the path of Kane. A shunt in the back from the retreating Caglar Söyöncü unbalanced Kane, who was falling as he beat Jonny Evans at the edge of the area. He was practically horizontal as Kasper Schmeichel rushed out to meet him but the striker’s instinct overrode any inclination to claim a penalty and he instead brought down his right leg on the ball in a chopping motion, hitting it into the ground and over the goalkeeper. It was marvellous improvisation.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Harry Kane scores to give Tottenham the first-half lead, despite having slipped over in the area. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images via Reuters

All of which rather sickened Leicester, who had celebrated taking an apparent lead a quarter of an hour earlier, only for their goal to be disallowed by VAR owing to Ayoze Pérez having strayed offside. That was a mighty relief to Gazzaniga, whose failure to hold a shot by Youri Tielemans enabled Pérez to set up Wilfred Ndidi.

Spurs went into the break in front but the game remained up for grabs. Tielemans released Jamie Vardy early in the second half, Jan Vertonghen did well to keep up with the striker and get a nick on his shot, enabling Gazzaniga to make a plunging save.

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Son should have increased Spurs’ lead on the counterattack but fluffed his chance after deft service by Harry Winks.

Play continued to hurtle to and fro until Aurier thought he had killed off Leicester with a ferocious strike near the hour. But when VAR ruled Son offside by the width of a nasal hair earlier in the move, Leicester scented a comeback.

There could be no quibble with their equaliser. It came from a slick attack, with Maddison and Harvey Barnes involved before Vardy fizzed a low pass from the left to Pereira, who rammed the ball into the net from eight yards.

Both teams generated further chances before Maddison collected a pass from Hamza Choudhury and lashed a low shot past Gazzaniga from over 20 yards.

“I was very proud of the team,” said Rodgers. “But we’re only six games in, we’re not getting carried away.”