LONDON -- Five months after collecting the English Premier League trophy, Claudio Ranieri was ecstatic just to see Leicester collect a point at Tottenham on Saturday.Celebrating a 1-1 draw -- after Leicester forward Ahmed Musa canceled out Vincent Janssens penalty -- was not demeaning for the Leicester manager. Far from it.Defending the title won so unexpectedly by the club for the first time last season was always an unlikely proposition as rivals have strengthened.Ranieris early target is the same as last seasons: Stay in the Premier League.While the Italian was underplaying the strength of Leicesters position a year ago to alleviate the pressure on his players, slipping into a relegation dogfight has looked possible this season. Especially with Jamie Vardy, last seasons top scorer on 24 goals, extending his drought to 10 games at White Hart Lane.But after four successive losses on the road in the league, Leicester has its first point away from King Power Stadium and is up to 11th.We won something unbelievable (last season) -- we dont have pressure, Ranieri sad. The pressure is on the other teams. We won the title. The pressure is to be safe, our pressure.Leicester is five points clear of danger after hovering above the relegation zone in the opening two months, but Ranieri is encouraged the team is rediscovering the resolve that inspired one of the biggest-ever sporting shocks.I saw the same spirit as last season because until now we did not have the spirit (as a team), Ranieri said. Today, we played as a team again and I enjoyed it a lot.It doesnt grate Ranieri that since slugging it out with Tottenham for the title last season, the teams paths have diverged. Tottenham is fourth, chasing its first title since 1961, eight points in front of Leicester and three points behind pacesetters Manchester City and Arsenal.On the face of it, being held by Leicester is a setback for a Tottenham side on a five-match winless run.Tottenham has stalled since opening the month with an eye-catching victory over City, as last seasons top scorer, Harry Kane, remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.Janssen, signed from AZ Alkmaar preseason as backup to Kane, is being relied on more than expected early in his Tottenham career but Mauricio Pochettinos team is not being clinical enough in front of goal.We need to kill the game and score goals -- today and in the last few games we have some problems in that situation, Pochettino said. We need to be more determined to score, to be more aggressive. Not to punch! To be more direct, have more belief.Although Janssen scored his third goal of the season against Leicester, the Dutch forward is yet to score from open play. All of his strikes came from the penalty spot.Janssen converted from the spot against Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel after being brought down by Robert Huth in the 44th minute, but it was canceled out three minutes into the second half.Leicester was gifted an equalizer, the type of good fortune experienced so often last season. Tottenham midfielder Victor Wanyama headed the ball back into the path of Vardy, who back-heeled it across to Musa to bundle into the net.It left Tottenham with a third successive league draw, on top of being knocked out of the League Cup by Liverpool, and being held 0-0 by Bayer Leverkusen.Tottenham plays Leverkusen again on Wednesday in the Champions League, the competition that Leicester appears to be focusing on this season.While Tottenham has collected only four points from its opening three European fixtures, Leicester has a perfect nine. Leicesters surprise this season is coming on the continent, rather than at home.---Rob Harris is at www.twitter.com/RobHarris and www.facebook.com/RobHarrisReports Marcus Cooper Jersey . -- Timbers coach Caleb Porter didnt stray from his business-like approach to the season even after Portland downed the two-time defending league champion Los Angeles Galaxy to gain crucial playoff position. 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Miikka Kiprusoff had just announced his retirement after a decade-long run in Calgary and it would be up to Berra and Ramo to fill the void.Yaya Toure will leave Manchester City this summer unless a new contract is agreed next week, his agent has said. The Ivory Coast midfielder, who signed for City in 2010, has just a year left to run on his current four-year contract.His agent Dimitri Seluk revealed he recently turned down a lucrative offer to play in China and has now issued City with an ultimatum. Seluk told The Sun: In the next week we must find a solution about whether Yaya will prolong his contract with City or he will go to another clubb.ddddddddddddBut if he leaves City it will surely not be for another English club.Seluk said in January this year, amid reports of interest from a host of clubs across Europe, that Toure would consider his options this summer.Seluk also told Sky Sports News HQ last year that Toure was 90 per cent certain to leave the Etihad in the summer of 2015. Also See: Aguero: Title slipping away Kompany blow as derby looms Cheap Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping China Jerseys Wholesale Cheap Jerseys 2020 Cheap Jerseys Online Cheap Jerseys Store ' ' '
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