Tottenham see off Apoel Nicosia in Champions League stroll as Fernando Llorente scores his first Spurs goal

Tottenham 3 Apoel 0: Llorente grabbed the opener before Heung-Min Son and Georges Kevin N’Koudou added one each as Spurs wrapped up an excellent group stage with a win

Fernando Llorente scored his first goal for Tottenham (Getty)

It is a sign of Tottenham’s progress, but also of their current struggles, that winning more points in the Champions League group phase than anyone else barely registers as the main benefit of tonight’s win. Spurs beat Apoel 3-0, leaving them with a remarkable haul of 16, which after last year’s struggle is something remarkable. Manchester City’s defeat in Ukraine meant they could only finish with 15.

But what matters more as we head into the busiest, hardest time of the season is the fact that in the Premier League Spurs have only won one of the last six, and that an unconvincing 1-0 scrape here against Crystal Palace. This is their worst run since Mauricio Pochettino’s first season and they are, by his own admission, out of the title race. The Champions League last-16, for which Spurs are seeded, is certainly something to get excited about. But it does not start for another 10 weeks.

Before then Spurs need to rescue their league form. And for that they need players. One of their problems in the last few weeks is that they have relied on a narrow circle, with Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen having to shoulder far too much in the final third. Injuries to Victor Wanyama and Toby Alderweireld have damaged the team’s spine, and without more options, they simply do not have enough.

Recognising that, and with Christmas around the corner, Pochettino gave some well-deserved nights off to Kane, Eriksen, Hugo Lloris, Eric Dier and Jan Vertonghen. In their place came in the players who have to prove to Pochettino that they deserve to play more, especially when the games start to bite.

So there were starts for Fernando Llorente, Georges Kevin N’Koudou, Michel Vorm and Juan Foyth, along with occasional starters Heung-Min Son, Serge Aurier and Danny Rose. These are the players who will be called on more when the games get seriously busy: Spurs play on the second, fourth and sixth of January and cannot use the same team every time.

And for those players this evening was perfect. The result did not matter too much but the performances were crucial. Llorente was the biggest winner, scoring his first Tottenham goal, ending a run that had gone on for too long. Even Vincent Janssen had three by this stage last season.

N'Koudou scored when he came of the bench (Getty)

Llorente is a better player than Janssen and he showed that here, obviously desperate to assert himself on the occasion. After nine minutes he nearly put Spurs ahead, his header from Harry Winks’ free-kick being saved by Nauzet Perez, with Davinson Sanchez and Georges Kevin N’Koudou somehow failing to convert the rebound.

When Llorente’s goal came, his first for Spurs, it was worth the wait and the frustration at misses during his first weeks here. Winks, who was back to his best conducting play in the middle of the pitch, bent a pass wide to Serge Aurier on the right. He fired a low cross in and Llorente trapped it, dragged it back and turned with one brilliant use of his right foot. His second touch, with his left, stabbed the ball in.

Then Llorente turned provider, setting up Spurs’ second goal of their very comfortable night. Son drove forward with the ball, Llorente laid it off to him and Son curled a first-time left footer into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Spurs need Son at his confident best and if this goal gets him there it will be very valuable indeed.

Llorente and Son both found the net for Spiurs (Getty)

With a 2-0 lead at half time there was never much of a prospect of this turning into a contest. In the second half Pochettino brought on Mousa Dembele for 25 minutes, knowing that getting his midfield general back to full fitness will be more valuable than any possible transfer window reinforcement. Youngsters Kyle Walker-Peters and Kazaiah Sterling came on too, as Danny Rose, another still on his way back to peak condition, had to go off with a cut above his left eye.

But the biggest surprise of the night came at the end, when the game had slowed down to Europa League dead rubber speed. N’Koudou, having probed at the Apoel defence all night, darted in from the left, shuffled past Nuno Morais and then fired in a shot that deflected off Jesus Rueda and in. That was his first goal for Spurs too, but he has been waiting one year longer than Llorente. Whether it will transform N’Koudou’s role, only time will tell. But at least he has put himself into the conversation, trying to push his way back into Spurs’ small squad.

Tottenham (4-3-3): Vorm; Auerier, Foyth, Sanchez, Rose; Sissoko, Winks, Alli; Son, Llorente, Nkoudou

Apoel (4-2-3-1): Perez; Vouros, Rueda, Carlao, Roberto Lago; Vinicius, Nuno Morais; Zahid, Ebecilio, Aloneftis; Pote