Matchday Live: Bournemouth v Tottenham
By Ryan Wrenn
Final Thoughts
There was substaintial improvement in the second half from Tottenham, but not quite enough to earn them a win that would have (temporarily) put them top of the table.
Two factors combined in the second half’s opening stages to give Tottenham some advantage.
One, Bournemouth looked worn down from their efforts in the first half. While they implemented that high press very well, they clearly aren’t at the level that they can sustain such tactics deep into the match.
They were more content to sit back and contain a Tottenham side that had found some purchase on the game thanks in part to some more adventurous spirit from Kyle Walker.
Tottenham’s right-back was timid in the first half, often declining to run with the ball to Bournemouth’s corner. His crosses were rare, and he was easily contained.
Whatever happened at half-time, Walker learned that he couldn’t waste those opportunities. He pushed up, stretched Bournemouth — and Walker’s teammates found more room to move in the center.
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It wasn’t quite enough however. Indeed, Bournemouth might feel aggrieved to have have gotten more than a point from this match. Moussa Sissoko came on for Alli and, within ten minutes, should have earned himself a straight red card for an elbow to Harry Arter’s eye. A disciplinary committee might still look at that after the match and punish Sissoko with a lengthy match ban.
The big takeaway, of course, is that Tottenham remain unbeaten in the Premier League. They are third in the table at the moment, and there’s still plenty of football to be played.