Aaron Lennon suffered a hamstring injury in the win over Inter Milan

Published: 8 March, 2013
by DAN CARRIER at White Hart Lane

Europa League
SPURS 3, INTER MILAN 0

THE euphoria over a comprehensive 3-0 mauling of Inter Milan last night (Thursday) has been tempered for Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas by a potentially season-ending injury for flying winger Aaron Lennon.

Lennon, who has been in magnificent form this term, felt his hamstring tighten and was subbed off in the second period of the Europa Cup first leg tie at the Lane.

He is having a scan on the injury today and may not be selected in Sunday's Premier League game away at Liverpool.

It was a cloud in what was otherwise a sunny evening for a rampant Spurs side, now unbeaten since the beginning of December.

Boss AVB has wanred that despite Tottenham's domination, they still had a tricky tie away at the San Siro next week to confirm their spot in the Europa League quarter-finals.

He said: “It was a great European night. After we beat Lyon there was a buzz in the dressing room to play an opponent of this dimension, and we managed to have a great performance. 

"The players pressed hard and caused Inter lots of problems. We had some good chances and could have made it 2-0 even earlier.

"The tie hasn’t finished yet. We still have to go there, a difficult stadium with all their experience, and everything can still change. It’s a difficult place to go so we have to make sure we are competent and book our place in the last eight.”

He also highlighted the contribution of Icelandic winger Gylfi Sigurdsson, who has stepped into the side and showed why Spurs were so keen to capture his signature in the close season. 

In the past three games, he has hit a vital goal against West Ham, ran Arsenal ragged and both provided a cross for the opener and scored another himself against Inter Milan.

AVB added: “It was a tremendous performance from Gylfi. One of the reasons we brought him to the club was his goalscoring ability and he’s found his finishing touch now.”

It took Gareth Bale just five minutes to hit his 10th goal in eight games, flicking a well-placed header from a Sigurdsson cross into the net.

The Icelander grabbed a second midway through the first half when he reacted quickest to a Jermain Defoe effort the Inter keeper couldn't hold.

Spurs were coasting and created chance after chance. However, it wasn't until the second period when Jan Vertonghen rose to meet a Gareth Bale corner that the third went in, setting the team up nicely for the second leg in seven days' time.

SPURS COMMENT by Dan Carrier

LAST season, the grace, balance, power and creative vision of Gylfi Sigurdsson in the heart of an attractive Swansea side sent the big guns scampering to Wales waving cheque books. Spurs, having lost Luka Modric and VDV, were in the market for an attacking midfielder and it seemed Gylfi could be the answer. Beating off Liverpool, Spurs secured his services: and then it all went wrong.

He found it hard to show the form required to get into the first team regularly. He was unlucky when he did get a sniff of action, and with only cameo sub roles, it was hard for him to get that rhythm needed.

Then when Lewis Holtby, who plays a similar game to Gylfi, joined in January it seemed perhaps that the Icelander's spell at Spurs would be Pienaar-esque and end in May.

But, instead, Holtby's arrival seems to have galvanised him. He came on against West Ham and provided the fresh legs and ammunition to win the game. He was rampant against Arsenal and then again last night he was at the heart of all that was good.

With a tough run-in, having Gylfi hitting form is like having a new signing, and could be key to winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League next season.

Spurs: Friedel, Walker, Assou-Ekotto, Vertoinghen, Gallas, Parker, Sigurdsson, Dembele, Lennon, Bale, Defoe.
Attendance: 34,353