auerier was garbage, but made a vital tackle. really the only big defensive play spurs needed eriksen was unusually awful, but the last 15 minutes he turned up, made the corner assist wanyama was awful & spurs didn't really need anyone to break up play, as CP didn't attack much. luckily most mistakes Spurs made were in the CP half, other than one Dier pass that I can remember. the last 15 minutes or so, you could feel spurs knocking on the door, and CP was tiring. it was mostly a matter of whether palaces luck would hold (like the golden chance aurier had)
now that I think of it, I am a bit shocked a backline of aurier, sanchez, dier, and davies didn't concede so good marks for the backlines defense in this match
good win, tho terrible at times. especially aurie i think is much worse than sissoko, the worst player i saw in spurs shirt, he made a world record today - 3 foul throws in a match - ********ing bastard
the 2 subs of Son and Lucas also were good subs. both increased the pressure on palace and spurs lost nothing possession-wise or defensive bite
Serge Aurier is the first player in Premier League history to commit a foul throw three times in a single game.
I think the team picked it up late in the game when they realized they didn't want another replay against a lower division side. And yes, Palace are missing so many players right now that they're pretty much a lower division side.
Serge Aurier's season so far: He got sent off at West Ham by picking up 2 yellow cards in 5 minutes when we were 3-1 up. He has given up 2 ridiculous penalties in the CL. He was taken off in the 2nd half of our CL game away to APOEL when the 34-year old Aloneftis was skinning him for pace down the flank all night long. He scored a fluke goal against Brighton when his cross, as he was being fouled, was deflected into the goal, and then celebrated like he had just won the World Cup. In the same game against CP, he made 3 foul throws, missed a sitter and made the tackle of the game to save a goal scoring chance in our box. Give him the match ball! I remember Damien Commolli saying after we signed him that he was a beast, a superb defender, a great crosser of the ball and a definite upgrade on Kyle Walker. The same Damien Commolli who told Daniel Levy to go ahead and sell Michael Carrick to Man U because Didier Zokora was a ready-made replacement and better footballer...
Painful to watch, but it was 3 crucial points against Woy Hodgson's Crystal Palace Reserves. A good day in the end, winning a London derby in hostile territory, while Wenger FC got tonked in the Cup final and Chelsea lost to Pogba United at the Library of Dreams, which saw us go back into the top 4. It could have been a cricket score had Harry and Serge not missed some sitters and if the ref had actually watched the game and given us the 2 penalties we should have had for fouls on Davies and Dele. On to Rochdale and the FA Cup replay on Wednesday. Will be interested to see what Paint-By-Numbers side Poch picks for this one. My guess is: Vorm in goal, Rose, Foyth, Dier and Trippier in defence, Lucas, Sissoko, Wanyama, Son and Lamela in midfield and the New Soldado up top
Trippier needs the competition. He's better positionally, better at crossing, tends to not make ridiculous mistakes but is a fair bit slower. If I was a left winger/midfielder I'd want to face Trippier if only because I know he wouldn't do something crazy and break both my legs with a wild lunge.
Some reports I read said that we were actually trying to sign Thomas Meunier and not Aurier but PSG didn't want to part with the Belgian (and I can see why now). We were close to having a 3/4 Belgian back 4!