Entertaining Win over Swansea the Perfect Tonic for Spurs' Cup Final Heartache

Tottenham's 3-2 victory over Swansea at White Hart Lane was exactly what the club and fans needed after defeat in the League Cup Final. 

After the disappointing defeat on Sunday, Tottenham might have been forgiven for being distracted from the task at hand this evening. 

Not so. 

Spurs were ahead through Nacer Chadli within six minutes, and while he may have wished to have been in such good touch at Wembley, his goal blew away any lingering doubts. 

Tottenham's midfield dominated the opening exchanges with Nabil Bentaleb driving the team forward from midfield. Christian Eriksen, starting his third match in six days, showed no sign of fatigue as he danced around the Swansea box. His dazzling skills and stunning vision were on full show, using the full width of the pitch and bringing all nine of his outfield teammates into the game. 

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

Chelsea did an excellent job of strangling Spurs in central areas at Wembley and refused to push their defence out beyond the edge of the box. That took away Harry Kane's preferred space and neutralised Spurs' wide men. 

Swansea evidently failed to learn those lessons and tried to attack at White Hart Lane. 

The Welsh side were the perfect opposition for Tottenham, they came to play football where a more defensive approach might have stifled Spurs.

Ryan Mason restored Spurs' lead in the second half with a perfect goal for the young midfielder. So often he backs up the forwards but fails to reap the rewards. There was a touch of fortune, as the ball slipped out wide to find Mason, but his powerful finish owed nothing to luck. 

His goal should silence some of the doubters who have mystifyingly called for him to be replaced in the lineup. 

Andros Townsend, another with more than his fair share of vocal critics, scored a sensational goal to secure the points. He had a frustrating day against Chelsea, but his length-of-the-pitch effort in front of the home crowd was an example of the impact he is capable of making. 

The fact that it was his first Premier League goal from open play since his accidental strike against Aston Villa in early 2014 justifies some of the criticism that has been thrown his way. Regardless, he certainly justified his selection. 

Mauricio Pochettino made no changes to the lineup despite having played just three days earlier. That was a surprise, but there was little evidence of fatigue. 

Spurs had three targets just over a week ago. The League Cup and Europa League are gone, and the single silver lining there is that they can now single-mindedly focus on the race for the top four. 

Tough defeats in Florence and at Wembley could have triggered a run of poor results, threatening the progress they have made this season and even Pochettino's job. Spurs hadn't won a game since derby-day glory against Arsenal. That poor run extended beyond the last week and needed to be broken with an impressive display. While Swansea made them nervous later on, the performance and result have them poised for the final stretch.

With a game in hand, Tottenham are looking up the table. Manchester United, out of form but grinding out results, sit fourth. Arsenal are a point ahead, with Liverpool two behind. 

If they can win their game in hand, a trip to face QPR at Loftus Road, they will be poised for the final sprint. Ten matches remain to push those teams ahead of them. 

Spurs have produced some genuinely great performances this season. They will need to find the strength for several more before the season is out if they are to find a place in England's top four. 

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

Tottenham don't need to finish in the top four this season. It was never the plan for Pochettino to break into Europe's elite at his first tilt. His results so far have the fans dreaming. 

Beating Chelsea and Arsenal within a month showed that the brief period where they couldn't compete with the top sides was over. They probably should have beaten Liverpool too, but that defeat did little to undo the real progress they've made under their Argentinian boss. 

Beating Swansea in a fun, open match at White Hart Lane gave the fans something to cheer about and reminded Pochettino's players that they are an excellent unit. The midfield that dominated Arsenal at home remains intact and is the launching pad for Spurs' exciting young attackers. 

This team has suffered two black eyes in a week, but they haven't been knocked out, not yet. They lifted themselves off the canvas with the win over Garry Monk's men, and now they are ready to fight on.