Middlesbrough vs Tottenham match report: Heung-Min Son bags brace to take three points from Riverside
Middlesbrough 1 Tottenham 2: The South Korean maintained his excellent run of form to score twice, but Ben Gibson's header gave Boro hope
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Your support makes all the difference.“Moussa is a doubt for Saturday,” said Mauricio Pochettino. “He has..”
At that point the Tottenham manager pointed at his head. There was help. “Yes, yes, a possible concussion.”
Moussa Sissoko’s head wound, and the hunt for the right word that followed, was really about as troubled as it got for Tottenham yesterday.
More than 3,000 fans travelled north and they had quite a day. Even the North East weather was surprisingly accommodating; bright and sunny, which was the disposition of the manager as he left a stadium with his side easing comfortably into second spot in the Premier League.
Tottenham were in cruise control throughout their visit to the Riverside Stadium. There were big names missing - Harry Kane, Eric Dier, Moussa Dembele, Danny Rose - but it never showed.
Vincent Jansenn was good, and those around him, Heung-Min Son, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen were outstanding, moving the ball with such speed and vision that it was a surprise to no one that they led by two goals as early as the 23rd minute.
After seven minutes Son took a pass from Janssen and used his body to drive past two defenders in the Middlesbrough penalty area. From there he tucked a left footed finish past Victor Valdes.
He was on the other side of the penalty area, 16 minutes later, and on the byline, and in an apparently unthreatening position when he somehow weaved his way to the 18 yard line and from there, with a defence failing to react, he curled a right footed shot so spectacularly into the corner of Valdes’ goal that the keeper did not even move.
Aitor Karanka’s anger was so great at that point that he went and sat down in his dugout. The third should have followed.
Eriksen’s shot was blocked by Ben Gibson. Valdes did well to save from Sissoko, Alli was nudged over by Crishtian Stuani and it could have been a penalty and when Valdes and Adam Clayton started arguing on the pitch, it seemed symptomatic of the pressure they were under.
Karanka was still upset with the first half showing afterwards.
“The first half was awful,” he said. “It is more about the attitude. I think it’s frustrating for me to be working seven days to try to show them how Tottenham plays, how good they are, if we let them play after seven days in the video and on the pitch and seven minutes later you’re losing one nil, that is frustrating.
“The second half was completely different.”
It was then that Middlesbrough scored, in the 66th minute, with their first effort on target, when Gibson overpowered Sissoko and headed past Hugo Lloris from a Stewart Downing free-kick.
It gave a lift to the home side, and in fairness, the home crowd had not wavered in their backing. That will be important, and both Pochettino and Karanka made reference to it.
For all that, however, a lone Jordan Rhodes header was all that was produced. Tottenham should really have added a third, and their manager admitted as much.
"We created a lot of chances and we weren’t clinical,” he said. “We need to improve on that. That is a thing to work on in the future. In the second half two-nil is not a score where we can say the game is over. 2-1 we suffer a little bit but not too much.
“We fully deserved the victory.”
He also paid tribute to Son.
“It is fantastic for him,” added his manager. “He is a player that works hard. He has settled fantastic. When the offensive player score goals, it is an easy life and it’s easy to settle their game.”
An easy life sounded about right. Sissoko’s concussion makes him a doubt for the game with CSKA on Tuesday. Kane will also be missing but Dier, Rose and Dembele could all return.
"We have a strong squad now,” said Pochettino and he is not wrong.
Saturday's game was relatively easy, a further sign of the development at Tottenham since his arrival.
Easing to second spot, playing really good football and with players full of confidence, it was no wonder he was smiling as he left Teesside, still undefeated in the league and with just three goals conceded.
Middlesbrough (4-2-3-1): Valdes; Barragan, Chambers, Gibson, Friend; Clayton (Forster 82), De Roon; Stuani, Ramirez (Traore 59), Downing 6; Negredo (Rhodes 59).
Spurs (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Walker, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Alli, Wanyama; Sissoko (Lamela 70), Eriksen (Nkoudou 90), Son; Janssen (Winks 86).
Referee: Mr Graham Scott
Star man: Son
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