Lucky Llorente gets a head start
IT DOESN’T just rain in Swansea, it pours. Forget the drenching symbolism of Storm Eleanor over this troubled club, here they were beaten by two of their own and a referee on an off night.
Nothing to do with Harry Kane and his many hat-tricks. He spent 67 minutes on the bench, a heavy cold taking away his chance of a third treble in three games.
Instead, this was about Fernando Llorente, the striker who kept Swansea in the Premier League last season with his 15 goals. How predictable that he would score on his first league start for Tottenham, heading his old mates one step closer to the drop.
Then there was Ben Davies, the academy lad from these parts. It was his diving tackle on Jordan Ayew midway through the second half that stopped a sure equaliser.
Then there was Bobby Madley, the referee, who allowed Llorente’s goal despite a clear offside and then opted against sending off Davinson Sanchez, who should have had a second yellow card for a late tackle.
In a season where Swansea have done so much to shoot themselves in the foot — and hands, knees and backsides — this was a defeat that felt ever so slightly harsh, even against the backdrop of a first half where they were largely useless. Indeed, had they made the most of their chances in the second half, then Spurs’ hopes of the top four would be looking a little bleak.
But on they go, rising to fifth, and down slump Swansea, bottom of the lot and clinging to the hope that new manager Carlos Carvalhal can save them.
Aside from Kane’s absence, Pochettino made three other changes to the side who slaughtered Southampton.
Kieran Trippier, Davies and Erik Lamela came in and Serge Aurier, Danny Rose and Mousa Dembele dropped out — hardly a second string or some kind of reflection on Swansea’s limitations. But that’s just it — where depth is king, Swansea just cannot compete.
The home side made three changes, two of which were enforced, and it necessitated the use of a winger as a striker in Nathan Dyer, a 35-year-old rightback making his first league start of the season in Angel Rangel, and an entirely new system. That’s the disparity in resources right there.
Therefore, the first half playing out for almost its entirety in the Swansea half was no surprise, even if it did yield only a handful of chances, one of which happened to be Llorente’s goal.
Christian Eriksen was the creator with a free-kick crossed from the left and Llorente got himself goal-side of Federico Fernandez and into an offside position. No flag came and he did what he did so often in keeping Swansea up last season. How they miss that kind of cutting edge.
Spurs almost got a second in an almost identical manner to the first, with Eriksen dropping a ball over the last line for Llorente towards the end of the half, but the Spaniard volleyed over.
Swansea forced an opening of sorts early in the second half through Dyer, with his shot from 25 yards or so bouncing wide, and then made an attacking change by bringing on Luciano Narsingh for Rangel.
Within minutes, Narsingh went through on goal, forcing Hugo Lloris to save with his legs.
Suddenly, there were Swansea chances all over, most notably when Jordan Ayew was prevented a shot at an open goal by a Davies lunge — wonderful challenge — and then when Mike van der Hoorn’s header hit the post.
They even had the injustice of Madley opting against giving a second booking to Davinson Sanchez for the crudest of swipes at Martin Olsson.
And there was an element of fortune in Spurs’ late second goal. On the counter attack, Kane dropped the ball over the Swansea defence for Dele Alli.
His first shot was saved by Lukasz Fabianski, but rebounded straight back to the England man, who bundled it home as he was falling.
When your luck is out, it’s out. SWANSEA (5-3-2):Fabianski 7; Rangel 5.5 (Narsingh 53, 6), Van der Hoorn 6, Fernandez 5.5, Mawson 6.5, Olsson 6; Sanches 6.5, Carroll 6.5, Clucas 6; Dyer 6 (McBurnie 71, 6), Ayew 6 (Routledge 79). Subs not used: Fer, Nordfeldt, Bartley, Roque. Booked: Olsson, Van der Hoorn. Manager: Carlos Carvalhal 6. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (4-3-3): Lloris 7; Trippier 6, Sanchez 5.5 (Wanyama 59, 6), Vertonghen 6, Davies 7; ERIKSEN 7.5, Dier 7, Alli 6.5; Lamela 6 (Sissoko 76), Llorente 7 (Kane 67, 6), Son 6. Subs not used: Vorm, Aurier, Winks, Walker-Peters Scorer: Llorente 12, Alli 89. Booked: Sanchez, Lamela. Manager: Mauricio Pochettino 6. Referee: Bobby Madley 4. Attendance: 20,615.