Tottenham Hotspur vs. Stoke: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
Tottenham's torrid string of performances continued on Sunday afternoon, only this time they emerged with a 2-1 loss to Stoke City.
Bojan netted inside six minutes to get the Potters off to a dream start, then Jonathan Walters converted after good work from Mame Biram Diouf to make it two.
Spurs fought back and Nacer Chadli netted a sublime consolatory volley but a Kyle Naughton red card late on ended any chances of a comeback.
Here, B/R picks its winners and losers.
Loser: The Republic of Ireland, Who Are Now Without Two Stoke Players
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Coming into this fixture, Robert Huth, Glenn Whelan and Peter Odemwingie were already on the treatment table. Inside the first 45 minutes at White Hart Lane, both Phil Bardsley and Marc Wilson were forced off due to injury, too.
That's a blow—and a bitter one at that—for the Republic of Ireland, who may need to re-think a key part of their defence if Wilson can't recover quickly. Whelan is also a presence in Martin O'Neill's squad
"Marc Wilson off injured for Stoke. Blow for Ireland next Friday! #COYBIG
— Cian Carroll (@CianByName) November 9, 2014"
Winner: Mark Hughes, Who Game-Planned at White Hart Lane Perfectly
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So the time-wasting in the first half was pretty deplorable—have you ever seen a goalkeeper booked in the 24th minute for that?—but props to Mark Hughes who played this game perfectly.
The White Hart Lane crowd gets antsy quickly and Stoke were solid in the first 20 minutes. The early goal was a bonus. The main objective was to stifle, frustrate and use the home crowd against its own team.
Despite a late flurry from Spurs, this game was iced with the second goal.
Loser: Mauricio Pochettino, Who Is Surely Under Pressure Now
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Where does Mauricio Pochettino go from here? It seems like Thursday nights under the Europa League lights are the only fixtures Tottenham are able to gee themselves up for.
The win over Aston Villa last week required more than a large slice of luck—Christian Benteke got sent off, Ryan Mason did not and Harry Kane's winner took a wicked deflection to wrong-foot Brad Guzan—and it didn't extend to this fixture.
The pressure must be on, and while patience can do wonders for a club (see: Alan Pardew), there are already half-serious calls for Tim Sherwood and his 4-4-2's return.
Winner: Bojan Krkic, Who Finally Scored
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There was a surreal moment in the first half just six minutes in, as Stoke City momentarily morphed into a replica of Pep Guardiola's Barcelona, fluidly threading the ball through midfield and Bojan, fittingly, slotted home.
After a great pre-season the Spaniard struggled to establish himself but after six attempts he's finally notched his first goal for the Potters. In the Eredivisie it took him nine games to score for Ajax.
Progress!
Loser: Etienne Capoue, Who Epitomised a Dreadful Performance
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We could easily select the entire Tottenham Hotspur midfield bar Nacer Chadli here, but we'll focus on Etienne Capoue. The Frenchman delivered arguably his worst performance in the last 30 days, as he struggled to keep a lid on the midfield.
There seemed to be a vast, gaping gap between Harry Kane and everyone else, and Capoue failed to stitch anything together. He got booked for a silly challenge and was eventually removed.
Time for Benjamin Stambouli?
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