A controversial late equaliser from Dele Alli prevented Watford from securing their first ever league win away at Spurs as the two sides played out a 1-1 draw in Game Week 9.
Defeat against the league’s bottom dwellers would’ve been almost catastrophic for Spurs, but instead it was the visitors who felt that they had been unjustly denied three points by VAR at the final whistle.
In an indication of the state of things at the TH Stadium, Pochettino opted to begin with a 5-3-2, effectively mirroring Quique Sanchez Flores’ formation. It felt overtly defensive against the 20th ranked side in the league , but Pochettino felt it was required as the Lilywhites had conceded 10 goals in the two games in the buildup to this fixture. Spurs’ form since February has been borderline relegation like, with fears that the players simply don’t have the energy to implement the Argentine’s demanding tactics.
Despite losing Danny Welbeck to injury early, it was Watford who took the lead. Some shocking defending from Spurs allowed Abdoulaye Doucoure to fire home, and the visitors were ahead in the 6th minute of the game.
Spurs were lacklustre in the first half, with Watford, donning their navy change kit, making most of the play. The Hornets, who had signed a revolutionary shirt deal last month- another in the growing list of clubs associated with the gambling industry, as seen on CasinoGuide, had a close penalty shout denied, with VAR ruling that Vertonghen’s foul on Gerard Deulofeu was not enough to overturn Chris Kavanagh’s original on-field decision.
Spurs were booed off at the interval by their own fans, and it forced Pochettino into a half-time substitution, bringing on Heung-Son Min at the expense of Davinson Sanchez. The Korean almost had an instant impact, with his fierce shot hitting the woodwork.
The next best chances both fell to Watford, with Welbeck’s replacement Deulofeu central in both moves. In the first one, on the counter, he squared to Pereyra, whose shot took a deflection off a Spurs defender. On another occasion, the Spaniard danced his way into the box, but his attempt to curl the ball into the top corner misfired.
Spurs became more desperate as time ticked on, and finally got the equaliser they craved in the 85th minute. A mix up between Kiko Femenia and Ben Foster saw Dele Alli capitalise. After a lengthy VAR referral, the goal was allowed, although there were complaints from the Watford bench about a handball from Alli and a potential foul from Harry Kane on Christian Kabasele in the lead up to the goal, not too unlike the Lindelof Origi incident. There was a bit of confusion, with the stadium screens initially flashing a “no goal” sign!
Spurs’ away form has been dreadful, and four of their next five games are on the road, including trips to Anfield and Belgrade. This represents a crucial month for Pochettino, and it could decide whether Spurs will continue to challenge for honours, or be forced to settle for mid table mediocrity this season.
Spurs’ next five fixtures
Liverpool v Spurs
Everton v Spurs
Red Star v Spurs
Spurs v Sheff Utd
West Ham v Spurs