VIDEO: Son Heung-min steers Tottenham to comfortable win over Huddersfield
Son Heung-min steers Tottenham to comfortable win over Huddersfield
The ease with which Spurs won this match might suggest a run-of-the-mill win. But the quality Mauricio Pochettino’s side displayed, in his 100th victory as a Premier League manager, does not deserve to go unremarked upon. Tottenham are purring right now, and Juventus should be worried as they approach their Champions League decider on Wednesday.
Son Heung-min celebrates his second goal for Spurs against Huddersfield. Photograph: Simon Dack/TPI/Rex
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A goal from Son Heung-min in each half was the bare minimum the hosts deserved from their 17th consecutive match unbeaten. It was not a lead they ever looked like giving up either, even at 1-0, as attacking prowess was matched by defensive power.
Huddersfield, for their part, were far too meek, clearly struggling to believe they could get anything from the game. Such an assumption was probably correct but it does not reflect well on David Wagner’s men. Their submission was certainly a compliment to Tottenham, however, and shows that Wembley is no longer an advantage for away teams.
“I’m happy with a very professional performance,” Pochettino said. “Our objective was to win three points and we did that. We are in the league table fighting, and in the battle for the top four. I am so pleased with the fantastic run we are on. The fact we can now say Wembley is our home is so important for the team. Playing here last season was a strange feeling but now, both for the fans and for us, it feels like our home. The results here are positive.”
Pochettino picked what many consider his strongest side for this match, despite the imminent confrontation with the Italian champions. Partly a reflection of the competitive nature of the league table, it likely also shows his faith in preferred players to get the job done efficiently. With Son’s goals coming in the 27th and 54th minutes, the game was decided soon enough for the manager to give some of his players a rest.
Both goals were of the highest quality. They also conformed to a similar pattern: advanced Huddersfield possession being disrupted and then converted at the other end in the blink of an eye. Rajiv van La Parra was dispossessed by Christian Eriksen for the first goal, the Dane then poking the ball to Eric Dier. He chipped a pass forward to Harry Kane, who chested down to Dele Alli, who split the defence with a pass to Son, who rounded Jonas Lössl and then finished inside the far post. It was absolutely perfect.
La Parra was the culpable party for the second goal, too. This time the Dutchman was forced into a misplaced pass by Alli, and the ball was pushed forward to Kane just inside the Huddersfield half. The forward took a touch or two out of his feet then whipped a cross fully 35 yards to the back post where Son, running in, headed it home on the bounce. It was the South Korean’s second headed goal for Spurs and his celebration seemed somewhat muted by shock.
Wagner called Kane’s cross “unbelievable”, and was as verbally in awe of his opponents as his team were physically. Wagner did try to affect the game, replacing the winger Collin Quaner after just half an hour. Quaner, who had been forced into playing as a second full-back in a defensive line of six, threw his gloves on the floor as he stormed off.
“At the end we have to say this was a deserved defeat‚” Wagner said. “We were defeated by quality. We’ve tried to confront them with effort, attitude and fighting spirit but this was not enough. For the second goal we had a half-chance, then made a misplaced pass. Then there was an unbelievable pass from Harry Kane and they scored. That says everything about the teams that met today.”
On Quaner’s reaction to being taken off, Wagner added: “Collin was angry about his performance: he had every reason to be. But he is human. Today wasn’t his day and this is why I reacted.”
Spurs have not lost since their December defeat at Manchester City. Their form has also been continually improving during that time. Their attacking play is now that bit faster, that bit more assertive than in the opening half of the season.
Pochettino also appears to be timing things exceptionally well, but he is not one to get carried away. When told that his record of 100 wins from 197 Premier League games is equal to that of Kenny Dalglish, the Argentinian replied with a smile: “Kenny Dalglish is a legend, but I am only a simple man.”
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/mar/03/tottenham-hotspur-huddersfield-town-premier-league-match-report
