Sport
POCHETTINO’S SPURS ALLY STYLE WITH SUBSTANCE
Much of the focus was inevitably on Manchester City’s complete collapse from a position of strength, but their conquerors at White Hart Lane deserve an awful amount of credit for their 4-1 win against the then-league leaders on Saturday afternoon. The phrase ‘typical Tottenham’, referring to Spurs’ perceived soft centre and propensity to fail to live up to expectations, is no longer so applicable.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side struggled in their first four matches of the campaign, losing to Manchester United and drawing with Stoke City, Everton and Leicester City. While the results were lacking, Tottenham’s performances arguably deserved a better points return, and it is no real surprise that they have since gone on to register three consecutive Premier League wins over Sunderland, Crystal Palace and City.
The most impressive of those victories was undoubtedly Saturday’s destruction of Manuel Pellegrini’s side. City were in cruise control in the first half, taking a deserved lead through Kevin De Bruyne after 25 minutes.
Eric Dier’s excellent strike on the stroke of half time proved to be a turning point, but not many people would have expected City to crumble so spectacularly after the break. Goals from Toby Alderweireld, Harry Kane and a vastly-improved Eric Lamela secured a terrific result for Spurs, who are now just one point outside the top four after seven matches.
Tottenham have always been associated with a certain flair and panache; while that was certainly not lacking in their flamboyant second-half display on Saturday, there is also a greater degree of grit and steel present in this current Spurs outfit, a sense of substance to go along with the style.
This was in evidence at times last term, with Tottenham winning 17 points from losing positions and avoiding defeat in 13 of their 19 Premier League away games.
It has continued into the current campaign too, with Spurs possessing the joint-best defensive record – their defence has been breached on just five occasions, the same as league leaders Manchester United.
Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen have struck up a promising partnership in the heart of the backline, with Dier’s conversion from a right-back into a holding midfielder a resounding success so far.
That solid base at the back has provided a foundation for Tottenham’s creative players to flourish.
Christian Eriksen’s return from injury for the clash with City was significant, with the Dane bringing craft and inventiveness to the hosts’ play. Son Heung-min has made a fine start to his career at White Hart Lane, moreover, while Lamela has finally begun to recapture the form he displayed at Roma.
Above all else, Kane’s strike against City will have delighted Pochettino and the club’s fans; though the England international was marginally offside, he did well to react quickly when Eriksen’s free-kick rebounded off the crossbar. With Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado having departed north London in the summer, the man who scored 21 Premier League goals last term will be relied upon to find the back of the net on a regular basis again this time around.
Upcoming encounters with Swansea City and Liverpool will be tough for Spurs, but the signs so far this season have generally been positive. ‘Typical Tottenham’ is an accusation that cannot be so readily levelled at Pochettino’s outfit.
