One Goal, 11 Take Ons: Spurs wonderkid Lamela finally makes an impact

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 FC Sheriff

It was all about Erik Lamela on the night as Spurs made it four wins out of four as they sealed progression to the next stage of the Europa League.

Key stats

The numbers suggest it was total domination by Spurs at White Hart Lane. The home side were indeed in control as the possession statistics suggest, but Sheriff could so easily have gone ahead, particularly in the first half. They may have had just three shots on target and one blocked shot, but those were very close calls. One of them, in fact, did beat goalkeeper Brad Friedel, making it the first goal Spurs have conceded in the competition, and it could so easily have been more.

Andre Villas-Boas’ side may be comfortable in possession, but they need to remain alert at the back if they are to go all the way in this competition. There have been times, not only in this game, where they have looked vulnerable, particularly on the counter-attack.

Man of the Match

Erik Lamela has found life as a Spurs player very difficult, but he finally made a breakthrough on this day. He put in a fantastic performance, one that was justifiably capped with a goal. He was heavily involved in Spurs’ attacking play, drifting from flank to flank in order to get on the ball and attack defenders.

He caused most of his damage on the right flank where he started, however, completing an impressive haul of 11 take-on’s as he proved a real handful for left-back Djibril Paye and company. He drew seven fouls as they struggled to contain him.

His goal, though it came via a fortunate deflection, was well-taken. Actually, that fortune was deserved, one might say, given the hard time he has had thus far in England. How he won the penalty, however, was anything but fortunate; it was a product of great skill and showed that his confidence was finally at the level it should be. In the end, he earned an impressive Performance Score of 102 points. With that showing, Villas-Boas now has a huge decision to make heading into his side’s weekend home fixture with Newcastle United.

Performance Score

The Performance Score chart accurately reflects the early threat Sheriff posed. As was mentioned, they could so easily have gone ahead, given Spurs made a few mistakes at the back. At one point, Christian Eriksen even played a pass directly to his opponent, who then went on to have a shot at goal. Spurs, as the chart shows, were generally in control and narrowly prevailed, but the end result could so easily have been different on another day. Lamela, in the end, made sure his side got the result they wanted.

Key Observations

Erik Lamela recently asked fans for patience with regards to his stuttering Spurs career, and that patience was rewarded with a fabulous match-winning performance here. This could be the performance that jump-starts things for the young Argentine.

Jermain Defoe may have only scored via a penalty, but he was quite lively in front of goal, making good runs and taking decent shots. He could’ve had another goal had he made contact with Gylfi Sigurdsson‘s pinpoint cross from the right wing, but his well-taken penalty still makes him the competition’s top scorer and Spurs’ leading scorer in Europe. No doubt, he is high on confidence. Roberto Soldado is likely to start at the weekend, but Villas-Boas is surely running out of excuses as to why he should continue starting ahead of the Englishman.

Spurs continue to demonstrate their ability to dominate matches, but they must maintain concentration at the back. They could’ve easily conceded before this game. If Sheriff could breach them, stronger sides would certainly fancy their chances as they meet up later in the competition.