Spurs Aspirations Require them to Burn the Burnley's

Burnley came without great expectation of getting anything of the game, just as they have not won away from home, they also had not won in London in 13 tries in the Premier League era including 11 loses in those games.  Spurs high press game created the usual plethora of chances and par for course also continued to show the same profligacy, so when Burnley took the lead after 21 minutes, the cost of those wasted chances became that much to the fore.

It was not as if Burnley deserved the lead, more that Kyle Walker had made two bad mistakes but only got punished for one of them. The good news at this stage of the game for Spurs supporters is that there was plenty of time in the match to rectify the early goal gift given to Burnley.  Burnley could hope to dream and Spurs fans could hope not to see a nightmare.

If this was another test of character for Spurs players it should not have been and it did not take long (all of 5 minutes) before Spurs sliced through the Burnley defensive lines with swift wing play and a pinpoint cross that Delli Alli had no problem in converting just oustide the six yard box. Speed kills in terms of goalscoring when players are clinical with their finishing.

This was the kind of game that manager Mauricio Pochettino could use to blood players from the Tottenham youth team and this was why young Harry Winks got a rare start for Tottenham. Against sides that require to play a physical game, it may have been a better gamble to see if Mousa Sissoko has finally adapted to the way Spurs play.

There was a slight moment in the first half where Spurs players seemed to go off the boil and reduce their game to the level of their opponents and in the Premier League no team can be underestimated, just as Liverpool found out when Burnley beat them and Manchester United could not believe how they did not score as Burnley mounted a rear-guard action that earned them a 0-0 draw, their only points to date playing away from home.

Burnley continued to survive Tottenham onslaughts but judging by the number of shots that were off-target, it made that effort far more easier than it really should have been. When Burnley's wingers got to fizz the ball fiercely across the Tottenham backline - no Burnley forward was there to meet it, otherwise Spurs could well have trailed before the first half finished. Burnley's Tom Heaton has made more saves than any other goalkeeper but he had no idea where the ball was when Harry Kane was clean through and nearly squeezed the ball between Heaton's legs - a lucky richochet on the heel saved Heaton's blushes.

Deli Alli has not been the young player of the year he was last year, perhaps sitting out the next few games is what this prodicious talent needs. It was clear that had Spurs players been sharper and in full form, this game should have not have been a draw at half-time. The first half was summed up with another pointless shot by Victor Wanyama.

Who can teach this Tottenham team how to finish? It took 50 minutes to conclude the first half at which time Spurs knew that Manchester City were losing against Arsenal, and therefore they were at this point, a goal away for re-entering the Top 4 of the Premier League, knowing also Manchester United are marching on a winning run.

Spurs came back on the field knowing that Manchester City equalized against Arsenal, which would be a good result so long as Burnley did not walk away with points they were not expecting to take away from White Hart Lane.

Spurs continued to pin Burnley back in the second half without any effect. Such play simply adds to the notion that having majority possession in a game is not an indicator of a factor in the final result. Possession only matters if there is conversion to that possession. At 50 minutes Erikson unleashed a wicked shot which provided only a glimmer of hope that Spurs may learn that soccer is more about conversion and less about possession.

The game was in danger of becoming a dull display of keep ball, a lot of passing with toothless consequences, all the time recognizing that Burnley could fashion a rare chance that could severely dent Tottenham's grand ambitions. For a second time Lloris read the Burnley play and saved Spurs from potential embarrassment all the while the Spurs players were non-chalant until at the hour mark, Delli Alli tried to curl an equisite effort inches from creeping into the space between the cross-bar and the post.

The substitution of Dembele for Sissoko seemed like a gamble but with Dier and Wanyama in the backline, Dembele's loss needed the gain of Sissoko's physical presence, a gain that Sissoko has not often obliged and sometimes has lazily even turned into a loss. It was unclear what Sissoko added to the game but it was clear that Dembele was not a tactical switch but due to an injury Dembele sustained. With 25 minutes to go the game as fizzling out as a contest, it was unclear whether Spurs had the desire or ambition to physically challenge the Burnley team.

Kane's attempted flick on to Delli Alli was far too rich, when being technically efficient would have been more productive, the flicks and tricks make sense if they actually lead to a goal or if the team is enjoying a game that has already been done and dusted. There was nothing done or dusted about this match up and if the Tottenham management had pause for concern, it should be poured into finding new recruits who arrive both with skill and more importantly character.

On 70 minutes Spurs suddenly woke up, as Danny Rose fashioned what was a clincial finish from a difficult position at an angle. That Sissoko was involved was merely incidental but noted, even if Sissoko should have been sent off for a dangerous tackle earlier. Then Delli Alli was finally taken off for Heung Min-Son, which really should have been the starting position, and it meant that Burnley now were facing many more points of attacking threat.

Spurs had done what City had already achieved, taking a 2-1 lead. The counter-attacks began to happen and at least Sissoko was beginning to make the kind of effort that is at least a minimum expectation, though it is no where near the £30 million pound valuation Spurs paid for him. More of a concern was that Harry Kane was fairly ineffective throughout the game especially with 2-1 is always a precarious lead when the home team is no where near firing on all cylinders.

Yet today Burnley were more the architects of their own downfall, as poor crosses and Sam Vokes last minute flailing kick that proved soccer is also a game of inches and came to roost in the Cockerel spirit of Tottenham.  Spurs had won - the kind of game that was made unnecessarily difficult simply because this particular team could not burn the Burnley spirit.