Different Yet Eerily Familiar End for Tottenham Hotspur
By Aaron Coe
Tottenham Hotspur did all the right things to start but a limp second half and an utter loss of focus, meant more dropped points at the death for Spurs.
The first time it happened, it was a gut punch, as the team felt like it had been robbed. Spurs had handled Newcastle for 90 minutes of the match. Late into injury time a questionable VAR decision gave Newcastle a penalty and cost Spurs two points with the draw instead of the win. The fear is that this is becoming a theme, as Tottenham again found a way to drop two points and draw a game at the death they had surely won to that point.
The first time it happened, Tottenham simply had not been clinical enough. Spurs had 12 shots with seven on target against Newcastle, only to be held to the one goal and give the Magpies a glimmer of hope until the very end of the match. This time was different, Spurs had built a strong early lead of three goals, but then casually tried to step on the throat of the Hammers and failed costing Spurs in the end.
After scoring three goals on five total attempts in the first half, Tottenham took six in the second, with three more on goal. Spurs were getting looks, not of the same quality, but they were coming still, so how do you go from three goals on five shots to only managing one shot the entire half? If Spurs fans were waiting for the other shoe to drop, well it has, as the same problems with the left-sided center half position and an inability to focus defensively again cost Tottenham points.
At this point those four points would have Spurs in sole possession of second only a point back of Everton and ready to make a run. Instead Tottenham sit in a very tentative sixth already five points back of first. I say tentative, as there are several teams with a game in hand where a victory would catapult the team ahead of Tottenham, including sky is falling Manchester United.
Luckily for Tottenham Hotspur, they do not have to wait that long as they have a midweek match in Europa League to help get over another tie that cannot help but feel like a defeat. A feeling that is already becoming all too familiar at N17 this season.