Tottenham 1-0 Middlesbrough: Highlights and recap

Tottenham beat Middlesbrough 1-0 at White Hart Lane on Saturday, Feb. 4. Here are all the highlights from the match.

It seemed like it was going to be another one of those days for Tottenham, who had been held at arm’s length by a hard working, but limited Middlesbrough side for 60 minutes. This just four days after being held at arm’s length by a hard working, but limited Sunderland side for 90 minutes.

The breakthrough that alluded Spurs on Tuesday arrived on Saturday from the penalty spot. Heung-min Son, probably Tottenham’s best player on the day, was brought down in the 57th minute. Harry Kane finished coolly into the bottom right corner.

The previous 60 minutes saw Spurs go close on multiple occasions. Within the first 10 alone, Son forced an excellent save from Victor Valdes and Dele Alli missed narrowly after getting played through by a beautiful Christian Eriksen pass.

Kane could have had two himself before the break, but headed over from a Son cross in the 35th minute and had a goal called back for offside five minutes later.

Middlesbrough offered almost nothing on the break, though the pace and dribbling ability of Adama Traore on the right wing caught the eye. Boro’s best chance came when Alvaro Negredo headed over from a Traore cross, but that was about as good as it got for the visitor’s in attack.

Aitor Karanka’s side were set up for one reason: to keep a clean sheet. That their plan failed due to a sloppy challenge will only increase the disappointment.

Still, Tottenham’s breakthrough was well deserved, and despite struggling for clear cut openings, their speed of passing and fluency of movement began to take its toll on the visitors even toward the end of the first half.

There were a few nervy moments for Spurs as they tried and failed to find a second — not least when Marten de Roon dragged a volley wide in second half stoppage time — but in the end this victory is exactly what it should have been for Pochettino’s men: straightforward.

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Highlights

Spurs remain nine points behind Chelsea at the top of the table, but pulled three points clear of Arsenal and four clear of Liverpool. Middlesbrough remain 15th, but are now only a point clear of the drop zone after Hull beat Liverpool. They could fall as low as 17th depending on Swansea and Leicester’s results tomorrow.