Two-goal Son Heung-Min tightened Tottenham’s grip on a top-four place and served notice to Juventus that they are not facing the Harry Kane team.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side are at home to the the Italian giants in the second leg of their Champions League tie on Wednesday.
They warmed up for the showdown by dominating Huddersfield from start to finish. Son and Kane had chances to score before the deadlock was broken while Christian Eriksen hit the post from a free-kick.
So netted after racing onto a defence-splitting pass from Dele Alli in the 27th minute. The South Korean rounded keeper Jonas Lossl before scuffing his effort into the bottom corner.
(Image: AFP)
(Image: PA)
(Image: AFP)
Son doubled Tottenham’s advantage nine minutes into the second half, picking his spot with a header from a peach of a cross from Kane.
The victory means Spurs have still only been beaten just once in the league and twice all season at Wembley - despite suggestions early in the campaign that a failure to adjust could cost them their top-four place.
(Image: Action Images via Reuters)
(Image: Getty Images Europe)
(Image: Action Images via Reuters)
The defeat for Huddersfield ended their bid for a hat-trick of league wins after their victories against Bournemouth and West Brom. They now sit 13th in the table, four points off 18th-placed Crystal Palace.
They now host Swansea next weekend while Spurs go to Bournemouth.
Spurs found the perfect opponents to help them prepare for the Champions League visit of Juventus next week. Please don’t misunderstand that. It is not meant to convey the impression that Huddersfield resemble Juventus too closely in any way. They do not play a similar style or pose a similar threat. They are, sadly for Huddersfield, hardly doppelgangers.
It is just David Wagner’s relegation-threatened side did very little to extend Tottenham before the biggest match of their season at Wembley on Wednesday. This was the kind of football-as-siege type of game that we have seen so often in matches between sides at opposite ends of the table this season. The phrase ‘routine victory’ was made for it.
The only surprise, really, was that Harry Kane did not score and join Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry as the only players in Premier League history to have scored 25 league goals in three consecutive seasons. That landmark can wait. It will come soon enough. As soon as the match was over, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino turned his thoughts to the second leg tie with Juventus.
Tottenham claimed another vital three points in their hunt for Champions League football as they beat Huddersfield 2-0
Son Heung-min put Spurs in front in the 27th minute as he latched on to a stunning through ball by team-mate Dele Alli
After rounding Jonas Loessl in the Huddersfield goal, the South Korea steadied himself before firing into the far corner
Christopher Schindler attempted to make a last ditch effort to keep the ball out but Son found a way past the defender
The South Korean then doubled his side's lead early on in the second half with a delightful, looping header
PLAYER RATINGS, LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE Spurs (4-2-3-1): Lloris 7, Aurier 6, Sanchez 6, Vertonghen 7, Davies 6; Dier 6, Dembele 6 (Sissoko 77, 5); Son 8 (Lamela 5, 70), Alli 6 (Moura 81, 6), Eriksen 8.5; Kane 7 Subs not used: Trippier, Rose, Wanyama, Vorm Goals: Son 27, 54 Bookings: Alli Huddersfield (4-4-2): Lossl 7, Hadergjonaj 5, Zanka 5, Schindler 4, Kongolo 5; Quaner 5 (Ince 33, 6), Williams 6, Hogg 5 (Depoitre 81, 5), Van La Parra 5; Pritchard 5 (Billing 45, 5), Mounie 6 Subs not used: Smith, Malone, Lowe, Green Goals: None Bookings: Hogg Referee: Kevin Friend 5 Man of the Match: Eriksen Attendance: 68,311 Season at a glance Live tables
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Harry Kane floated a stunning cross to Son Heung-min, who headed back across goal to make it 2-0 to Spurs. For more from our Match Zone, click here. Tottenham Hotspur(4:2:3:1): Lloris 7 – Aurier 6, Sanchez 6, Vertonghen 7, Davies 6 – Dier 6, Dembele 6(Sissoko 77 5) – Son 8(Lamela 5 70), Alli 6(Moura 81 6), Eriksen 8.5 – Kane 7. Huddersfield Town(4:4:2): Lossl 7 – Hadergjonaj 5, Zanka 5, Schindler 4, Kongolo 5 – Quaner 5(Ince 33 6), Williams 6, Hogg 5(Depoitre 81 5), Van La Parra 5 – Pritchard 5(Billing 45 5), Mounie 6. Referee: Kevin Friend 5. Man of the match: Eriksen. Attendance: 68,311.
‘It’s a game of football and our approach will be the same as we approached the game in Turin,’ Pochettino said. ‘You need to feel happy, you need to feel free. It’s a football game and we’re going to enjoy it.
‘It’s important, it’s a massive competition, but we fought a lot in the last few years to try to be there and go to play these types of games. I am always positive and it is up to the players to show me their quality.’
Someone pointed out to Pochettino after the match that the victory was his 100th league win in charge of Spurs. ‘Is that good?’ Pochettino asked. He was told he had achieved it in the same number of matches as Kenny Dalglish. Pochettino beamed about that. ‘Kenny Dalglish is a legend,’ he said. ‘I’m only a simple man.’
Spurs are likely to need a goal from Kane when it matters on Wednesday. Against Huddersfield, he was content with turning provider for Son Heung-Min, who played superbly and scored both Tottenham goals. Kane’s pass for Son’s second goal was breathtakingly good. ‘Unbelievable cross,’ Wagner said later.
The best player on the pitch once again, though, was Christian Eriksen whose range and accuracy of passing was a delight to behold. He is the man who makes this team tick. He is the man who sees things other can’t. He is the man who has the ability to unlock the tightest defences.
Harry Kane played a stunning cross to the back post towards Son, who guided the ball back across goal and past Loessl
Son has now been directly involved in 13 goals in his last 11 Premier League appearances at Spurs' home for this season
Son could not help but celebrate with Kane after the duo combined to seal all three points for Tottenham
As Spurs camped out in the Huddersfield half and the game became merely a matter of how many goals the home team would score, thoughts inevitably wandered to Wednesday’s game and to next season and what Tottenham need to do to make a stronger challenge for the title.
Keeping hold of Eriksen, Kane, Alli and Son has to be top of their list and their wage structure makes it far from certain they will be able to achieve that. If they can, then this is a Spurs team that has the capability to win the league and improve on the third position they found themselves in after this victory.
The result did at least put them 13 points clear of north London rivals Arsenal, another reason for the pressure building on Arsene Wenger, and tightened their grip on a Champions League place for next season. The way they played against a Huddersfield side that offered very little suggested they are getting stronger and stronger.
After an early run by Son, which turned into a bewitching dribble past half the Huddersfield team, Spurs nearly opened the scoring within five minutes. The ball was played wide to Kane and his cross-shot just eluded Alli, who was hurtling in at the far post. A minute later, the roles were reversed: Alli’s cross was too strong for the stretching Kane, who was in space in the area.
Tottenham were utterly dominant and went close to breaking the deadlock again after 16 minutes. Son, who was revelling in the space given to him by the visiting defence, fooled Hadergjonaj with a beautiful turn and curled in a cross for Kane. Kane met it at the near post and steered it goalwards with his right foot only to be denied by the legs of Lossl.
A minute later, Hadergjonaj leapt to try to block an Eriksen free kick but it cannoned off his head, wrong-footing Lossl, and hit the outside of the post. Huddersfield, hovering uneasily three points above the relegation zone, were living dangerously and midway through the half, the inevitable happened.
The Wembley crowd looks on in expectation as Christian Eriksen attempts to bend a free kick into the back of the net
Dele Alli is closely marked by Schindler in the Huddersfield box as the Spurs man tries to create something in attack
Kane played a crucial role in Son's second goal but was unable to add to his tally of Premier League goals during the game
David Wagner barks instructions at his team after being unhappy with their abject display during the game at Wembley
Huddersfield gave away possession from a throw in deep in the Spurs half and Spurs broke with lightning speed. Kane chested the ball down for Alli and when he spread it to the left, Son had the freedom of Wembley. He took the ball round Lossl and when Schindler tried to cover on the line, Son drove it across him and into the opposite corner.
Spurs were denied a penalty soon after the break when Son was wrestled, rather comically, to the ground by the prone figure of Terence Kongolo. VAR would have corrected that clear and obvious error by Kevin Friend and it would also have spotted that Son was offside when he received the ball but you will not hear that from its opponents.
After substitute Tom Ince had drawn a fine save out of Lloris with a stinging drive, Son achieved a measure of justice when he ran on to a brilliant cross from Kane and headed the bouncing ball across Lossl and into the net for his second goal to put Spurs 2-0 up.
Kane gets plenty of plaudits for his goalscoring but his all-round contributions are sometimes overlooked. With his hold-up play and the kind of vision that allowed him to pick out Son for Spurs’ second, he is close to being the complete centre forward.
Ten minutes from the end, Kane had his best chance of the game. Eriksen picked him out perfectly, and Kane met the ball on the volley but mishit his shot and it dribbled wide. A rather sterner test, for him and his team, lies ahead on Wednesday.
Spurs felt they should have been given a penalty early in the second half after Terence Kongolo grabbed Son's leg in the box
Michael Jones was due to be refereeing the game but injured his calf during the warm up and had to sit down as fourth official
After a call to the crowd for a qualified referee, somebody stepped forward but Jones opted to hobble on to do the duties
Bitter cold conditions did not put too many fans off attending the game with this supporter using her Spurs scarf for warmth
LONDON, KOMPAS.com - Tottenham Hotspur memangkas selisih poin dengan Manchester United yang berada di posisi kedua klasemen sementara Premier League - kasta teratas Liga Inggris. Dua tim itu kini hanya berjarak satu angka.
Tottenham Hotspur menang 2-0 atas Huddersfield Town pada pertandingan pekan ke-29 Premier League di Stadion Wembley, Sabtu (3/3/2018). Son Heung-min memborong dua gol kemenangan Tottenham pada laga tersebut.
Son Heung-min membuka kemenangan tuan rumah pada menit ke-27. Lewat sebuah serangan balik cepat, Son menyelesaikan umpan Dele Alli seusai memenangi duel satu lawan satu dengan kiper Jonas Lossl.
(Baca juga: 5 Gelandang Bertahan Terbaik di Liga Inggris, Salah Satunya Baru 21 Tahun )
Pemain asal Korea Selatan itu menggandakan keunggulan timnya pada menit ke-54. Kali ini, dia sukses mencetak gol via sundulan memanfaatkan umpan silang Harry Kane.
Hasil ini menambah koleksi poin Tottenham menjadi 58 angka. Mereka tertinggal satu poin dari Manchester United yang berada di peringkat kedua.
Manchester United baru akan bertanding melawan Crystal Palace pada Senin (5/3/2018) atau Selasa dini hari WIB. Posisi puncak klasemen saat ini diisi oleh Manchester City dengan 75 angka.
Kemenangan dan tambahan tiga poin ini juga menjadi kado spesial bagi pelatih Tottenham, Mauricio Pochettino. Pelatih asal Argentina itu baru saja berulang tahun ke-46, sehari menjelang laga.
(Baca juga: Tottenham Hotspur Vs Huddersfield Town - Kado Spesial untuk Mauricio Pochettino )
Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Huddersfield Town ( Son Heung-Min 27', 54')
Tottenham Hotspur : 1-Hugo Lloris, 5-Jan Vertonghen, 6-Davinson Sanchez, 33-Ben Davies, 24-Serge Aurier, 20-Dele Alli (27-Lucas Moura 83'), 15-Eric Dier, 19-Mousa Dembele (17-Moussa Sissoko 83'), 10-Harry Kane, 7-Son Heung-Min (11-Erik Lamela 70'), 23-Christian Eriksen
Huddersfield Town : 1-Jonas Lossl, 26-Christopher Schindler, 25-Zanka, 5-Terence Kongolo, 33-Florent Hadergjonaj, 21-Alex Pritchard (8-Philip Billing 45'+1), 19-Daniel Williams, 6-Jonathan Hogg, 24-Steve Mounie, 17-Rajiv van La Parra, 23-Collin Quaner (22-Tom Ince 33')
The ease with which Spurs won this match might suggest a run-of-the-mill win. But the quality Mauricio Pochettino’s side displayed, in his 100th victory as a Premier League manager, does not deserve to go unremarked upon. Spurs are purring right now, and Juventus should be worried as they approach their Champions League decider on Wednesday.
A goal from Son Heung-min in each half was the bare minimum the hosts deserved from their 17th consecutive match unbeaten. It was not a lead they ever looked like giving up either, even at 1-0, as attacking prowess was matched by defensive power.
Huddersfield, for their part, were far too meek, clearly struggling to believe they could get anything from the game. Such an assumption was probably correct, but it does not reflect well on David Wagner’s men. Their submission was certainly a compliment to Tottenham, however, and shows that Wembley is no longer an advantage for away teams.
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“I’m happy with a very professional performance,” Pocchetino said after the match. “Our objective was to win three points and we did that. We are in the league table fighting, and in the battle for the top four. I am so pleased with the fantastic run we are on. The fact we can now say Wembley is our home is so important for the team. Playing here last season was a strange feeling but now, both for the fans and for us, it feels like our home. The results here are positive.”
Pochettino picked what many consider his strongest side for this match, despite the imminent confrontation with the Italian champions. Partly a reflection of the competitive nature of the league table, it likely also shows his faith in preferred players to get the job done efficiently. With Son’s goals coming in the 28th and 54th minutes, the game was decided soon enough for the manager to give some of his players a rest.
Both goals were of the highest quality. They also conformed to a similar pattern; advanced Huddersfield possession being disrupted and then converted at the other end in the blink of an eye. Rajiv van La Parra was dispossessed by Christian Eriksen for the first goal, the Dane then poking the ball to Eric Dier. He chipped a pass forward to Harry Kane, who chested down to Dele Alli, who split the defence with a pass to Son, who rounded Jonas Lössl and then finished inside the far post. It was absolutely perfect.
La Parra was the culpable party for the second goal, too. This time the Dutchman was forced into a misplaced pass by Alli, and the ball was pushed forward to Kane just inside the Huddersfield half. The forward took a touch or two out of his feet then whipped a cross fully 35 yards to the back post where Son, running in, headed it home on the bounce. It was only the South Korean’s second headed goal for Spurs and his celebration seemed somewhat muted by shock.
Wagner called Kane’s cross “unbelievable”, and was as verbally in awe of his opponents as his team were physically. Wagner did try to affect the game, replacing the winger Collin Quaner after just half an hour. Quaner, who had been forced into playing as a second full-back in a defensive line of six, threw his gloves on the floor as he stormed off.
“At the end we have to say this was a deserved defeat‚” Wagner said. “We were defeated by quality. We’ve tried to confront them with effort, attitude and fighting spirit but this was not enough. For the second goal we had half a clearcut half-chance, then made a misplaced pass. Then there was an unbelievable pass from Harry Kane and they scored. That says everything about the teams that met today.
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On Quaner’s reaction to being taken off, Wagner added: “Collin was angry about his performance: he had every reason to be. But he is human. Today wasn’t his day and this is why I reacted.”
Spurs have not lost since their December defeat at Manchester City. Their form has also been continually improving during that time. Their attacking play is now that bit faster, that bit more assertive than in the opening half of the season.
Pochettino now appears to be timing things exceptionally well, but he is not one to get carried away. When told that his record of 100 wins from 197 Premier League games is equal to that of Kenny Dalglish, the Argentine replied with a smile: “Kenny Dalglish is a legend, but I am only a simple man.”
