The Italian Job

I should preface this article by apologising for the relative lack of prolific writing on my part - in truth, I've gone missing more than Mesut Ozil in a big game - but I'm back now, and ready to analyse our recent successes.

Who would have thought that last month, we would be sitting here discussing an unbeaten run against four top teams, claiming the scalps of Man United and Arsenal while salvaging a result in tricky away games at Liverpool and Juventus. Even the most optimistic of fans would have been hard pressed calling an unbeaten run coming off the back of those fixtures, but Pochettino's plans seem to be coming to fruition, capped off superbly by a mature display at European juggernauts Juventus. The Italians had been two-time finalists in the previous three years, so it was no mean feat to dominate them in their own backyard. After a difficult opening ten minutes to the game, we settled down and turned in one of the most mature and all-round captivating performances I have ever seen from a Spurs side.

Going into any big game, as I remember saying before Liverpool, you have to concentrate right from the first whistle. Of course, in that fixture, Eric Dier's unforunate back-pass had us behind inside the opening three minutes. You would think we would have learned our lesson for this game, but you would sadly have been mistaken. It took just two minutes for Jan Vertonghen's sloppy pass into midfield to cause us to lose possession, and when Mousa Dembele fouling Pjanic, the Bosnian's resulting freekick found Higuain to make it 1-0. Amateurish all round, to be quite honest, and just the opposite of the start we needed. Things did not exactly get easier, either, as Ben Davies was caught out by Bernadeschi's blindside run and the Welshman inadvertently fouled the midfielder. Higuain coolly made it a two goal cushion for the hosts, and our fans were beginning to kiss the Champions League dream goodbye. You are forgiven for wanting a refund for your return leg ticket - I jested with @SpursOfficial that I should be given my money back - but what followed was one of the most remarkable turnarounds in our recent history.

I do not know whether the message was passed onto the pitch from Pochettino himself, or our in-game leaders such as Hugo Lloris, Jan Vertonghen and Harry Kane spoke to the players and calmed them all down. But what I do know is that as soon as we were two goals behind, we started to play without fear. We began to give Juventus little respect, and as they were content to sit on their lead, we dominated possession, moving the ball through midfield with consummate ease. That was, in part, due to the dominance of Mousa Dembele. A couple of months ago, he looked a broken man, suffering from multiple small injuries that often saw him benched for important games. But at the turn of 2018, we are reminded just what a special player Mousa is. He was head and shoulders above everyone else in the middle of the park yet again, beating players at will and winning back possession with his typical steely presence. In this sort of form, we're reminded why Pochettino is quoted as saying if he 'had taken [Mousa] at eighteen or nineteen, [he] would have become one of the best players in the world'. Well, Mauricio, on tonight's viewing, he already is.

A goal was coming, and there are no prizes for guessing who would provide it. Harry Kane recorded his ninth Champions League goal in as many games, proving once again why he is the best striker in the world. After missing a header moments before, Kane showed why you ‘can’t give [him] two tries’, rounding Buffon before coolly slotting home. It’s frightening how Kane continues to impress even his biggest fans. Chiellini and Benatia are two of the best central defenders in the world, and Kane absolutely bullied them, so much so that Benatia had to foul the England striker consistently before picking up a yellow card. Gareth Bale often suffered the same treatment when playing for Tottenham. When you have a player so much better than the opposition, the only way to try and stop him is to foul him.

Still, we did not have things entirely our own way for the rest of the match. Lloris was in fine form, denying Higuain and Bernadeschi with good saves in the second half. But the game was nearly put beyond us with the last kick of the first half - Aurier, while undoubtedly a good footballer, suffered from one of his typical ‘rush of blood to the head’ moments, sliding Douglas Costa from an awkward angle and conceding a penalty. It was an idiotic challenge, and represented a part of his game he simply must cut out if he is to succeed as a Spurs player. But I still have high hopes for the lad. Look what Pochettino did for Kyle Walker and Danny Rose - he turned them from middling fullbacks with potential into the two best in the league, and worth a combined one hundred million pounds. Let’s see how Aurier is performing in a couple of years once he has been coached properly, before lambasting the signing. It was not too long ago that people hated Kyle Walker for his moments of madness at the back.

We continued to turn up the pressure in the second half, and it was only a matter of time before we equalised. Everyone was performing excellently, particularly Christian Eriksen, who was managing to find an abundance of space against one of the best defensive sides in the world. It was Eriksen who struck the equaliser with a trademark free kick late in the second half after Alli drew a foul on the edge of the area. Our playmakers were firing on all cylinders, but I was particularly impresssed by the performance of Erik Lamela. This match was one of his first starts since a thirteen month layoff plagued with injuries and personal issues. Lamela is a player that suffers a fair amount of criticism from our fans and pundits alike, but he offers something wholly unique to our attack. He’s by far our most hardworking player in the final third, sprinting to close down whomever is closest to him. His ball retention is phenomenal, too, as he often tends to pick the right pass at the right time, developing the attack in a way that Alli often struggles to. Simply put, Lamela moves the ball quickly and effectively. Sure, moments like his rabona might be few and far between, but when everything clicks, Lamela is a superb addition to the side, and will only continue to grow in confidence and ability with more appearances. Welcome back, Coco!

Comeback completed. [AP Associated Press]

The most important point we can take from this trip to Turin is echoed in Christian Eriksen’s post-match interview. The Dane insists that ‘five years ago, Tottenham would have lost 6-0’. And he could not be more right in this assessment. Pochettino is changing the DNA of the club in front of our very eyes, adding a gritty determination to our play and a refusal to accept defeat, even against Europe’s elite. We were mesmerising to watch at times last night; the way we played without fear, the way we did not compromise our style even when threatened with a premature Champions League exit. Last night made me as proud to be a Tottenham fan as I have ever been, and I cannot wait until we meet Juventus on home soil to complete the Italian job.