Speed’s the key as Lamela lifts Spurs
Joy for Pochettino as his struggling stars find their true form
IT WAS the slick speed of the decisive second goal that signalled Spurs are finding their range again. For now, the mini-s lump is certainly halted. But it was the velocity of that attack, the crispness of the passing and the clinical nature of the finish which will surely have heartened boss Mauricio Pochettino.
It came on 76 minutes and Tottenham had weathered a storm of Brighton attacks.
Tottenham had not been especially convincing. They hadn’t exorcised all the ghosts of those three successive defeats to Watford, Liverpool and Internazionale. They weren’t at their best.
But in that moment they looked a little like the team that enraptured Europe at times last season. Kieran Trippier started the move, playing in Toby Alderweireld, whose fine ball bisected Brighton’s midfield and found Erik Lamela.
The Argentine strode purposefully through midfield, stretching the opposition. He fed Lucas Moura who crucially moved t he ball instantly to Danny Rose. Racing down the left, Rose crossed, again first time.
At no point could Brighton react and regroup. The move was simply too smooth, too quick. Rose’s cross had found Lamela who had continued his run into the box and he finished with a good strike for 2-0.
This being Tottenham, it wasn’t quite as simple as seeing the game out. There was a touch of the recent San Siro collapse at the end. Harry Kane should have extended Tottenham’s lead on 92 minutes but Maty Ryan saved and Shane Duffy played a long ball for Anthony Knockaert, who sprinted forward, cut inside and scored.
When, with seconds remaining, Knockaert found himself in a shooting position again, you feared that Spurs were about to implode once more. On this occasion No 3 goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga, in for injured Michel Vorm, saved well. Only then could Tottenham find some calm amid their chaotic week.
The frustration for Brighton was that they had been coping well with Tottenham. They were happy to concede possession because Spurs lacked the intensity and pace which makes them so feared at their best. Fatigue was looming large again.
Ryan was required to make a fine save on nine minutes, when Trip pier’ s corner was met by Alderweireld, whose header took a deflection off Gaeten Bong and tested the Australian keeper’s reflexes.
But other than the odd penetrating run from Lucas, starting wide left rather than alongside Kane, and a shot from Son Heung-min, Tottenham looked pretty but unthreatening. Set pieces were their principal form of attack.
But then, in the 39th minute, Kane found a yard and raced past Bong who seemed to clip him. A free-kick was awarded on the edge of the box and Trippier, dreaming perhaps of Moscow, lined up a strike. The position was similar to that glorious semi-final goal against Croatia but t he delivery wasn’t. Brighton seemed to have been reprieved but referee Chris Kavanagh had spotted an infringement. As he jumped, Glenn Murray had lifted his arm to block the ball.
Kane stepped up and drilled the penalty home. A cluster of Spurs players gathered to celebrate. There must have been a degree of relief.
Brighton offered little in attack. Knockaert was a pest for Rose, their races a fascinating feature of the first half.
The home side were hindered by the 20th-minute injury to holding midfielder Dale Stephens, with Davy Propper dropping into the role. Lewis Dunk shot wildly wide — the ball went out for a throw in — when Knockaert did find him free and unmarked on 14 minutes. But there was little threat for Gazzaniga.
Brighton pressed high up the pitch at the start of the second half with Solly March dispossessing Trippier, causing the right back to pull him back and earn a caution.
The resulting free kick presented an inviting opportunity just outside the box on the left hand side.
Knockaert’s delivery was exquisite and Murray almost redeemed himself with a header, but Jan Vertonghen’s touch ensured it was deflected wide. From the corner, Brighton crowded Gazzaniga, just as Liverpool had unsettled Vorm the previous week. But the Argentine keeper, despite his lack of Premier League experience, came out decisively and collected the ball comfortably
Still, Brighton were showing more intent. In turn, that opened up space for Spurs when Lucas strode through midfield and fed Christian Eriksen, who curled the ball wide.
Brighton have proved comeback specialists of late and seemed determined to maintain that record at one down. Knockaert’s corner on 63 minutes was cleared, but only to March. He teed up a shot from 25 yards out and hit it superbly well, with Gazzaniga diving to touch the ball over. From the next corner they had the ball in the net but Murray was offside.
Their best moment through came on 66 minutes when Kayal broke free and fed Knockaert. Tottenham were exposed and as Knockaert cut back past Alderweireld, the equaliser seemed inevitable.
But the Frenchman shot softly as Gazzaniga saved comfortably.