Tottenham analysis: Not Wembley's fault! Appalling Alli & more to blame for Europa League exit

Tottenham crashed out of the Europa League on Thursday after another frustrating performance at Wembley saw Gent run out winners on aggregate.

Christian Eriksen's early strike gave the hosts the perfect start, but a Harry Kane own goal against the run of play silenced the national stadium/

Spurs were rampant throughout, even after Dele Alli was shown a deserved red card in the first half, and went ahead on the night through Victor Wanyama.

But Gent had another shock up their sleeves as Jeremy Perbet, who scored in the first leg, sent Spurs crashing out with a late strike.

Tom Collomosse was at Wembley to assess the key talking points...

Appalling Alli

Dele Alli let down his coach and his team-mates with his challenge on Brecht Dejaegere, and surely merits a club fine for his reckless behaviour.

He might be one of the best young players in Europe, and that might have been his first red card in competitive football, but there is simply no justification for the lunge at Dejaegere, which caught the Gent midfielder flush on the shin and could have done serious damage.

It is not the first time for Alli, either: last season he was banned retrospectively for punching Claudio Yacob of West Brom, and he was lucky not to be punished for an apparent stamp on Fiorentina’s Nenad Tomovic.

Mauricio Pochettino has always defended Alli to the hilt but it was telling that, as Alli walked off in the 40th minute, his manager did not give him a second glance.

Eriksen at his best

Every season we say it: Christian Eriksen looks ready to take the final step needed to join the world’s elite playmakers. At 25, the Dane’s time is surely coming.

Eriksen is not particularly pacy and his delivery from set pieces can be patchy. But when he is in the mood, there are few better passers in the Premier League, few players who are as quick to spot a team-mate’s run or find an angle for a pass.

He is always composed, too – the finish for Spurs’ opening goal was calmness personified, while the touch to set up Victor Wanyama for the second was simply sublime.

Pochettino shows he cares

For most of his time as Tottenham manager, Mauricio Pochettino has done little to suggest he has much time for the Europa League.

The Argentine has played weakened teams in the previous two seasons and when Spurs were eliminated, he did not appear unduly bothered.

The contrast could not have been greater here. Pochettino kicked and headed every ball for his team, leaping about his technical area and barking instructions at his players and the referee.

Although he will not want to be in it next season, perhaps Pochettino has learned to love the Europa League.

Set pieces let Spurs down

Despite their excellent defensive record in the last two seasons, Tottenham have always been a little vulnerable when defending free-kicks and corners. Sometimes they get away with it, others they do not.

Last season, West Brom and Leicester scored from set pieces, costing Spurs four points in a tight title race.

Here, when they were 1-0 up and on top, Eric Dier was outjumped by Stefan Mitrovic at the far post and, trying to fend off Moses Simon, Harry Kane could only head the ball past his own goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris.

This is an area Spurs must tighten up.

Don’t blame Wembley

The narrative is easy: Spurs are out of the Europa League because they cannot adapt to playing home fixtures at the national stadium. They have won only one game here this season, drawing against Gent and losing to Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen.

But whereas the displays against the latter sides were limp and unconvincing, Tottenham actually produced some excellent attacking football on Thursday and dominated even with 10 men.

It is not Wembley’s fault that Harry Kane and Heung-min Son missed easy chances to score. It is not Wembley’s fault that Dele Alli lost his cool so spectacularly.

And it is not Wembley’s fault that Eric Dier did not defend properly for either of Gent’s goals.

There are problems for Tottenham here, sure. But the stadium was not the reason for this failure.