Serge Aurier Enjoys Fine Tottenham Debut
There weren’t any real talking points from Mauricio Pochettino’s XI on Wednesday, but the inclusion of Serge Aurier would have been welcomed by fans. Kieran Trippier has endured an indifferent start to the season, and with Aurier better suited to the intense, high pressing approach, the Ivorian slotted in seamlessly against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley. When Tottenham sold Kyle Walker to Manchester City, an athletic replacement was required, if anything for Spurs to maintain the approach that allows the full-backs to bombard forward. Trippier’s delivery may be one of the best in the league, but when he features, the north London side likes the ability to really stretch opponents from deep.
In Aurier, though, Pochettino has at his disposal a right-back capable of getting upfield at the drop of a hat and helping Spurs maintain their dominance when they break forward at speed, even if his crossing was a little wayward tonight. However, it was the defensive side to the 24-year-old’s game that needed to be on top form over the 90 minutes. Up against Christian Pulisic - more on him later - the summer arrival could have endured a rough debut, but worked well to keep the American quieter than usual, making three tackles, while Pulisic was dispossessed on two occasions. The fanbase was split on Aurier’s arrival, but a splendid debut showing at Wembley means, from a footballing perspective anyway, he will be a fan favourite before too long.
Ben Davies Maintains His Good Form
Danny Rose hasn’t played since January and when rumours of his desire to leave Spurs over the summer began to materialise, supporters were fretting. The England international is a key man for the north London side, overlapping as and where possible and has established himself as arguably the best in his position in the country. His deputy, Ben Davies, may be solid defensively, but offers nowhere near as much in the final third as his English counterpart, at least before the season kicked off. However, Davies looks to have turned a corner in his career, with his attacking output now mirroring his defensive quality.
He’s second for key passes (13) in the Premier League this season and his influence down the left has eased Rose’s continued absence. Like Aurier, he pressed forward well, but did not shirk his defensive responsibilities and even came close to getting on the scoresheet, with his driven volley turned away well by Roman Burki. If he can maintain this good form, then Rose may find it harder to reclaim his starting spot than initially anticipated.
Borussia Dortmund's Strength in Depth
Wednesday night wasn’t Borussia Dortmund’s finest, yet for a team ravaged by injuries, they still performed well. Marc Bartra, Julian Weigl and Marcel Schmelzer, to name three, all missed the trip to London, but the Bundesliga side still put in a good account for themselves over the match. Indeed, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's goal incorrectly ruled out for offside when Spurs were 2-1 up would have changed the entire complexion of this Champions League tie, though the hosts weren’t without their chances to put the tie to bed.
That being said, Dortmund dominated for large periods of the match having hard a larger share of possession (67.9%) and a better pass success rate (88%). However, they struggled with Spurs’ decision to sit deep, much in the same way Peter Bosz’s Ajax did against Manchester United in the Europa League final. This is a tough defeat to Dortmund to take, but they can take solace in the return of key players before their meeting with Real Madrid later this month. The Spanish side won’t sit deep and wait Dortmund to attack either, which will play to the German side’s strengths.
Christian Pulisic - Football’s Next Superstar?
Like with Dortmund, Wednesday night was not Christian Pulisic’s finest showing, as he came away with a WhoScored rating of just 6.67. However, he was Dortmund’s brightest spark and had he been up against anyone but Aurier, you’d have fancied the teenager to come out on top on Wednesday. The 18-year-old made more key passes (2) than any other Dortmund player, while four successful dribbles was also the best return.
With football fees reaching extortionate prices with each passing window, the race to sign Christian Pulisic will keep gossip columns warm over the winter months. He showed glimpses of his quality and potential at Wembley and it won’t be long before he’s being linked with a big money move away from the Bundesliga side. It’s no wonder Liverpool tried so desperately to sign him last summer, but they’ll face ample competition for his signature now and understandably so.
The Wembley Curse
It’s been spoken of on numerous occasions, with Tottenham’s “Wembley Curse” threatening to hold the north London side back this season. After conceding late on against Chelsea and Burnley, Spurs put in a mature performance to secure only their third win in their last 12 matches at the national stadium. Spurs, though, showed plenty of signs that they are over the curse and ready to now push on after demoralising results in the previous two games here this term. The welcome of Swansea will be a true test of whether they have ridden themselves of the curse, but victory over Dortmund gives them a solid foundation to build upon.
