Spurs 4 - 0 WatfordDele Alli’s latest delight sparks Tottenham Hotspur’s rout of Watford
Home team scorersDele Alli 33
Eric Dier 39
Heung-Min Son 44
Heung-Min Son 54
Tottenham Hotspur’s traditional, daring swagger is intact. But is it too late?
They may be only on the edge of greatness but a tenacious presence behind Chelsea – the gap at the top reduced at least for a few hours to four points – is still sufficient to keep the Premier League title race bubbling.
Although Watford started brightly, once Dele Alli drove home the 33rd-minute opener, Mauricio Pochettino could enjoy a fine afternoon. Additional, lovely, strikes by Eric Dier and a double from the quite outstanding Son Heung-min ended the contest with relative ease.
Perhaps the deficit will not be bridged, with only seven games remaining, but another three precious points against an under-strength Watford keep this Tottenham surge on track with increasing fascination.
Chelsea kick off at Bournemouth later, mindful of their lead having been clipped to four points – arguably leaving potential for Spurs, and possibly some concern for Antonio Conte.
As Tottenham aimed to take advantage of the early kick-off, Harry Kane was in contention for a starting place after a near-miraculous recovery from ankle ligament damage, but Mauricio Pochettino opted to keep the striker on the bench with Vincent Janssen up front charged to deliver the required potency. Hugo Lloris, the captain, was back in goal, but Victor Wanyama had to settle for a substitute berth because of doubts over a back injury.
Mid-table Watford, meanwhile, were hit by an injury crisis but José Holebas soon tested Lloris, albeit tamely, with a fourth-minute free-kick from 25 yards, before Son tied to catch Heurelho Gomes off-guard with a couple of speculative efforts.
Tottenham, were finding their gentle rhythm and Janssen saw Gomes deny his swift shot after he turned Craig Cathcart, the culmination of a neat ball originally slipped into the forward’s path by Christian Eriksen. At the other end, M’Baye Niang fired in an angled shot to test Lloris as the game, encouragingly, opened up.
Only the busy Janssen can explain how he managed to miss twice from close range within a minute, however, after being well set up by the marauding Kieran Trippier on the right. Janssen somehow managed to bundle his latter effort against the bar from two yards out. It was painful for Pochettino to watch.
Spurs probed as Mousa Dembélé and Alli in particular tried to unlock the well-organised opposition.
Yet the hosts can invariably rely on Alli to do so in style when the pressure is on. The referee Anthony Taylor played advantage to good effect when Abdoulaye Doucouré wrestled Dembélé to the ground, only for Alli to exchange passes with Son approaching the left hand edge of the penalty area.
Alli took charge and bent a beautiful right-foot shot into Gomes’s top left corner, sparking a surge of relief around White Hart Lane.
It was soon accompanied by a second goal – and a rare strike it was too by Dier. The unselfish Son was once again involved, setting up the midfielder across the 18-yard line. With an inch-perfect connection, Dier fizzed an immaculate shot well past Gomes. Tottenham looked confident and settled.
Just before the break, Son clipped in a wonderful third to extinguish Watford hopes. Eriksen deftly supplied the South Korean playmaker before Son swept home brilliantly with his left foot from 20 yards.
If the three first-half goals had a high-class hallmark, so did the fourth as Pochettino’s men began the second half in a similar brisk manner. Son made a side-footed finish from eight yards look easy, from Trippier’s winding cross from the right, Eriksen starting the move.
With Spurs cruising now, there was time to introduce Kane, the 24-goal sorcerer replacing Janssen. Meanwhile, for Watford, by the time Troy Deeney came on for the remaining 20 minutes it was of scant importance.
Watford looked like a team disjointed long before the end – while Spurs could have added another with Son unlucky not to net a hat trick, lifting an angled 83rd-minute volley against the bar. A confident Kane did likewise with the last kick, from a rangy set piece.
Pochettino knows his men have done all they can for now.
Guardian
