Luton 0-1 Tottenham (Bissouma sent off 45+3, Van de Ven 52’)
KENILWORTH ROAD – Ange Postecoglou stood for much of the afternoon with his hands clasped behind his head. Spurs fans ended it with an unfamiliar chorus: “We are top of the league.”
Postecoglou might have had more reason to smile. 10-man Tottenham rocketed to the summit with a 1-0 victory at Luton Town, and you will not see a more one-sided spell of Premier League football than the opening exchanges here. With over 100 passes and five shots in the first 10 minutes – and 97 per cent possession for the first five – this should have been a canter.
Somehow, it turned into a day of immense frustration – and yet Spurs keep winning. By the time the opener finally came via Micky van de Ven, and it took until the 52nd minute, it was the visitors’ 14th go at Thomas Kaminski’s goal. James Maddison deserved the breakthrough, wriggling artfully through the defence; all Van de Ven had to do was supply the finish.
Postecoglou had ditched the suit and tie deemed fit for the occasion against Arsenal and Liverpool, a more casual look hinting at what was supposed to be a relaxed afternoon.
Had Richarlison not missed four first-half chances before the Brazilian was subbed at half time, it might have been. The forward, who has talked openly of seeking out a sports psychologist to help him with his confidence and mental battles, will draw sympathy.
But Yves Bissouma will not. If Luton could weather the first half an hour, they were confident they could turn the tide. Instead Bissouma did it for them.
His sending off for simulation, when he might have been walking a tightrope – on a booking after fouling Chiedozie Ogbene, was unforgivable in the circumstances.
In a week spent berating the officials, where Graeme Souness put the problem down to “rock star referees who don’t know football”, even Ozzy Osbourne would have spotted Bissouma’s needless collapse on the edge of the box.
There had been a foul in the build-up on James Maddison; still, probably no need for a rematch. A few Spurs fans might have regretted it revelling in the decisions that went for them last week, the away end singing “there’s only one Darren England.”
The extra man counted for Luton. They had already had a goal disallowed, rightly, for a foul on Cristian Romero. Elijah Adebayo hooked in an effort that looked like it was going wide – it somehow crept in – and captain Tom Lockyer headed in to be sure. There is no great VAR conspiracy in favour of Tottenham after all, whatever you hear.
The Hatters’ best hope was the combination of the brilliant Ogbene, who caused countless problems, down the right, and the axis of Carlton Morris and Adebayo.
It feels a little reductive for Luton to take heart from losing a game 1-0 when they might have shipped seven or eight, just as it feels unfair to question Spurs’ need to be more clinical when they are unbeaten and the Postecoglou train ploughs on.
Indeed it is rare for Spurs, at least in recent seasons, to have shown this level of game management. “If you can dream it, you can do it,” reads the mural as you step into Luton city centre. Postecoglou can still do no wrong and the dream has well and truly kick-started.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/vCJq19j
Post a Comment