Son is saviour but Spurs still left red-faced
IN normal circumstances, this would be deemed a valuable point for Tottenham.
Having lost defender Davinson Sanchez to a red card, Mauricio Pochettino’s side toiled for the majority of the second half with only 10 men and held out admirably to protect their share of the spoils.
This was a fiercely competitive game and referee Martin Atkinson ended it by being booed off by both sets of fans. Watford felt they should have had a penalty for a last-gasp handball as Eric Dier blocked Richarlison’s cross, while Tottenham believed Marvin Zeegelaar was fortunate to escape a dismissal of his own.
Yet on a day top four rivals Chelsea and Liverpool underlined their credentials, and after a slump that means Tottenham have taken only five points from their past six Premier League games, this was another set-back.
Tottenham now face a huge challenge to guarantee Champions League football next season and this is the growing contradiction of a side who obliterate Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in Europe but now stand only seven points clear of war-torn Everton in the Premier League.
Tottenham started reasonably well but a split second of poor defending undid their good work. For the third time in a week, they conceded the first goal early and it was alarming in its simplicity. Tom Cleverley sent over a corner and Christian Kabasele stooped unchallenged to score. In his technical area, Pochettino shook his head and stood with a face like thunder. His side briefly threatened to cave in. They were lucky not to concede a penalty when Ben Davies tangled with Troy Deeney. Yet within a minute of that incident, Tottenham equalised. Kieran Trippier was often his side’s most consistent threat, and his smart thinking set Christian Eriksen away. The Dane crossed first-time with speed and precision for Son Heung-Min to convert.
But this team have a growing capacity for self-harm and so it proved again in the 52nd minute. As Watford sped away over the halfway line, Richarlison flicked the ball beyond Sanchez. As he sought to outpace the defender, Sanchez flung out an arm, catching the Brazilian flyer in the face. The impact was exacerbated by the incident taking place in front of Marco Silva’s dugout.
The Portuguese coach and his backroom staff flew out the traps as Watford’s players and supporters bayed for a dismissal. Referee Martin Atkinson duly obliged.
Watford’s fans turned up the decibels. Dele Alli became irritated. He traded insults with Roberto Pereyra and was then cynically taken out by Zeegelaar. The left-back had already been cautioned and his catalogue of fouls in the game should really have culminated in a red card of his own.
It was a nerve-shredding finale as Richarlison’s cross was blocked by Dier, with Watford furious not to be awarded a spot-kick for a perceived handball. Atkinson did not respond. And for that, at least, Pochettino can be relieved.
He said: ‘Today it’s nothing negative to say about the personality of the team. We showed unbelievable character. We were brave.’