Home is not so sweet at the moment for Mauricio Pochettino. Tottenham’s troublesome sequence in Premier League matches at White Hart Lane was extended as Stoke inflicted a fourth defeat out of five here.
The extent to which his Spurs team bore no resemblance to the style of football Pochettino encouraged at Southampton was striking. From high-intensity pressing on the south coast to a kind of anti-pressing in north London. (Or perhaps, from a Spurs perspective, just depressing). Mark Hughes’s team were able to withstand two changes to their backline but were largely comfortable and eased into a two goal lead they didn’t relinquish.
For five minutes it looked promising enough. All the ingredients for a Hollywood script were in place. Harry Kane was granted his long-awaited Premier League start and a special someone had jetted in to be in the audience. Jürgen Klinsmann, an iconic figure for Kane who is in London for USA’s match with Colombia, was in attendance.
A Tottenham break in the third minute quickened the Spurs excitment levels. Nacer Chadli looped a cross over to an unmarked Kane, and the crowd gasped in anticipation. The 21-year-old could not quite find the angle with his header, though, and it made for a simple catch for Asmir Begovic.
The mood changed instantly. Spurs were casual in midfield and conceded possession carelessly. Stoke worked the ball to Bojan Krkic, who found little in the way of resistance as he cantered goalwards. There were plenty of white shirts around him but most took the form of bystanders as Krkic advanced, and the former Barcelona starlet tried his luck. His shot ricocheted past Lloris.
The atmosphere began to get very tetchy, with the home support irritated at Begovic’s undisguised attempts to slow the game down to apparently protect Stoke’s lead – the keeper was booked midway through the first half. But of more serious concern was the overall disconnect inherent in the Tottenham performance. They struggled badly to show any cohesion or personality.
Stoke did not need to concern themselves with running down the clock when there were goals to be had. Having had the share of early chances, they scored again, taking up another open invitation offered by the Tottenham defence. Mame Diouf scampered up the right flank and the home backline had torn itself apart to give Jonathan Walters the freedom of the box. He steered in Diouf’s cross under all the pressure of a park kickabout.
Stoke merited their advantage. The way Krkic drifted deep to cause damage and worked so hard while he was at it was impressive. Walters and Victor Moses timed their runs from wide positions with thoughtful discipline. Behind them Steven NZonzi dominated midfield.
Pochettino made a double substitution to try to shake things up at halftime. On came Erik Lamela and Mousa Dembélé. There was a little more purpose, as Tottenham endeavoured to break through what had turned into a makeshift defence incorporating two changes (Stoke lost Phil Bardsley and Marc Wilson to first-half injuries).
Kane’s header from a Lamela free kick squirmed narrowly wide. Back came Stoke, though, as Moses wallopped in from an angle. On came Emmanuel Adebayor to team up with Kane. With a quarter of an hour to go, Tottenham crafted their first genuine threat of the second half. Lamela’s free kick was sweetly struck but Begovic responded to palm away superbly.
With so much pent-up frustration, the White Hart Lane crowd erupted when Danny Rose’s cross travelled up and over to Chadli on the opposite post, and he rifled in a volley from an improbable near-post angle.
Attempts at a full recovery were hindered when Kyle Naughton clipped Moses as the Nigerian burst clear on the break and was sent off. Steven Ireland was denied the chance to rebuild a two goal margin as Lloris tipped away.
Adebayor glanced a stoppage-time header wide and that was that. The music blasted at a staggering volume come the final whistle to drown out any audible home disappointment. Stoke’s celebrations for a first away win since August could still be heard over the din.
