Tottenham Hotspur controlled proceedings against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane this evening but fell to a frustrating 3-1 defeat in the Premier League.
The Lilywhites simply could not make possession pay as they struggled to unlock a stubborn Sheffield defence, while falling to yet more defensive errors of their own.
Champions League dream over –
Make no mistake about it, the Champions League dream is over. With Wolves, Man United, Chelsea, and more, there is no chance that Spurs scrape fifth, let alone fourth.
The return of Tanguy –
Ndombele finally made his first appearance since the Premier League restart today and certainly didn’t do himself a disservice with his positive passing in the Sheffield half. He will have to play his way back into Mourinho’s plans, but this could be the first step on the road.
Defensive mistakes –
This was the kind of game that should have seen Spurs on the front foot trying to break down a stubborn defence for a 1-0 win, or perhaps a 0-0 draw. Instead, Spurs barely registered a shot on target and conceded three goals. All three Sheffield strikes were similar cut-backs from the by-line followed by poor defending and a tap home. Woeful.
Mourinho troubles –
Mourinho has been waiting for months to get a fully-fit Spurs side at his disposal, yet a star-studded starting XI and bench couldn’t even score a goal against Sheffield. Not only that, but a manager who has built a reputation off the back of defensive solidity is conceding goal after goal.
Kane is hungry –
Harry Kane will certainly be hungry after today. The Spurs striker barely had a scrap to feed on throughout the 90 minutes. The poor crossing from Aurier and Davies gave him nothing in the air, while the wingers behind him created little. The fact that he scored at all was a minor miracle.
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