Tottenham Match Report: Gent 1 – 0 Spurs

Despite fielding a strong starting XI, Tottenham conspired to lose their away match against Gent in Thursday’s Europa League Round of 32.

Tottenham clearly intended to earn a commanding away goal lead in this fixture. A win might ensure progress to the next round as well as give Mauricio Pochettino an excuse to field a rotated squad for next week’s match at Wembley.

Jérémy Perbet’s goal in the 59th minute of Thursday’s match put a significant dent in that plan. Gent would hold on to earn an invaluable 1-0 win at home.

If we’re being honest though, such a result was easily foreseeable less than ten minutes into the match. Gent were playing with more energy, more attacking intent and certainly more spirit than any of the eleven Tottenham players on the pitch.

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This disparity manifested itself in several ways. First, and perhaps most importantly, it made it virtually impossible for Spurs to break their way out of midfield. Gent’s pressure overwhelmed even the usually silky Mousa Dembélé — he was dispossessed five times in the match.

Two, Gent’s willingness to put their bodies in front of the ball stood in perfect contrast with the listless attempts a one-twos Tottenham made in and around the penalty box. Those flicks and lay-offs might work against a less-determined English side, but Gent’s surprisingly effective press and eager defending often made Spurs’ players look worse than they actually were.

Third, as the minutes wore on and the pressure mounted, Tottenham’s decision making skills all but evaporated. Shots were skied over Gents box. The ball was passed backward in Gent’s box into the stride of Dembélé — never known for his goal scoring — instead of more available, better positioned players. Possession was lost up and down the pitch.

It’s not possible to quantify morale, but it was clear that Tottenham were deficient well before the first whistle. The 2-0 loss to Liverpool on Saturday is certainly cause for some reflection and adjustment. What Spurs put on display Thursday, though, was despondency. They looked a shadow of the team that beat Chelsea just six weeks ago.

Pochettino could barely contain his agitation on the sidelines, but he himself was powerless to fix matters in the middle of the match. The introduction of Heung-min Son, Christian Eriksen and Georges-Kévin Nkoudou didn’t create the desired sparks and perhaps only added to the sense that the fight had drained out of Spurs.

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This isn’t the first time Tottenham appeared to struggle in the Europa League. Something about the competition brings out the worst even in Pochettino’s supposed strongest XIs.

Last year at this time Spurs struggled away at Fiorentina, only to pound the Serie A side in the reverse fixture a week later. Perhaps Pochettino will bank on a similar comeback, though on the evidence presented Thursday it’s hard to imagine this Spurs side beating anyone.