In a match never billed as one for the neutrals, Tottenham have struggled to make significant progress against a hardworking, well-organised Burnley side.
Few anticipated a thriller and that’s certainly been the case. Burnley’s ability to keep shape has seen Tottenham become increasingly laboured on the ball in deep areas, leaving striker Harry Kane – the Premier League’s top scorer filling in as captain today for the injured Jan Vertonghen – largely isolated in the final third. Throughout the first 45, the England international had just 23 touches of the ball, the fewest of any Lilywhite.
Switching play, bringing full-backs Kyle Walker and Danny Rose into the game, brought a more dominant spell for Spurs around the half-hour mark. A long-range ball from Ryan Mason to Walker eventually re-found the former just outside the Burnley box, but his half-volley sizzled past Tom Heaton’s post. The attacking midfield trio of Christian Eriksen, Paulinho and Nacer Chadli however, have largely struggled to get into the game.
Burnley were finally rewarded for their relentless tenacity with a handful of speculative chances in the last five minutes. First, a far-post knock-down saw the ball trickle to George Boyd, beckoning the kind of strike that saw him net an expertly-controlled daisy-cutting winner against Manchester City a few weekends ago, but the Scotland international’s effort eventually rolled a few yards wide of goal.
Then Danny Ings – easily the most eye-catching player on the pitch in the first half – attempted a curler from around 20 yards. It looked destined for the top corner of the net, but stand-in Spurs ‘keeper Michel Vorm scrambled to make an impressive save.
As the match drags on scoreless, the conditions will only further suit Burnley. That could tempt Mauricio Pochettino into a change at half time – perhaps an introduction for England’s midweek goalscorer Andros Townsend.
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