Mauricio Pochettino: 'To be 2-0 down with 10 minutes to go, this was an important result for us'

Published: 22 February, 2015
by DAN CARRIER at White Hart Lane

Premier League 
SPURS 2, WEST HAM 2

SPURS completed an unlikely comeback this afternoon (Sunday) after trailing by two goals with 10 minutes remaining to earn a point against West Ham.

Spurs had been comprehensively outfought for long periods but a late goal from Danny Rose gave Mauricio Pochettino's charges hope – and it was soon followed by an injury-time equaliser by Harry Kane.

After the match, Pochettino said he had always believed his side would get something.

He said: “We were confident because we trust our players to never give up.

“We showed character, personality and good energy.”

He said he believed West Ham's opening goal on 22 minutes was against the run of play and dented his side's confidence for a spell. 

He added: “The team had been nervous in the way they managed the ball and they found it hard to find their natural way to play. It was hard on them at half-time. To be 2-0 down with 10 minutes to go, this was an important result for us.”

Pochettino, conscious of fatigue with a Europa League tie against Fiorentina on Thursday, and then Chelsea at Wembley in seven days' time, rested Christian Eriksen and played Mousa Dembele in the hole behind the frontman. It was a tactical switch that did not work.

Spurs looked nervous, with their inverted wingers Erik Lamela and Andros Townsend frequently running into claret and blue walls. 

The West Ham opener came after Dembele got in a tangle and conceded possession. A swift cross from Aaron Cresswell saw Cheikhou Kouyate leap highest to plant a firm header past the despairing dive of Hugo Lloris. 

At the other end, Mason tried to make amends and went close from distance, while Rose could only guide his header on to the roof of the net. 

At half-time, with Spurs desperately short of ideas against a well organised West Ham team, Pochettino rolled the dice and threw on Eriksen for the ineffective Dembele. But the Dane, who so often this season has rescued his team-mates, failed to stamp any quality on the proceedings. 

On 62 minutes, Tottenham's inability to clear their lines saw Diafra Sakho thump home from an angle to double the visitors' lead. West Ham's physical presence and simple football saw them win the 50-50 battles and, when Spurs were in possession, they lacked the confidence to create genuine chances. 

On 74 minutes, after their first genuine spell of pressure, Kane finished from close range but was judged to be offside. Eriksen then sent a curling free-kick goalwards but Hammers keeper Adrian was equal to it. 

It seemed Sam Allardyce's team was going to put a serious dent in Tottenham's pre-cup final confidence – until the game swung dramatically in the home team's favour. On 83 minutes, a poorly cleared corner fell for Danny Rose and he drove the ball back in. It took a bounce and spun past the keeper to set up a grandstand finale. 

Substitute Roberto Soldado nearly levelled things with a vicious volley that brought a superb one-handed stop from Adrian. 

Then, as the referee checked his watch, Eriksen and Kane combined and, as the striker shaped to shoot, he got shoved over. Kane's firm spot-kick was parried by Adrian but he'd had the nous to follow up and grab an unlikely equaliser.

It was undeserved – but could be a vital point as the run-in approaches. 

SPURS: Lloris, Walker, Rose, Vertonghen, Lamela, Dier, Townsend (Soldado, 59), Kane, Dembele (Eriksen, 45), Mason (Chadli, 79), Bentaleb.
Subs: Vorm, Soldado, Fazio, Chadli, Eriksen, Stambouli, Davies.  

SPURS COMMENT by Dan Carrier

THE worrying loss of form since the trampling of Arsenal does not bode well for next Sunday's League Cup Final. Too many players had off days and a loss and two draws in the last three games shows how things have gone off the boil.

Christian Eriksen was dropped, and rightly so, as the Danish playmaker has looked knackered. Spurs missed his threat but worryingly, his second-half performance of misplaced passes and ponderous dribbling did not suggest his sticky patch is over.

Danny Rose could walk off with his head held high. His goal was not graceful, but it was the product of being in the right place at the right time. He worked hard.

Poor Roberto Soldado. His one genuine chance saw him launch a super volley that had goal written all over it – but Adrian decided it was time to pull off a worldie of a save.