Europa League: Tottenham Hotspur Emerge Victorious Over AZ Alkmaar 1-0
Though it might not have been Tottenham’s standout performance of the season, Ange Postecoglou might take great comfort in their slender victory over AZ Alkmaar. This might be one of those instances where the end result carries more weight.
Failing to capitalise on chances at different points in the match meant AZ couldn’t prevail, with subpar goal finishing letting down the Dutch side. It can be inferred that Postecoglou might likely not be thrilled about some aspects of Spurs’ game. The likes of Timo Werner and other substitutes failed to show their worth, thereby potentially making a draw against the visiting team seem fair. In spite of that, Spurs achieved just enough to keep their undefeated Europa League record intact. It was also encouraging to see Richarlison score his first goal since May, from a second-half penalty, nudging them closer to securing a spot in the knockout stage.
Spurs’ squad showcased quite a few changes, notably James Maddison, who after being substituted at halftime in the previous Saturday’s demolition of West Ham, was in the starting lineup. This raised a question as to whether this could be his future role. If so, it certainly didn’t affect his will, as Maddison was consistently eager for the ball, looking to exploit opportunities, despite it being challenging due to many Spurs players striving to find their form.
The fluctuations in the team made it challenging for Spurs to establish a flow in an uneven first half. The thrill was evident in the beginning with the enthusiasm around 17-year-old Mikey Moore making his first home start. However, this excitement was short-lived. Moore lost steam after missing a close-range header in the third minute and before long, Werner was demonstrating familiar shortcomings on the left wing. His lack of confidence in front of the goal has now become the norm, leading to negligible expectation of him scoring after he was set up by a clever pass from Lucas Bergvall in the 27th minute.
In related news, Manchester United were held to a draw by Fenerbahce resulting in Mourinho being sent off. Meanwhile, Tottenham’s perfect run continues with Richarlison scoring to secure victory over AZ Alkmaar. Joao Felix starred in Chelsea’s easy win over Panathinaikos, helping them confidently to victory.
Graham Burke was the star player in Shamrock Rovers’ easy victory against Larne in Belfast. Richarlison made his first appearance since May, offering chances to Werner but his attempts at goal were unfortunately lacking in vigour. The misses provoked disappointment amongst the spectators. Feeling a sense of injustice after not being granted a penalty due to Alexandre Penetra’s theatrical reaction to a challenge from Maddison, Spurs were a bit perturbed. The game was soon enlivened by the entrance of AZ, with a notable threat posed by Denso Kasius, who was subbed in for Ruben van Bommel, who had sustained an injury. Troy Parrott, the esteemed Republic of Ireland forward welcomed back by his previous club, struggled to reach a menacing cross, leading to the Spurs defending under mounting pressure, magnified by the disruption caused by Ernest Poku. Forster demonstrated his skills in goal with a remarkable save from Penetra and a tactical tackle on Kasius.
Spurs needed to ramp up the intensity, leading Manager Postecoglou to respond by substituting Brennan Johnson for Werner during the interval. The team showed instant improvement with Johnson’s blocked shot and Moore’s mazy runs, which started to challenge AZ. The momentum shifted when Rodrigo Bentancur delivered a pinpoint pass to Maddison, leading to Bergvall unsettling Maxim Dekker enough to concede a penalty via a reckless tackle. The foul was blatant, but the penalty taker was not immediately clear. After some back and forth between Maddison and Richarlison, the Brazilian ended up successfully scoring the penalty.
In spite of a precarious advantage, Tottenham Hotspur rightly held the lead. Radu Dragusin, who seemingly hasn’t gleaned any lessons from his prior dismissal during his last face-off with Qarabag, nearly set the scores equal by relinquishing control to Poku. With a crucial intervention, Bentancur managed to rescue the central defender. Forster marked the game with a notable save against the replacement, Mayckel Lahdo. However, any prospective uprising from AZ was quashed when David Moller Wolfe received his second caution and was subsequently ejected from the game, a mere five minutes from the final whistle. – Guardian