10 OUT OF 10 FOR NERVOUS SPURS
Eriksen and Alli step up in Kane’s absence
Tottenham have not dropped a point at White hart Lane since october but last season’s late crumble has left its scars. nails were chewed in the stands as tension gripped and the anxious mood bled on to the pitch where Southampton were in control and threatening to equalise.
Second-half errors from two of their most dependable players, toby alderweireld and hugo Lloris, seemed to sum it all up and manager Mauricio Pochettino fidgeted and shuffled his substitutes in an attempt to stem the tide against his former club.
the final whistle signalled a wave of relief for Spurs and concerns were washed away to leave everyone wondering what the fuss had been about.
Spurs have won 10 in a row at home in the Premier League, building a fortress just as the bulldozers and wrecking balls are moving into position to flatten the famous old ground in may.
Pochettino’s team are the closest to Chelsea, albeit still 10 points adrift, and nine clear of arsenal, who have a game in hand. Few at the Lane will be prepared to declare early on that particular race after the way they were clawed back last season.
Spurs have not finished a season above their neighbours since 1995, before arsene Wenger’s arrival in London, and it will be a significant development if they can retain this advantage, especially without injured top scorer harry Kane.
In his absence, it was Christian eriksen and Dele alli who stepped forward to shoulder the responsibilities in front of goal, though Saints disputed the penalty converted by alli.
eriksen struck first, collecting a short pass from mousa Dembele, shifting the ball on to his left-foot as Southampton failed to close him down, before curling a low shot past Fraser Forster from 25 yards. It was his first in the Premier League for more than three months and capped a strong opening by the home team.
Forster, who had already denied Son heung-min, then beat away a header by former Saint alderweireld from a corner before the visitors finally settled into a rhythm and stirred as an attacking force.
nathan Redmond and Ryan Bertrand caused problems for tottenham in the area between eric Dier on the right of the back three and Kyle Walker at wing back.
oriol Romeu fired wide on the half-volley, manolo Gabbiadini lashed one into the side-netting, hurting his groin in the process, and Dusan tadic missed a sitter, crashing the chance over from close range.
Gabbiadini, having scored six in his first four games for Saints, tried to continue after treatment for his injury but limped off.
Shane Long was stripped and ready to replaceplace him but officials left him on the touchline as play continued and Claude Puel’s team were playing with 10 men when they conceded the penalty in the 33rd minute.
Southampton must take thee blame for making ng such a hash of their heir defensive duties but the decision was certainly a soft one.
alli beat Steven Davis to a bouncing ball just inside the area, took the contact and fell over. andre marriner, the referee who so angered Southampton in the EFL Cup final by wrongly denying Gabbiadini the opening goal for offside, pointed to the spot.
alli climbed to his feet to deceive Forster and followed it in with eye-contact and a cheeky grin for the goalkeeper he is about to team up with on england duty.
Forster grabbed the ball and launched it furiously into orbit high over the heads of the Spurs players as they ran away to celebrate alli’s 15th Premier League goal of the season.
‘anything is possible for him,’ said Pochettino. ‘he has unbelievable personality and character. he likes to run, and inside the box he looks like a striker. outside the box he plays like a midfielder.
‘I watched him when he was 17, playing as a holding midfielder for milton Keynes against manchester United. maybe one dayda he plays as a goalkeeper, full back or centre back!’
Marriner riled the Saints again when Lloris saved from Cedric Soares aand tadic and Ben Davies tangled in the scrambble that followed seemed to beat Davies to the ball but milked the contact, as he is often prone to do there were certainly similarities to tottenham’s penalty — except this time no spot-kick was given by marriner.
‘Difficult to accept,’ said Puel, which is the equivalent of a volcanic eruption by the Southampton manager, who must have been delighted with the spirit of his team after the interval.
James Ward-Prowse pulled a goal back after another foray from the left wing.
Bertrand’s low cross was missed by alderweireld and reached the back-post where Ward-Prowse took a touch and tucked it securely into the bottom corner.
With Romeu and Davis dominating in midfield, Southampton detected their chance for a point.
Lloris almost fumbled a save from Long into his own goal but Spurs improved when harry Winks and Vincent Janssen were sent on. the much-maligned Dutchman even forced a fine save from Forster in the closing minutes.
one more reason for the tottenham supporters to leave with optimism and strengthen their belief that this year, at last, it might be different.