Tottenham Hotspur noticed their late ecstasy changed by infuriating agony on Wednesday night, with Antonio Conte’s facet having seen victory snatched from their grasp following a extremely controversial VAR determination.
In want of a win over Portuguese facet Sporting CP to verify their place within the Champions League last-16 with a recreation to spare, the north Londoners made the worst doable begin to proceedings at N17, conceding halfway by way of the primary half as former youth product, Marcus Edwards, lashed in from distance.
A much-improved show after the break would end in a belated equaliser from January arrival Rodrigo Bentancur with simply ten minutes left to play, earlier than talisman Harry Kane seemed to have received it on the demise in dramatic trend.
The England skipper would, nonetheless, see his stoppage-time effort subsequently dominated out for offside to curtail the celebrations, with the Lilywhites now nonetheless requiring a outcome towards Marseille subsequent week to safe a knockout stage berth.
For all Conte’s fury directed in direction of the officers within the aftermath of that stalemate, because the mud settles the previous Chelsea boss could be involved on the efficiency of a few of his key males, together with defender Eric Dier.
The England worldwide has been a daily fixture for the membership this season – beginning all 17 video games to this point – though endured an evening to neglect towards his former employers, having confirmed one thing of a legal responsibility at each ends of the pitch.
The 28-year-old – in addition to teammates Pierre-Emile Hojberg and Cristian Romero – was “made to look very stupid” within the build-up to Edwards’ opener, in accordance to Jay Jaffa, after failing to adequately cease the teenager in his tracks, with that setting the tone for the irritating night that the centre-back was to endure.
The 47-cap menace distinctly underwhelmed within the coronary heart of the backline having misplaced 82% of his complete duels, whereas additionally successful only a solitary sort out and failing to make a single interception or clearance.
That limp exhibiting additionally noticed the £25.2m-rated man lose possession ten instances from his 82 touches, having additionally squandered two large possibilities amid the house facet’s late onslaught.
Having earlier seen a volleyed effort properly saved by opposition ‘keeper Antonio Adan, Dier then inexplicably failed to convert a handful of headed openings late on with the goal at his mercy, with football.london’s Rob Guest noting that he ‘really should have won the game for Spurs‘.
An ineffective presence in each packing containers, the £85k-per-week dud unsurprisingly recorded a measly match score of simply 6.5, as per SofaScore, with that the joint-lowest of any of his beginning teammates, alongside the returning Lucas Moura.
Having been a largely dependable determine underneath Conte over the previous 12 months or so, it has confirmed one thing of a grim week for the previous Everton loanee, having additionally performed his half within the current Premier League defeats to each Newcastle United and Manchester United.
With a World Cup looming, Dier could properly want to attempt to recapture his kind if he’s to discover himself on the airplane to Qatar.