Watford were unable to hold on and complete the double against Tottenham, as the home team turned the game around in the final ten minutes thanks to goals from Son Heung-min and Fernando Llorente.
It was a familiar scene for Tottenham, at least in the first half, when they dominated possession but lacked creative flair in the final third. Watford may have scored against the run of play, but you can’t say they didn’t deserve it.
Spurs’ shaky defending was the prime culprit for Craig Cathcart’s tap-in, not to mention Hugo Lloris’ decision to wander around the box as the corner came in.
But Tottenham were galvanised in the second half when Lucas Moura was introduced off the bench. Watford held back and defended well for 35 minutes, but Son finally broke through with ten minutes remaining, smashing the ball past a helpless Ben Foster.
For the second league match in a row, Spurs won the tie in the dying embers, and it was Llorente who nodded home this time – a relief for the Spaniard who missed a couple of sitters earlier in proceedings.
Son’s return bringing a shift in intensity
Although Tottenham left it until the second half to score – which has been the case on a number of occasions since Harry Kane’s absence through injury – the hosts definitely looked more dangerous in the first half than they have done in recent fixtures, and perhaps this is due to the return of Spurs’ talisman, Son Heung-min.
The South Korean showed his skill throughout the game and linked up very well with Llorente, which is good news for Pochettino and Spurs fans alike. He was not afraid to shoot either, something that his colleagues have not been so eager to attempt on previous occasions.
His no-nonsense finish to equalise indicates the level of confidence he possesses at present, even after a disappointing exit from the Asian Cup with his national team. Tottenham are glad to have him back in north London, that’s for sure.
Watford missing Doucoure
The Hornets have been forced to play the last two games without their star man in midfield, the consequence being a dip in chances created and a decline in attacking threat. Before Doucoure picked up an injury to his knee, Watford were a severe attacking threat regardless of who they played against, often dominating matches concerning chances created.
Even on a day when Spurs were far from their clinical best, Watford certainly fell short on the attacking front – only creating one shot on target throughout the ninety minutes.
In a defensive midfield role, Doucoure acts as an initiator in Watford’s slick attacks, picking out simple but effective passes, as well as transitioning play forward out of tight situations. The Hornets suffered from the Frenchman’s absence on Wednesday but, if luck is on their side, they will have the 26-year-old back in time for their game at Brighton on Saturday.
Llorente beginning to fit in
Amongst some pretty dreadful moments from Spurs’ replacement striker, Fernando Llorente has started to demonstrate his worth in a dented Tottenham team. Yes, he’s scored an own goal and missed two golden opportunities, but the 33-year-old held the ball up well in Watford’s half in a way that resembles Harry Kane’s style of play.
On top of this, he showcased a couple of neat flick-ons to teammates, and over the last few games, he has put in an admirable amount of effort. It seems that Llorente is working hard to prove that Pochettino’s faith in the backup striker is warranted.
But perhaps most importantly of all, the Spaniard is scoring goals – something that previous backup strikers Vincent Janssen and Roberto Soldado found particularly troubling. Scoring is the most basic thing you can ask of a forward, but Llorente has shown that losing Kane is not as disastrous as it initially appeared.
Deulofeu not used effectively
Deulofeu has been another one of Watford’s key players this season, but the forward was disappointingly ineffective on the night and found himself offside on several occasions. However, this may not have necessarily been the Spaniard’s fault, and instead his blistering runs were not spotted soon enough.
Although Deulofeu has been able to show real quality from his time in the Premier League, sometimes you can’t help but feel that he hasn’t reached his full potential at Everton or Watford. Of course, when the Hornets are in full flow Deulofeu is a vital part of a fluid attacking side, but isn’t always on the same wavelength as the rest of his teammates.
The 24-year-old has only three goals and three assists this season and has had inconsistent runs of form throughout the campaign. If Watford can find a reliable way to utilise Deulofeu’s unquestionable talent, then they may be favourites to claim seventh place and the possibility of European football next season.
Are Spurs still in with a shout for the title?
A strange set of midweek results has seen Spurs move to within seven points of Liverpool, two points of Manchester City and seven points clear of Chelsea and Arsenal. After a nightmare weekend that ushered Tottenham out of two cups, another Premier League win will certainly have lifted the fans’ spirits.
We are now at a point of the season where confidence becomes a massive factor for the top teams. Manchester City and Liverpool will have suffered a slight shock after the midweek games, whereas Spurs have done pretty well despite missing multiple key players.
Out of the top three, the Lilywhites probably have the most promising run of forthcoming fixtures, and if they can avoid dropping points, it’s possible that they can close the gap even further throughout February. The only issue is that Spurs’ recent victories have been far from convincing and Pochettino will hope that his somewhat makeshift team has started to gel after a testing second half of January.
Man of the Match – Danny Rose
A player who possibly went under the radar during this fixture, Spurs’ left-back exploited a lot of space down the left-hand side and was key in his team’s response in the second half.
