Huddersfield.
It was almost a year to the exact day that Spurs played Huddersfield away in week seven of the Premier League season, back then Harry bagged a brace and the team took three points.
A year ago, September 29th 2017, Huddersfield were riding high, newly promoted they had lost only one of their opening six league games, with two wins and three draws they were six in the table after spending the first two weeks topping it. Spurs came to town and gave them a real lesson with a 4-0 stuffing – they’d only conceded three goals in the previous six games – and the slow descent started until they finish just above the relegation places in 16th.
On September 30th 2018, again week seven of the league, Spurs again landed in the West Yorkshire town, this time the host aren’t quite so full of themselves sitting plumb bottom, after only picking up two points in their opening six fixtures and only being out of the bottom three for two game rounds.
Huddersfield this season, they can’t score – the amazing stat that Harry Kane, with four goals, is now the top scorer at their ground in the Premier League – and they can’t defend and it really looks like there won’t be another Spurs visit at the end of next September in game seven.
What’s funny was this year Huddersfield probably put up more of a show this time round. They started well last season but once they were behind it was quickly 3-0, producing just one shot on target. At the weekend they had most of the ball and produced five shots on target, just one less than Spurs managed. But while Huddersfield had more of the ball they just never looked like doing much with it. Bar hitting the bar and a decent save from Gazzaniga, who has featured in the last three games for Spurs now, all victories after the two defeats with Vorm.
Spurs though didn’t take their chances and while many were claiming Kane looked to be back to his best he had a one-on-one with the keeper that last season he buried in almost the same circumstances, this time he just hit the keeper.
His opener came after Moura was fouled in the area and should have been awarded a penalty – overlooked by so many that were claiming the same player should have had a penalty given against him for an incident that was outside the box and not a foul – after he charged into the area and was brought down, picking himself up he passed it wide to Trippier and the fullback put the ball perfectly on Harry’s head for an excellent goal.
The second came shortly after when a penalty was awarded, commentators didn’t like that either, much like the one above who said it was nothing on Moura but was desperate for replays about the earlier incident. Rose is flying into the box, is tugged, is spun and goes down. It’s a foul, it’s a penalty. Kane put it away with ease, always goes to the keeper’s right they said, he goes to the keeper’s left.
There was more chances for both teams but nobody really looked like adding to the score. A win, a win away, a clean sheet, Harry top scorer in the league now, the only downside was Vertonghen going down injured and going off at half-time. As said in the League Cup report, Sissoko goes down, looks badly injured but isn’t anyone else and it would have been a six month layoff, with Jan it looked innocuous.
That was the other downside, Sissoko actually coming on here, as the game was being stretched and Huddersfield were wide open it was primed for Lamela to come on as he has done so in the league so far, bringing with him goals and assists. His pace and running would have been the perfect addition but no we get dithering Sissoko, who thankfully was only given a few minutes to hinder everything.