Another game, another match where we have dropped points as our hopes for Champions League football get further and further away and the League Cup Final creeps ever closer.
Two volleys from Harry Kane thanks to his tremendous technique and quick reactions salvaged a draw for Spurs, but the pressure remains on Jose Mourinho to help the team to a strong finish. Here are five things we learned from the game
1.Live by Kane, die by Kane
⚽️ Harry Kane moved to 7th in the PL top scorers list tonight – only 2 players have scored more away PL goals
94 Rooney
87 Shearer
86 Kane pic.twitter.com/4F99JWczcI— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) April 16, 2021
Kane is the last person Everton would want to see with the ball unmarked six-yards from goal taking his Premier League goal tally to 20 for the season.
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📲 Download the @SkySports app! pic.twitter.com/CeF36v1qkI— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 16, 2021
If there is one thing we know for sure, it is we cannot afford to lose Kane and not replace him with not only a competent striker, but invest significantly in other areas of the team as right now, were being carried by one individual on a mission to salvage anything he can from a below-average season. Two volleys against the run of play from Kane was enough for Spurs to scrape a point, and it was further proof that if we lose him this summer, we could be in big trouble next year. Hopefully the injury he suffered at the end of the game won’t keep him out of the final next week.
2. Reguilon’s recent woes
The recent run of form from left-back Sergio Reguilon has been particularly concerning, as it has been a while since we have seen him turn in a solid performance or at least one without any mistakes. Yesterday, he gave away a particularly soft penalty which shouldn’t have been awarded, but disregarding that he had a tough time on the left-hand side and looked lacking of confidence.
3. Ndombele can’t always be relied upon
Ndombélé (one of the most in-demand midfielders in Europe at Lyon),Reguilón (started the season at a higher level), Dele, Bergwijn (26 G/A season at 21 years old) & Lo Celso (just had a 22 G/A season at Betis) are all younger players who’s developments have stalled under Mourinho
— Premier League Panel (@PremLeaguePanel) April 16, 2021
A very poor game from Tanguy Ndombele by his standards, where he failed to have an effect on the game and was particularly poor in the final third. He struggled to get past his man as he usually does and also had the opportunity to score in the second half but he failed to create enough space and his shot was deflected away for a corner. We wanted him to be the creative spark, but he just didn’t have that energy and accuracy with his passing.
4. Hojbjerg struggles against Everton again
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s two worst performances in a Spurs shirt have arguably both came against Carlo Ancelotti’s team as he struggled on his debut and during the game yesterday too. On both occasions he looked a little clumsy, unconfident and off the pace, and getting a yellow card so early on yesterday didn’t help him at all.
5. Alderweireld and Rodon to remain permanent fixture
The fact that Joe Rodon, a 23-year-old centre half plucked from a Championship club in a transfer window where the league had already started and in his rookie PL season, is now the only CB we can trust speaks volumes about where this team is right now.
— chris. (@spurslogic_) April 11, 2021
If Toby Alderweireld doesn't start tonight, Mourinho should be fired before kick off.
— Trevor Bissouma (@Trevorlloyd92) April 16, 2021
The two best central defenders currently at the club seem to be Joe Rodon and Toby Alderweireld, as the Welshman continues to put in solid and encouraging performances while the experienced Belgian returned to the side and looked assured in defence. They joined Eric Dier in a back three, but the Englishman who once played on-loan for Everton from Sporting Lisbon did not close down Seamus Coleman quick enough as the right-back picked out Gylfi Sigurdsson for the second goal. Back three does not seem like the right way forward, but Rodon next to Alderweireld does.