Five talking points from Tottenham's 1-1 draw with West Brom
Tottenham had to come from behind to get a 1-1 draw at home against West Bromwich Albion at Wembley after suffering an early setback. Salomon Rondon gave the visitors a fourth-minute lead and it took a 74th-minute Harry Kane equaliser to secure a point for Spurs. Here are five talking points:
Mauricio Pochettino sticks with the ambitious set-up that brought him success in Dortmund
Tottenham’s manager opted for a particularly attacking line-up in Germany on Tuesday, using Dele Alli in a deep-lying midfield role so that he could also pick Heung-Min Son as a second striker.
With a midfield trio of Harry Winks, Alli and Christian Eriksen playing behind Son and Harry Kane, Spurs boasted plenty of creative, attacking threats and Pochettino was rewarded for his positive selection with a 2-1 victory.
He also swapped Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez in Dortmund, following the defeat at Arsenal, with Davinson Sanchez moving from the right side of the back three into the centre – the role the Colombian had occupied before Toby Alderweireld’s injury.
In both cases – with the front five and back three – Pochettino opted for the same again today, and it looked the right call.
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Tottenham had previously struggled to break down defensive visitors at Wembley, only scoring three goals across their previous four home games against Burnley, Swansea, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace – and Pochettino could hardly have picked a more attacking midfield as he sought to rectify that issue.
But things went badly wrong right at the start as Tottenham doubled the challenge facing them, and Pochettino found himself switching to 4-2-3-1 midway through the first half, with Dier moving into midfield.
Sloppy goal leaves Spurs playing catch-up
Tottenham have found it difficult enough to score in these matches without giving their visitors a head-start and something to cling on to – but that is exactly what they did, conceding in the fourth minute.
It was a shambles of a goal. Alli gave the ball away cheaply in the centre circle, allowing ex-Spurs man Jake Livermore to free Salomon Rondon. And, although Sanchez kept pace with the Baggies forward and seemed set to snuff out the danger, the 21-year-old appeared to underestimate Rondon’s strength, being shrugged aside and then watching in dismay as his opponent rolled the ball past Hugo Lloris.
Here, perhaps, was the downside of Pochettino’s aggressive selection – Spurs were wide open and were punished.
But Alli is good enough to do much better in such circumstances, as is Sanchez. Ironically, Pochettino had praised the Colombian’s one v one defending two days previously.
Albion encourage crosses and benefit from selection of Kieran Trippier and Ben Davies
The Baggies were playing under caretaker manager Gary Megson rather than Tony Pulis but their approach was familiar. They sat deep and worked hard to ensure Spurs did not get any shooting opportunities in central areas around the box.
That forced, or encouraged, the Lilywhites to move the ball wide and cross it instead. Megson’s side were perfectly happy with that, backing their centre-backs to win the aerial battles – which they generally did.
Spurs only really caused the visitors problems in the first half when Son was running at them from the left side – he finally forced Ben Foster into a low save and then saw another shot deflected onto the roof of the net.
Tottenham needed more of that in wide areas but their full-backs, Davies and Trippier, lacked the pace to trouble their markers in one v one situations, while often waiting too long to deliver the ball, having taken a touch.
The pacier Serge Aurier was an option on the bench but Pochettino left him there, and Danny Rose was not in the squad for the second weekend in a row.
Instead, Spurs’ manager introduced Fernando Llorente and Mousa Dembele on the hour-mark. But Llorente’s presence only encouraged the aerial approach which had failed to produce results beforehand.
Davies and Trippier have both improved greatly in the last year and have recently deserved their places as the first-choice players in their positions. Trippier, it must be said, provided more of a threat in the closing stages.
But Aurier and Rose, who both impressed against Dortmund, are looking like increasingly attractive options in games like this and will probably to get another chance to prove themselves at Leicester on Tuesday.
Ironically, Spurs’ eventual equaliser came from a cross – but it was a low one from Alli, with more quality than the full-backs had produced.
Kane’s latest strike provides a silver lining
Tottenham’s talismanic striker has been slowed by hamstring and knee injuries in the last month and has not looked at his best. However, he is finding the net again, registering in his last two games against Dortmund and now West Brom.
He had previously been unable to score in the similar matches against Burnley, Swansea, Bournemouth and Palace and had a largely frustrating afternoon here too.
But he came up with the goods, prodding home at close range in the 74th minute as Alli sent his low delivery into the goalmouth.
Kane was then everywhere before the end, heading over from one of Trippier’s better crosses, rolling past his marker and shooting wide before sending a low effort at Foster, who was booked for repeated time-wasting.
This was a disappointing result for Spurs but Kane’s growing impact and confidence is at least cause for encouragement.
Albion continue to be a bogey team for the Lilywhites
Spurs may have thrashed West Brom 4-0 at White Hart Lane in their previous meeting but that was only their second victory over the Baggies in eight attempts.
The three previous encounters had all ended 1-1, and it was the same story again this afternoon.
While Spurs threw everything at their guests after levelling, Albion also had two chances to net an injury-time winner.
Having started the day only just inside the top four, lying two points above seventh-placed Burnley, Tottenham must now wait to see how greatly they are punished for this latest slip-up in the weekend’s remaining fixtures.
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