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Former Liverpool right-back Steve Nicol has slammed Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier for his error that led to Brentford's second goal.
The two teams clashed in their first Premier League game after the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Monday (December 26(. The Bees took a lead inside 20 minutes at the Brentford Community Stadium through Vitaly Janelt, who forced a rebound into an empty net.
Just as Spurs looked to mount a comeback, they found themselves down by two in the 54th minute. Poor marking from a corner allowed Ivan Toney to convert a flick-on and double his team's advantage.
While Dier wasn't at fault for the goal, he had conceded the set-piece after a sliced clearance under little pressure. That brought the Tottenham centre-back criticism fron Liverpool legend Nicol, who told ESPN (as quoted by TBR Football):
“It’s a lack of composure. You always hear us talking about strikers when they’re going through on goal, looking to have composure, pick a spot. And defenders have to do similar things when they’re making clearances. They have to be composed.”
He added:
“They can’t panic and have a wild swing. Because that’s exactly what Dier’s done. It’s just a wild swing. A guy that was at the World Cup. I mean, seriously? It’s a horrible, horrible decision.”
It was certainly a step back for Eric Dier, who had previously impressed under Antonio Conte. In fact, it was his upturn in form under the Italian that saw him make England's 2022 FIFA World Cup squad.
Overall, the Englishman put in a decent performance against Brentford. He ended the game with two clearances, an interception and a tackle. Dier was superb with his passing, completing 91% of his attempts to find a teammate and also recording a key pass.
Tottenham Hotspur rescue point against Brentford with yet another comeback
Tottenham Hotspur have gained a reputation for coming from behind in the Premier League this season. Spurs have endured multiple flat and bland first halves before upping the ante after the break. That was the case against Brentford on Monday too, as Antonio Conte's men truly woke up only after going 2-0 down.
Harry Kane halved the deficit in the 65th minute with a superb header from Clement Lenglet's cross. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg then brought them level six minutes later with a smart finish from Dejan Kulusevski's deflected cut-back.
Kane went on to hit the crossbar with another header late on as Tottenham hunted a late winner. They have now picked up 14 points from losing positions in the Premier League this term, more than any other team.
