22-year-old will be sold: Three things we learned about Tottenham in win v Southampton
By Matt Farr
Football Insider analyses three main talking points from Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday.
Kane not missed
There will be times throughout the his recovery from injury that Tottenham will miss Harry Kane. But Sunday’s visit from Southampton was not one of those days. Tottenham retained much of their attacking potency even without their star goalscorer leading the line, and cruised to the victory they deserved. They still had two of their most vital cogs in the machine pulling the strings in the final third – Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli – while Son Heung-Min was also energetic and on the move. He didn’t grab a goal though, but with both Eriksen and Alli firing, there was no need.
22-year-old will be sold
With Kane sidelined for the next couple of weeks, Vincent Janssen has what could be his last opportunity to make an impact at the club. The 22-year-old has failed to impress since arriving at White Hart Lane last summer, and has struggled for regular action with Kane fit. However, Mauricio Pochettino opted to go with Son as his leading man against the Saints, leaving Janssen to a limited role from the bench. In fairness, Son was in the better form following his hat-trick against Millwall last time out, but if Janssen still cannot get first team action with Kane sidelined, it suggests he is no longer viewed as part of the club’s long term vision. He was introduced into the game just with just over five minutes left to play, and had a little sight of goal; but he will need much more time on the pitch if he is to convince.
Rivals left trailing
A lot has been said over whether Tottenham can finish above Arsenal in the Premier League this season, but recent form continues to work in favour of Spurs. The win saw Tottenham move nine points clear of their north London rivals, who were beaten 3-1 by West Brom on Saturday. The performance levels from Spurs dropped in the second half after an impressive opening period, but they still got the job done; and it is the end result that matters most. Tottenham would need a dramatic freefall if they are to finish behind Arsenal this season – not to mention something special from the Emirates camp – and that doesn’t look like coming.
In other Tottenham news, Eric Dier has aimed a cheeky dig at his Spurs team-mate about winning trophies.
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