Dismal second half against Chelsea seals Tottenham’s fate
By Gary Pearson
Tottenham were outclassed in every facet after the restart, as Chelsea showed their resounding superiority in their 3-0 victory.
Tottenham’s promising start was undone by a palpably poor second stanza. Chelsea took over proceedings after the interval, with Thiago Silva capitalizing on a weak, placid bit of defensive work by Dele Alli, who let the Brazilian rise unchallenged to meet Marcos Alonso’s pinpoint corner.
Minutes later Eric Dier saved off the line to keep the deficit at one. However, Chelsea doubled their lead when Dier inadvertently deflected a long-range N’Golo Kanté effort past a helpless Hugo Lloris.
Spurs were unable to create any chances in the second half, with Harry Kane, who was curiously employed on the left side of attack, played the part of an idle, dormant figure. Nuno Espírito Santo will face stark criticism for his decision to start Kane in the uncustomary position.
Tanguy Ndombele had some success in the first half with a spry, energetic effort in central midfield. Like most Tottenham players, the Frenchman fell off the map after the interval and was eventually withdrawn.
Tottenham’s anemic attack cause for concern
Tottenham’s anaemic attack is cause for great concern in north London. Nuno’s men have scored just three goals in their first five top flight matches, a paltry return for a side with so many perceived attacking threats. Kane hasn’t come close to the level Tottenham faithful expect from their most prolific scoring threat. In truth, he hasn’t even come close to the form he showed last season when he won the Premier League’s Golden Boot.
His lacklustre form doesn’t come as a surprise when considering the fractious, disconnected way in which he entered the campaign. Patience levels aren’t particularly high in north London at the moment, but supporters need to remain resolute in their backing of Nuno.
While it churns my stomach to admit it, Chelsea are currently far superior in every way to a Spurs side trying to find their identity under a new regime. The uncertainty around Kane’s future isn’t helping Nuno as he attempts to find the right personnel, tactical and formational balance.
He doesn’t have long to ruminate and work out the countless kinks, as Spurs make the short trip to the Emirates next Sunday. A result of this nature against Arsenal next week won’t bode well for Nuno, as the newly appointed manager does his utmost to get supporters on board with his philosophy.
However, a bounce-back performance against their loathed north London rivals will help alleviate the sour taste from today’s subpar outing. Tottenham will need play with way more conviction and enterprise to stop the bleeding.