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‘All went a bit wrong’: Two Spurs players given 4/10 for Europa League displays

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While Tottenham Hotspur booked a spot in the last 32 of the Europa League with a game to spare last night, they didn’t exactly do so with aplomb.

Jose Mourinho’s Spurs played out a 3-3 draw with LASK in Austria, the hosts netting in injury time to deny the North Londoners victory.

Tottenham didn’t exactly hit the ground running, with the Linz side dominating for much of the first half and taking the lead through Peter Michorl in the 42nd minute.

LASK v Tottenham Hotspur: Group J - UEFA Europa League
(Photo by Guenther Iby/SEPA.Media /Getty Images)

Spurs clawed themselves back into the game on the stroke of half time, Andres Andrade’s handball in the box gifting the visitors a penalty which Gareth Bale converted.

Son Heung-min then put Tottenham in the lead on 56 minutes after good work from Tanguy Ndombele, who slid his teammate in on goal after an opposition error.

The scoreline remained at 2-1 heading into the latter stages of the game before a dramatic late flurry of goals, as Johannes Eggestein levelled from outside the box on 84 minutes.

Substitute Steven Bergwijn was then brought to ground in the box by Philipp Wiesinger for another spot kick, this time confidently converted by Dele Alli.

However, Spurs couldn’t hang on to their lead, with Mamoudou Karamoko netting another long-range goal for the hosts to ensure a share of the spoils.

Both the Evening Standard and Football London gave Joe Hart and Davinson Sanchez a 4 out of 10 ratings for their sub-par displays in the high-scoring draw.

Of Hart, Football London wrote: “Could only watch an early shot hit a post before he parried an effort from Renner out. Made a big save from the same player on the half hour mark, rushing out.

FBL-EUR-C3-LINZ-TOTTENHAM
(Photo by VLADIMIR SIMICEK/AFP via Getty Images)

“Will feel he could have done better with Michorl’s first half goal from distance though and certainly for the second which bounced in off his wrist. Couldn’t do much about Karamoko’s late goal.

“What looked like being a good display all went a bit wrong.”

Of Sanchez, the Standard wrote: “Lost confidence and looks shaky, particularly at passing out from the back and dealing with crosses with his feet. Stepped out of defence recklessly for LASK’s second goal.”

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While Hart began the game well enough and kept his side in contention with some smart first-half saves, he was beaten too easily for at least two of the opposition goals.

Likewise, Sanchez’s display wasn’t all bad – he ade a crucial last-ditch block in front of goal within five minutes and played the long ball to set Bergwijn away ahead of the second Spurs penalty.

However, their lapses in concentration won’t have pleased Mourinho, and they’ve got a lot of work to do on the training ground to make amends to the manager.