Tottenham Hotspur vs Anderlecht match report: Mousa Dembélé cracker gives Spurs the edge as Mauricio Pochettino’s men show appetite for Europa League

Tottenham Hotspur 2 Anderlecht 1: Result sees hosts move back to the top of Group J and leaves qualification for the knockout rounds very much within their grasp

Mouse Dembele fires in from 20 yards to clinch a dramatic victory against Anderlecht (Reuters)

Mousa Dembele has been the best player in training at Tottenham for years, a rare talent whose only problem has been applying all of his skills – technical and physical – on the pitch. Mauricio Pochettino has managed to turns around the careers of many of these Spurs players but if, as it seems, he can get the best out of Dembele then he will have achieved something very special indeed.

This match was lit up and decided by Dembele’s brilliant 20-yard half-volley, with three minutes left. At 1-1 Spurs would have been frustrated with two more wasted points and the tight squeeze of their last two Europa League group games. At 2-1 they can look forward to Sunday’s derby with optimism, knowing that their place in the knock-out rounds is very much within their grasp.

This was a crucial win for Tottenham, even if the whole evening felt like preparation for the trip to Arsenal on Sunday. There are weeks every season when the calendar seems to conspire against Tottenham and this was one. They only had two rest days between their win over Aston Villa and this match, and will just have another two, on Friday and Saturday, before they travel to the Emirates. But this is the price of playing in the Europa League, and it is a pressure that Mauricio Pochettino is keen to embrace.

Pochettino prioritised this match, against a handy Anderlecht side, making just three changes from the Villa game. The problem was that Spurs’ first-teamers did not seem to immediately realise how important the game was their head coach.

Anderlecht, who pounced on Spurs’ complacency in Brussels, were all over their hosts from the start. Stefano Okaka ran in behind and was denied by Jan Vertonghen, Steven Defour had a shot tipped over the bar, Youri Tielemans just missed the target from the edge of the box, as did Andy Najar.

Spurs were riding their luck, but sometimes European football demands that. When their chance came, after half an hour, they did what Anderlecht could not, and took it. All it took was two sharp movements: Ryan Mason passed forward to Christian Eriksen, on the half-turn, who deftly controlled then passed on to Harry Kane. Before the Anderlecht defence realised, Kane spun and smacked the ball into the bottom corner.

This gave Tottenham the right to play on the break in the second half, and Pochettino soon withdrew Christian Eriksen to replace him with Heung-Min Son, his fastest counter-attacker, back after six weeks out with a foot injury. Son set up Ben Davies, who hit the bar, but then Spurs were caught in the bind of wondering whether to sit on their lead or kill the game.

Anderlecht sensed this and grew in confidence. Spurs could not go 2-0 up, meaning that they were always vulnerable to one bad moment or one bad mistake. That is what happened when Defour chipped a hopeful ball into the box and Jan Vertonghen let the ball float over his head. Imoh Ezekiel, just on as a sub, could not believe his luck, darted in, and put the ball in the bottom corner.

Anderlecht were back on top, Okaka rampaging through the middle, Ezekiel bursting past challenges. Ben Davies had to throw himself in front of one Okaka shot to keep the score level, as Anderlecht threatened to do to Spurs here what they did to them in Brussels.

There were only three minutes left when Josh Onomah, on as a sub, burst down the left, carrying the attack which saw the ball come back out to Mousa Dembele, 30 yards from goal. Dembele is still the most talented player in this team, and can do things with the ball that no-one else can. There was no clear pass on, so he simply put his foot through it, sending the ball on a flat arc into the top corner of the net.

Man of the match Okaka.

Match rating 6/10.

Referee O Grinfel (Israel).

Attendance 33,479.