Sheffield United (Away) 17.01.2021

Spurs walked into Bramall Lane as Sheffield experienced a bright but cold January day, but we knew that more dropped points would cost them not only their position in the table, but it may affect their finishing place in the Premier League in the longer run.  As it was, an early goal didn’t lead to a comeback denying us a win, but a spectacular goal sealed a win despite a threatened fightback by the Blades, who went down to a 1-3 defeat.

A first minute mis-cued clearance by Ramsdale gave Kane and then Hojbjerg shoots at goal, but both were blocked as Sheffield United got between them and the goal. A couple of minutes into the game, Ndombele, Kane and Bergwijn linked to give the Dutchman a shooting opportunity from 20 yards that the keeper tipped over the bar.  From the corner, Son’s delivery into the near post area was met by Aurier just inside the six yard box with a header that rippled the net.  Serge won the ball from a standing jump, getting above Bogle, to beat Ramsdale with his header to give Spurs an early lead, but was it something that they could add to ? Recent criticism had surrounded the team’s inability to kill off games. 

It almost was when Kane set Sonny through on seven minutes in the right-hand channel for him to lift the ball over Ramsdale but was unlucky to see the ball hit the outside of the post and go off for a goal-kick. Ben Davies was alert at the Spurs end with ten minutes on the clock when Basham headed a corner back across goal and the Welsh defender nodded the ball away from in front of the goal.

When Reguilon won a great tackle inside his own half, Spurs were away, with Son putting in a low cross aimed for Kane, but Ampadu cleared it at the cost of a corner, when it might easily have gone in his own goal. This one was cleared and for the next ten minutes, Spurs enjoyed passing the ball around, with the Blades putting some pressure on the person in possession, but we were able to take out time to probe space and make runs into the final third. Harry Kane was denied the ability to take a quick free-kick after being fouled, but Marriner pulled it back to book Norwood for the foul on the Spurs striker. From the free-kick, Spurs won a couple of corners and then play settled back into the same routine of United  pumping balls forward and then Tottenham trying to work the ball forward.

Joe Rodon was playing well, intercepting a pass forward by United to start a Spurs move and then ending a Sheffield United move when McGoldrick got in behind Dier, with the Welshman showing good pace to mop up a poor touch by the Blades striker.  On 28 minutes, Burke had a low shot that Hugo dived on easily and then five minutes after, he got away on the left after Lloris’ poor free-kick out and his ball across the face of goal was without a striped shirt on the end of it. The home team pressed a bit higher, with McGoldrick forcing Dier to block his shot and Fleck got an effort on target, but straight at Hugo. 

Son put in another low ball into the box and a defender hoofed it high into the air, with Kane alert to the fact that it was going to drop in front of goal, but Ramsdale slapped it away from the line.  It kept Tottenham out on that occasion, but  when Hojbjerg picked the ball off Norwood 35 yards from goal, it went to Son, who gave it back to the Dane and it was slipped forward to Harry Kane. He moved past Basham and then buried a low shot past Ramsdale as he dived to his left to send the ball into the bottom left corner of the keeper’s goal. It was a typical Kane finish and one that United brought upon themselves, as they tried to play the ball out from the back and Pierre-Emile didn’t have to do too much to gain possession.

Sheffield United tried to get something back before the break and Rodon defended a ball into the box well, with Burke looking to get on the end of it and then Dier blocked Bogle’s effort as the ball ran loose.  

Into the second half, Spurs kicked off and Ramsdale made a better connection with his clearance from a long ball forward. Spurs failed to shut down Stevens on the Sheffield left wing and his cross found Bogle coming in onto it, but he put his header over the bar. United then worked the ball from halfway up their left wing and then across to the right where Ndombele blocked Stevens’ shot from inside the box. Hugo claimed the corner and launched a long ball forward that Bergwijn took down with his first ouch, only to be tripped by Lundstram. Kane got the ball from a quick free-kick and took a pop at goal that Ramsdale had to tip over. Then keeper was in action again, when coming to claim the ball from Aurier ahead of Son, but he got nowhere near the ball and was lucky that there was a player on hand to clear it.

While Tottenham looked comfortable, one goal against could change the balance of the game.  There was another opportunity to add to the score, as Norwood lost the ball and Kane was away before feeding Bergwijn. His cross was headed out to Harry, who struck a left foot shot aiming for the top corner but got it too high.  And the goal did come for Sheffield with Fleck’s cross headed past Lloris by McGoldrick, as he got between Dier and Davies to make it 2-1.  Would this produce the wobble to Tottenham’s fragile confidence ?

There was almost an immediate response for Spurs, as Ndombele’s pass was intercepted by Basham, but luckily for him, the ball went wide, when it looked as though it might have beaten Ramsdale and nestled in the bottom corner.  Within a minute, United lost the ball with a loose touch from Norwood once more. Reguilon picked it up and played it short to Tanguy. He passed to Bergwijn close to his left and the ball was lifted over the defence. Running away from goal on the left beyond the edge of the six yard box, about five yards off the dead-ball line, he lifted the ball with his right foot back over his head and over Ramsdale with the ball sailing over the keeper and in off the post to restore Tottenham’s two goal lead.  It was an inventive and perceptive piece of skill that nobody else in the Spurs side might have produced and it certainly took the keeper by surprise.  It is one of those moments that win, lose or draw, you go to football to see.

Harry Kane fancied adding to his own personal total, with a shot from 35 yards out being blocked and the McGoldrick turned to shoot straight into Lloris’ chest from 18 yards out. They made a couple of attacking substitutions, but Son had a shot deflected over and when the corner was recycled, Aurier looked like he was in on goal, but the ball had come off the referee, so it was called back for a drop ball in United’s favour.

Inside the last ten minutes, Spurs started to drop deeper, inviting long balls into the box, one of which was headed out by Ben Davies, but substitute Billy Sharp was on the end of it, volleying it well wide from 20 yards out. Sharp’s major impact on the game was to consistently knock Spurs players over on or off the ball. Egan’s second over-enthusiastic challenge on Kane in the match got him a yellow card, which saved him having to face Manchester United in the Blades next League game.

Ndombele laid the ball forward to Lucas Moura, who took a hit from Bryan after the ball had been laid off to Son and his square pass into the path of Kane looked inviting to record another goal.  However, from the 18-yard line, he leant back and struck his effort over the bar. It looked like his last involvement, as Vinicius was readied to come on, but Mourinho had a change of heart and removed Son. 

For all the talk of Reguilon’s importance in this match, he very rarely got the ball in crossing positions, but Son filled space in that area to put the ball in instead. Tanguy Ndombele had a fine game. With his fitness much improved to allow him to give the team more dynamic movement from his advanced midfield position, he has the ability to influence matches much more and not just by scoring goals, but his passing and link-up play have improved from his subdued displays last season.

After Mourinho’s disappointment with the team on Monday after the draw with Fulham, he must have been pleased with the response today.  A hungrier performance, with closing down, sharpness in cutting out forward passes from Sheffield United and a more clinical display in front of goal.  It was the sort of display that he is used to from his teams that were successful and while results kept Spurs out of the top three, fifth place will do for now, keeping us in touch with the leading pack.

Stanford Rivers

Tottenham recorded their first win at Bramall Lane in the Premier League.