Tottenham Hotspur’s European season came to an abrupt end after losing to Gent in a 2-2 draw at Wembley Stadium on Thursday. Christian Eriksen scored the first goal of the game ten minutes into the game followed by Harry Kane’s own goal which led to Spurs total loss of control which in turn led to Dele Alli’s deserved red card. Victor Wanyama scored another goal, igniting Spurs hope but this was dampened by Jeremy Perbert’s equalizer. Tottenham loss gave clarification to three things.
Hope of Europa League title lost
The European qualification did not come easy for Tottenham but despite the effort put into the campaign, it’s been disappointing. Their failure to finish in the top two of their Champions League group saw them shipped to the Europa League and now that has also come to an end. The match with Gent which led to Spurs exit was adequately prepared for but luck was just not on their side. Some supporters have claimed the reason for the loss was because the match was at Wembley Stadium but that is not a viable excuse. The whole of their next season match will be played there, but now it is unlikely they would finish in the top four.
Dele Alli needs more discipline
Alli’s bad temperament has overshadowed his talent.Last season, he got banned for three matches after he had a clash with West Bromwich Albion’s Claudio Yacob and after that, he has been booked several times. This time he was sent off the pitch for a horror challenge against Gent’s Dejaegree which could have resulted in broken limbs and he again faces the possibility of being banned for another four games. He needs to be cautioned before his action cost the club bigger opportunities.
Janssen’s exit from the club looming
Vincent Janssen joined the club last summer from AZ for a fee of £17 million. He was brought in as a substitute for Harry Kane but he has not measured up to the English man. Jassen has only scored one Premier League goal and he does not seem to be improving. His under performance has made Pochettino overlook him, he was brought in too late into the Thursday match to make any impact. Another substitute would have to be found for Kane.