OPINION
Tottenham left their fans with their hearts in the mouths on Tuesday evening as they overturned an early goal to secure a crucial 2-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven in their Champions League clash.
A Harry Kane brace ensured that all three points remained in north London after Luuk de Jong had given the Dutch side the lead at Wembley, and it looked as though Spurs would be left ruing their missed chances until the English striker struck.
It keeps Tottenham within touching distance of Inter Milan and Barcelona in their group, with Mauricio Pochettino’s men looking to seal qualification to the next round of the competition.
So what can fans take away from the clash?
This is Futbol has gathered three things learned about the Lilywhites on Tuesday:
Pochettino tactics fail to pay off
Tottenham fans thought they were in for a treat when they saw the starting XI named an hour before the game, with an aggressive line up which promised attacking flair throughout.
However it was the visitors who showed the most intent and it was clear Pochettino’s decision to go all out had backfired – the boss amending it in the second half with substitutions which brought some more balance to the side.
It was the right intent from Poch but the wrong execution – and nearly left hearts broken at Wembley.
Gazzaniga proving his worth
It seems clear as day that Paulo Gazzaniga has earned himself the number two spot when it comes to goalkeepers at Tottenham, taking the starting spot in the absence of the suspended Hugo Lloris.
With little to do about the opener, he made sure he kept his side in the game with a series of smart saves and confident goalkeeping to command his box.
It was another starring performance and one which will leave Mauricio Pochettino confident he is leaving his side in capable hands out on the pitch.
Davies and Aurier not good enough for Spurs
There were a number of performances which failed to live up to expectation against PSV but none more so than those from the men occupying the full back slots in the starting XI in what were shameful displays.
With Serge Aurier on the right and Ben Davies on the left, Spurs looked at risk of being torn apart by their Dutch visitors, who managed to exploit the time and space afforded by the senior pair over and over again – not what anyone expects from the international pair.
Their defensive performances were not rescued by their efforts up front either – both having previously proven to be dangerous assets in attack – as they constantly wasted possession with poor decision making.
Tottenham want to take themselves to the next level but when the need for big performances came around the pair were well off colour, and if that is what fans can expect to see in crunch games then the bin is calling for both of them.