Manager Mauricio Pochettino will
have been hopeful that star man Harry Kane could reproduce his form from last
season for Tottenham when his team visited a renovated Manchester United side
at Old Trafford in the opening Premier League fixture for the season. Chances
came at a premium for the striker and the first real chance of the game fell to
midfielder Christian Eriksen – his dinked effort beat United goalkeeper Sergio
Romero, but fell onto the roof of the Argentinian’s net. Shortly after, Red
Devils’ striker Wayne Rooney found the ball caught under his feet in the Spurs
area, only for Kyle Walker’s last ditch tackle to trickle into his own net. The
game remained at 1-0, with the few chances Spurs had kept out by Romero.
Tottenham returned to White Hart Lane to face Mark Hughes’ Stoke City. With two first half goals – the first through defender Eric Dier and then midfielder Nacer Chadli – Spurs will have gone into the break brimming with confidence for the game. A mistake from Tottenham new boy Toby Alderweireld handed Stoke a penalty on 78 minutes, fiercely dispatched by Marco Arnautovic, igniting a late comeback. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris saw a second goal ripple his net only five minutes later as Spurs defender Jan Vertonghen lost track of Mame Biram Diouf’s run as he flicked on a Stephen Ireland cross. Pochettino will be furious with his side as they allowed a 2 goal lead to slip away from them so late in the game.
Spurs will need to focus far
better in future games in order to hold onto leads such as that held in the
Stoke match. Pochettino may want to sign a new striker before the end of the
transfer window, with Roberto Soldado’s recent departure leaving him with only
Harry Kane as a viable striking option. West Brom’s Saido Berahino seems to be
the most likely candidate.
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