The date is the 11th of July. The place, the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow. It’s the World Cup Semi-Final. Croatia v England.
Seven minutes in and Dele Alli tries to jink past the Croatian defenders on the edge of their box. Luka Modric, the former Spurs man, chops Alli down, handing a free kick in a dangerous area to the England men. Kieran Trippier steps up, the weight of a nation on his shoulders. The wall settles, the crowd falls silent. Trippier takes a tip-toed three-step run up before lifting the ball beautifully over the helpless Croatian wall, sending it floating into the top right-hand corner of the net.
The crowd goes wild.
Fast forward a month. The date is the 18th of August. The place, Wembley Stadium, London. It’s Kieran Trippier’s first game back since his Russia heroics. Spurs v Fulham.
Seventy-four minutes in and Harry Kane goes on a jinking run past the Fulham defence. He lays it off to that man Dele Alli, who flicks it around the corner, inviting a late challenge as he does so. Fulham hand a free kick in a dangerous area to the Tottenham men. Eriksen and Trippier are in attendance. Trippier steps up, the game in the balance. The wall settles, the crowd falls silent. A longer run up, but the same result. Trippier whips the ball over the helpless wall, dipping it into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
The crowd goes wild.
A new set-piece specialist is born…?
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