News News Blog: Anderlecht

Tottenham 2 - Anderlecht 1: Mousa Dembele sends Spurs top of Group J with late stunner

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mousa Dembele scored a late winner to put Tottenham top of the group </td></tr>
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TOTTENHAM’S fans serenaded their Belgian  rivals with a rendition of “He’s one of our own” after Mousa Dembele snatched a dramatic late winner against his compatriots from  Anderlecht.</div>
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The song, usually reserved for the scorer of their opening goal, Harry Kane, was the final insult for a brave side who took the game to Spurs and threatened to throw their hosts’ progress into turmoil with a late equaliser of their own.</div>
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But Dembele’s first-time shot from 20 yards was hit sweetly for his second goal in a week to sink the club from Brussels and put Tottenham in the driving seat at the top of Group J.</div>
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His goal also puts qualification in the bag for Mauricio Pochettino’s men. Unfortunately, the bag in question is Qarabag – 2,879 miles away. Nevertheless, a win in Azerbaijan will be enough to get them in the final 32 with the game at home against Monaco to spare.</div>
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Kane said: “In the second half, Anderlecht came out and made it tough for us, but they are a great team. However, it was great for Mousa to pull a finish out of the bag and get the three points.</div>
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“It is a very tight group, we still have a lot to do. Qarabag away will be a tough game and then it is Monaco at home, so hopefully we can win our next game then get the job done.”</div>
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Matchwinner Dembele said: “We knew it was an important game for us and I am happy we won it. It was not an easy game but we did it.”</div>
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It was Monaco’s own failure to get more than a point in Baku that enabled Spurs to rectify a somewhat stop-start campaign by claiming the group lead.</div>
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Spurs’ form in Europe has contrasted poorly with their impressive Premier League run of 10 games without defeat and looking at the team-sheet it was hard to see why.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mousa Dembele was brought on after 73 minutes </td></tr>
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Pochettino is not one to weaken his team for these unpopular midweek fixtures and, with the exception of Andros Townsend, punished after clashing with fitness coach Nathan Gardiner following the game with Aston Villa on Monday, he picked arguably his strongest team.</div>
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Yet twice in the opening three minutes Anderlecht looked like breaching the home defence, both times thanks to the powerful running of striker Stefano Okaka.</div>
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The first chance fizzled out somewhat, but after Erik Lamela was carelessly caught in possession, only the late intervention of Jan Vertonghen denied an early setback.</div>
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Hugo Lloris’s fingertips came to the rescue of Toby Alderweireld after the centre-back backed away from Steven Defour and gave him room to shoot. And we were still only seven minutes into the game.</div>
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Tottenham’s opener after 29 minutes, therefore, came somewhat against the run of play but is further testament to the extra class that Kane can add to a team when he has his goalscoring boots on. A swift interchange between Ryan Mason and Christian Eriksen offered the England striker no more than a half-chance but as soon as he shot the ball was headed in only one direction – the far corner of the Anderlecht net.</div>
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Kane’s fifth goal in three games seemed to give Tottenham more confidence. New England recruit Eric Dier confidently controlled the midfield and though the little flicks of Eriksen, Lamela and Kane never quite came off, their energy alone kept the Anderlecht defenders on their toes.</div>
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However, refreshed by the interval, Anderlecht came strong again at the start of the second half with Defour again pushing Lloris to his limits.Ben Davies thumped a shot against the bar but Anderlecht’s persistence finally paid off in the 72nd minute when Defour’s cross picked out Imoh Ezekiel just three minutes after he had come on, the substitute prodding a shot in off the inside of a post.</div>
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It signalled Dembele’s entry, although few would have guessed it would be to such dramatic effect.</div>
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TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Alli (Onomah 77), Dier; Lamela, Mason (Dembele 73), Eriksen (Son 59); Kane. Goals: Kane 29, Dembele 87. Next up: Arsenal (a), PL Sun.</div>
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ANDERLECHT (4-2-3-1): Proto; Gillet, Mbodji, Deschacht, N’Sakala (Conte 83); Dendoncker, Defour; Najar, Tielemans (Ezekiel 69), Acheampong (Sylla 89); Okaka. Booked: N’Sakala. Goal: Ezekiel 72.</div>
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Referee: O Grinfeld (Israel).</div>

Tottenham 2 - Anderlecht 1: Mousa Dembele sends Spurs top of Group J with late stunner

Mousa Dembele scored a late winner to put Tottenham top of the group TOTTENHAM’S fans serenaded their Belgian rivals with a rendition ...

Anderlecht 2 - Tottenham 1: Pochettino slams his players for Europa League complacency

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mauricio Pochettino has accused his Tottenham team of complacency after their 2-1 defeat</td></tr>
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MAURICIO POCHETTINO, the Tottenham manager, last night accused his team of complacency as Spurs were beaten by Anderlecht in Brussels in the third group game of the Europa League.</div>
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The angry Argentine admitted his men lost their focus after going a goal up as early as the fourth minute and then squandering a great chance six minutes later.</div>
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Normally mild-mannered, Pochettino was upset after this defeat ensured no easy passage out of Group J, saying his players need to learn tough lessons if they wish to progress in the competition.</div>
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"It was a bad day and we need to fix that," Pochettino said.</div>
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"We need to feel the pressure, because today, we don't feel the pressure after ten minutes.</div>
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"It seems it was an easy game and then we lose 2-1.</div>
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"When you concede the possibility to the opponent to come back into the game the way that we conceded it today, the dynamic changes.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christian Eriksen celebrating with Erik Lamela after opening the scoring for Tottenham</td></tr>
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"We lost our focus and, after ten minutes, the games changed completely.</div>
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"This was our problem tonight and we need to learn. We are very young, but we need to learn a lot.</div>
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"When you are the best team on the pitch after 10 minutes and you believe that you can win the game, you need to win the game. Your focus needs to be 200%.</div>
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"But when you lose your focus, it is difficult to come back.</div>
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"Am I angry, frustrated, disappointed? I don't know which word is best to describe me.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guillaume Gillet celebrates scoring Anderlecht's equaliser in the Europa League</td></tr>
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"We need to realise that we need to compete every game, in every single minute, in different games and different competitions, and we need to give our best.</div>
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"It's difficult to manage and say, 'okay, 1-0, now I don't put the effort in, I lost my focus'. We need to be focused for 90 minutes, 95 minutes."</div>
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Spurs started extremely brightly and Christian Eriksen slotted home with his left foot in the fourth minute, after picking up a pass from Erik Lamela.</div>
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The Dane lost possession but was extremely lucky when the giant Serigne Mbodji's clearance hit Leander Dendoncker high in his face rebounded perfectly for him to slot home with his left foot.</div>
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In the tenth minute Lamela shot pathetically tamely straight at Silvio Proto from eight yards when played clean through by Eriksen.</div>
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But the Belgium side were back in it when in the 13th minute after Spurs failed miserably to clear a corner from the right.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stefana Okaka Chuka celebrates scoring the Belgian side's winner </td></tr>
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It went right across their goalmouth to the unmarked Guillaume Gillet, who had time to control on his thigh and volley back into the opposite corner with his right foot.</div>
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Substitute Harry Kane had a great chance in the 69th minute racing onto a Ben Davies pass.</div>
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But he failed to get enough bend on his sidefooted shot and Proto was able to block with his legs.</div>
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It was to prove costly as Anderlecht grabbed the winner in the 75th minute.</div>
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A defence-splitting ball from Ivan Obradovic sent substitute Frank Acheampong scurrying clear and he squared perfectly for ex-Fulham striker Stefano Okaka to slot home.</div>
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Okaka's right boot had come off just seconds before, as he slipped on the pitch, and it did again as he scored, with the Italian international parading it in front of delighted fans as he celebrated.</div>
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<strong>ANDERLECHT (4-2-3-1)</strong>: Proto; Gillet, Mbodji, Deschacht, Obradovic; Tielemans, Defour; Ezekiel (Acheampong 67), Dendoncker, Praet (Conte 90); Okaka (Sylla 88). Subs: Roef, Nuytinck, Heylen, Sylla, Kakaya.</div>
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<strong>TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1)</strong>: Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Dembele (Alli 66); Townsend, Eriksen, Lamela; Njie (Kane 59). Subs: Vorm, Rose, Onomah, Wimmer, Winks.</div>
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<strong>REFEREE</strong>: Pol van Boekel (Holland)</div>

Anderlecht 2 - Tottenham 1: Pochettino slams his players for Europa League complacency

Mauricio Pochettino has accused his Tottenham team of complacency after their 2-1 defeat MAURICIO POCHETTINO, the Tottenham manager, ...

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