Match Report: Typical Tottenham Capitulate in 2-2 Draw with Stoke

If you search the term ‘lackadaisical’ on Google, an example of how it can be used in a sentence reads: “a lackadaisical defence left Spurs adrift in the second half”. The term could not have been more applicable for the north London side on their first home game of the season. Seemingly in control, Tottenham let a two-goal lead slip in the space of five second half minutes as Stoke came from behind to snatch an unlikely point in a 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane.

Spurs began brightly and looked to capitalise on their dominant start, but Jack Butland was equal to Christian Eriksen’s low drive, turning the Dane’s near-post effort away for a corner. The Stoke shotstopper was again on hand to deny the Spurs creator, parrying Eriksen’s 25-yard free kick behind after Glenn Whelan brought down Eric Dier. At the other end of the pitch, Mame Biram Diouf was thwarted by the returning Hugo Lloris after a mix up at the back by the Spurs defence.

It was the hosts, though, who opened the scoring through Dier. Ryan Mason’s thundering drive was deflected behind for a corner and Eriksen was able to pick out the youngster, who beat Butland at the near post. Each of Dier’s 3 league strikes for Spurs have come in August and for the second season running, the 21-year-old netted his side’s first goal of the campaign. Spurs upped the tempo once they took the initiative, but failed to forge a clear-cut goalscoring chance of the note as the game neared the 30-minute mark.

Stoke came perilously close to levelling before the interval, first through Marko Arnautovic, only for his teasing cross to roll out of play, before Diouf’s point-blank header was stopped by Lloris. Butland, meanwhile, was on hand to stop Ryan Mason’s effort with an outstretched left foot. The Stoke ‘keeper was unable to prevent Spurs from doubling their advantage moments before half time as Nacer Chadli volleyed Ben Davies’ cross into the far corner from close range.

Eriksen fired in an audacious effort from distance following the interval, yet his shot was always swerving away from goal as Spurs looked to swiftly add to their two-goal lead after the restart. The hosts’ first real chance of the game fell to Kane, who was picked out brilliantly by Chadli. Butland, though, was on hand to turn the striker’s shot on goal away from danger. The unmarked Jonathan Walters somehow headed wide from 6 yards when it looked easier to score while at the other end, Mason dragged a low drive wide.

Stoke mustered a number of half chances, but any on target were denied by Lloris, while for Spurs, Butland again was doing his best to limit the damage, saving from Mousa Dembele and Erik Lamela in quick succession. The deficit was halved with a little over 10 minutes remaining as Marko Arnautovic found a way past Lloris from the penalty spot after Toby Alderweireld fouled Joselu in the 18-yard box. And the Potters, who had been piling the pressure on the Spurs defence as the second half wore on, drew level through Diouf, who connected with Stephen Ireland’s cross to head past Lloris. The Potters were unable to add a third, while Spurs couldn’t regain the initiative as the spoils were shared in north London.

The same old questions can rightly be asked of Spurs and their defense. Seemingly destined for victory, the capitulation is cause for concern. The home side reinforced the backline over the summer, but were all at sea when pressured as the game neared its climax. Alderweireld were certainly to blame for the lack of composure in defence. The centre-bacl, a summer arrival from Atletico Madrid, did not look out of place at the heart of the backline against Manchester United, gaining a WhoScored rating of 7.78 at Old Trafford. However, on his home debut, the Belgian gained a rating of just 5.78, the worst of all players. Once Joselu was introduced in the second half, Alderweireld struggled with the physical battle. Unwavering with the ball at his feet, it was in the air where he failed to stamp his authority.

For Dier and Mason, however, it was a completely different story as the pairing provided an effective shield for the defence. The former gained a better WhoScored rating (7.84) than any other player, while Mason was effective alongside his midfield partner. They stifled Ibrahim Afellay and Walters with consummate ease, with Dier in particular a stand out performer. A player of his calibre needs regular first team action to continue this development and, following on from his commendable showing at Old Trafford, may have just found himself a new position in the starting XI.

Yet, for all his and Mason’s hard work, the players behind him were unable to live up to expectations. No player had more shots on goal than Stoke’s Diouf (5) and on numerous occasions he lost Alderweireld and Vertonghen and it’s reasonable to suggest he could easily have scored more than just the once over the 90 minutes. Even with Lloris back in goal, Spurs looked bewildered as to how they should counter the Potters offensive and the lack of leadership at the back must be rectified if they are to really challenge for a top-4 spot.

For Stoke, Hughes will have been relieved by a much-improved performance from his players, while the resilience shown to come back from two goals down to drawn warrants the highest of praise. In the likes of Afellay, Ireland and Marco van Ginkel, the Welshman boasts technically astute performers, able to play aesthetically pleasing football. Throw new signing Xherdan Shaqiri into the equation, and Stoke can rightly be considered dark horses for a Europa League spot. With Diouf, Walters and Joselu options in attack, Hughes has the personnel to mix up his route to goal and it was the latter approach that ultimately contributed to their fightback, an area of which Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino conceded his side needs to improve on.

This match will be remembered for Spurs' inability to hold onto a 2-0 lead against a battling Stoke side. ‘Spursy’ is a phrase thrown around to regularly describe the north London side and Saturday’s draw with the Potters felt more apt than ever before.

What did you make of Spurs' capitulation and Stoke's fightback? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below