Spurs’ second-string fall flat after Nuno rings the changes
Wittek 78 Tottenham
Att: 23,931
Harry Kane and his Tottenham Hotspur team-mates left at home in London will be safe in the knowledge their starting places are not in jeopardy following this dismal defeat at the Gelredome in Arnhem.
Nuno Espirito Santo changed his entire team, resting key players for Sunday, but his second-string failed to grasp their opportunity to impress and were defeated by Maximilian Wittek’s crisp volley which gave Vitesse the result they fully deserved. Spurs have now lost their last three away European matches, but still have time to put together a run to reach the next round.
That run of defeats started at Dinamo Zagreb when the bigger problems under Jose Mourinho were exposed. Vitesse’s win will not spark the same panic, but does underline how reliant Nuno is on his clutch of senior players.
“It’s tough. The boys aren’t playing all the time, and we want to give the best account of ourselves when we get the chance,” Ben Davies, who was drafted in for the game, said. “It was difficult to do that. It’s a squad game, and everyone knows how many players you need to compete on all fronts. I don’t think there are any doubts about our commitment.”
Nuno’s selection reflected the Group G fixture being sandwiched by Premier League trips to Newcastle and West Ham, both the type of games Spurs should be getting points in if they are to stay within sight of the top four and a place back at Europe’s top table. As a reminder, their last trip to Holland was when Lucas Moura sealed their famous, near-impossible comeback against Ajax in the Champions League semifinals in 2019. They have fallen some way since and for the players selected, their first step is to fight for a place in Spurs’ starting line-up.
For Harry Winks or Dele Alli, there was little evidence they would be forcing their way into Nuno’s plans for the weekend, with Spurs struggling to find fluency and looking nervous and error-prone at the back. Bryan Gil provided a rare bright moment, curling a shot from the edge of the penalty area that dipped over Markus Schubert and struck the crossbar. But in truth, Spurs looked second best for most of this match, at times looking like they were struggling for motivation.
Vitesse created the better chances throughout. Worryingly for Nuno, the hosts did not have to work hard to retain the ball. They were often given it directly when Spurs were in possession, trying to play out from the back.
Pierluigi Gollini prevented further punishment by saving from Nikolai Baden Frederiksen when he raced through on goal. Vitesse also thought they should have had a penalty when Wittek went over Gil’s challenge in the area, only for the referee to wave play on. Jacob Rasmussen had their other big chance, flicking his header just wide from a corner.
The home team had to wait for their winner but when it came, with 12 minutes remaining, it was a fine strike. Eli Dasa, the industrious Israel full-back, set up the goal with a cross that Wittek volleyed low into the bottom corner from the edge of the area. To celebrate, he stood still, arms crossed, and waited for his team-mates to mob him.
The celebrations at the final whistle were more animated, with Vitesse players enjoying the moment after seizing their chance to shine, while Spurs’ players could feel the opposite. “We have to learn and keep improving,” Nuno said. “The Conference is a good chance to build the fitness of the squad, and we’re going to need it because it is a tough schedule.”
Davies pointed towards the difficult surface and refereeing decisions among the reasons for failing to spark. “It was a very tough atmosphere, and we didn’t give the best account of ourselves,” he added. “I don’t think the pitch helped, and we didn’t have any decisions go for us.”