Kane goal secures Tottenham three points and Champions League football
In recent weeks, doubts have crept into the minds of the Tottenham support. Had they been offered a run in that saw them face Watford, West Brom, Newcastle and Leicester, with only a trip to Hawthorns in those four matches, they’d have bitten your hand off. Yet an unconvincing victory over Watford followed by defeat at West Brom last weekend set nerves jangling. Two points ahead of in-form Chelsea coming into both of their final two games of the season meant the pressure was on Spurs more than their west London counterparts as they aimed to finish the campaign as London’s top team for the first time in over two decades.
They almost went behind with barely 15 minutes on the clock after former Magpies man Moussa Sissoko fouled Dwight Gayle on the edge of the Tottenham 18-yard box. Jon Shelvey had the beating of the wall and Hugo Lloris, only for his effort to skim the outside of the post and go wide. Jamaal Lascelles then forced the French shotstopper into action after Davinson Sanchez had needlessly given away a corner from a shanked clearance. Despite having the larger share of the ball, Newcastle were forging the better chances.
The hosts though strived to net the vital opener, as first Harry Kane volleyed wide after being well picked out by Christian Eriken before Jan Vertonghen fired straight at Martin Dubravka. It wasn’t until Eriksen dropped into a deeper role that the hosts started to look more incisive when on the ball. It was the direct route that presented Kane with the ideal chance to break the deadlock at Wembley, but, as the ball bounced perfectly for him, the England striker connected with nothing but air that allowed Newcastle to alleviate the pressure. It was a moment that summed up Kane’s performance in recent weeks, with the Spurs ace, and the team as a whole, Eriksen aside, lacking the sharpness that saw them storm into 2018 with the wind in their sails.
However, while Spurs started the game poorly, they broke the deadlock five minutes into the second half. Kane shared a neat one-two with Heung-min Son before the former bent an effort past Dubravka from 12 yards. The relief was deafening at Wembley as Kane notched his 28th Premier League goal of the campaign. The goal should’ve spurred the hosts on, but they instead sat back and invited pressure on the defence with Matt Ritchie feeling a penalty should’ve been given after it looked as though he was fouled by Lloris. Neil Swarbrick waved away the appeals and it proved the correct decision as replays showed the Spurs goalkeeper won the ball.
The pendulum of play swung in one another’s favour as the two teams pushed for the decisive second goal of the game. The hosts came close to netting that goal as substitutes Danny Rose and Erik Lamela linked up well, but the former’s right footed effort was dealt with by Dubravka easily enough as the clock ticked towards the 90. Despite a late moment of pressure, Spurs held on to secure a 1-0 win and with Chelsea labouring to a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield, the north London side were guaranteed a top-4 finish with a game to play.
Against a Newcastle side that had nothing to play for, though, Spurs made hard work of what was ultimately a winnable fixture. Since their 3-1 win at Chelsea at the beginning of April, Mauricio Pochettino’s side, bar a 15-minute spell against Manchester United in the FA Cup, have been far from their best. They may have made it across the finish line with a game to spare, yet this has been a Spurs side that looks tired and sloppy and even if six crucial points were earned with wins over Watford and Newcastle, they have the potential to play much, much better, and have done so on numerous occasions this season.
Not that Spurs supporters will mind, however. When the season long move to Wembley was announced, many expected them to drop out of the top-4, but they showed impressive resilience to quickly make the national stadium their home and to guarantee Champions League football with one match of the campaign remaining is a commendable feat for Pochettino’s team.
