Tottenham Hotspur 3 CSKA Moscow 1
There was more at stake for Tottenham Hotspur than securing their place in the last 32 of the Europa League in February – the merits of which continue to feel a little dubious – and Mauricio Pochettino knew it. How else could his team selection have been explained?
The starting XI that he sent out was stronger than that which he had named in the previous Champions League tie away against Monaco, when the club’s hopes had been on the line. This time, Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen played, rather than Kieran Trippier and Kevin Wimmer – although Mousa Dembélé was rested. Christian Eriksen started and he excelled.
Pochettino needed a win at Wembley. The club needed a win at Wembley. After the losses here against Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen, which had effectively ended the Champions League dream, another poor result would have sparked talk of jinxes – and that was the last thing Tottenham wanted ahead of next season, when they will play their matches in all competitions at the national stadium, while the White Hart Lane rebuild is completed.
Pochettino went strong and he was rewarded. For long spells, CSKA Moscow looked as though they were on holiday, having entered their winter break; they will not emerge until March. Leonid Slutski, the manager, named only five substitutes – three of them aged 20 or under – in what was his last game in charge.
Tottenham put them to the sword. In front of 62,034 fans, they were much the better team and goals from Dele Alli and Harry Kane, plus an Igor Akinfeev own goal, set up their latest tilt at the Europa League. The biggest cheer of the evening was reserved for the return of Toby Alderweireld from injury in the 68th minute as a substitute. More importantly, Tottenham have proved a point at Wembley.
The order of the evening for Tottenham was to impose themselves on a game at this venue and they looked hungrier than their opponents from the outset, pressing firmly onto the front foot and moving the ball with a degree of slickness.
Pochettino used Eriksen on the right of midfield, as he had done against Swansea City on Saturday, and he was prominently involved in a creative sense. There was plenty of zip about Tottenham’s passing and it said much that the full-backs, Walker and Danny Rose, who are routinely tasked with providing the pace and penetration, were pressed extremely high.
Tottenham created a fistful of clear chances before the half-hour mark and their dominance could be measured by the fact that CSKA had barely escaped their own half up to that point. Pochettino’s team, though, could not turn their superiority into an early lead and it was a shock when the visitors ventured beyond halfway and went ahead.
Pochettino could reflect upon a breakdown between his centre-halves, Vertonghen and Eric Dier, with the former deep and the latter pushed up, when a hopeful ball was punted forward towards Zoran Tosic, the former Manchester United winger and one of the smallest players on the pitch. Tosic – who had looked offside – headed across for Alan Dzagoev, who was yards ahead of Dier, and he ran through to finish. The home fans, who had turned out in commendable numbers given the dead rubber billing, could have been forgiven for wondering whether it was going to be one of those nights. Alli had glanced wide; Son Heung-min was denied by Akinfeev and Eriksen could not beat the goalkeeper when gloriously placed. There was also a chance for Alli on 25 minutes when he timed his run onto Eriksen’s pass only to fluff the finish from close-range. Akinfeev grasped it gratefully.
Pochettino wore a thunderous expression after Dzagoev had made it 1-0 but he perked up when Alli located his shooting boots to equalise. There was the suspicion of offside, again, in the build-up – against Walker – before Eriksen crossed and Kirill Nababkin lost his bearings at the back post. Alli took a lovely first touch and guided his shot inside the far corner.
CSKA flickered again on the counter in the 43rd minute when Tosic released Georgi Milanov and he was thwarted by Hugo Lloris, but it was another moment that cannot have pleased Pochettino. His team deserved to lead at the interval and they did so after Eriksen’s floated crossfield pass and Rose’s low blast across goal. Kane turned it home for his eighth goal in his last seven appearances for the club.
There had been niggle in the first-half between Alli and Tosic, which was sparked when the Tottenham midfielder floated a 15th-minute shot just over Akinfeev’s crossbar – in the act of giving the ball back after a stoppage. It was cheeky and Tosic, in particular, took exception. Briefly, a melee flared.
It was a rare example of CSKA fight. Lacina Traoré blew a decent chance with a heavy first touch on 77 minutes which, almost ridiculously, stood to make the score 2-2 but, that apart, it was all Tottenham.
Akinfeev kept out a volley from Kane, after Eriksen’s lovely ball over the top and Alderweireld flashed a header off target. Moments earlier, Alli had helped to make the tie safe. Akinfeev kept out his header from Kane’s cross only to inadvertently volley the ball into his own net as his body twisted.
(Guardian service)
