Tottenham vs. Stoke: Score and Reaction from 2015 Premier League Match
Stoke City grabbed an amazing 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur after it had looked like the White Hart Lane side would stroll to a simple win after dominating most of a pulsating match.
Substitute Stephen Ireland inspired Stoke to the unlikely point, as goals from Marko Arnautovic and Mame Biram Diouf canceled out first-half efforts from Eric Dier and Nacer Chadli.
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino made two changes to his team that lost at Old Trafford in their opening game, with Ryan Mason and Hugo Lloris returning to the starting XI. Potters manager Mark Hughes made one change for the visit to north London, as Arnautovic replaced Charlie Adam.
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Spurs introduced pacy new attacker Clinton Njie and other new signings to the White Hart Lane faithful before the start of the match, as shared by Tottenham's official Twitter account:
Tottenham dominated the opening passages of possession as Stoke settled into the contest. Christian Eriksen tested the visitors' goalkeeper, Jack Butland, with an early free-kick, but the England stopper made a superb save.
Spurs continued to dictate the pace—with Harry Kane looking in fine fettle—as Hughes cut a frustrated figure in his technical area.
Stoke found it difficult to cope with the creativity of Eriksen and Chadli, and there was no surprise when Spurs opened the scoring after 19 minutes.
Dier, playing in midfield on Saturday, saw his header hit the back of the net from close range after converting an Eriksen corner. Dier had not struck in the Premier League for almost a year, as highlighted by Squawka.com:
Spurs doubled their lead just before half-time as the dangerous Chadli added his name to the scoresheet.
The Belgium international met a Ben Davies cross, and his deflected effort beat the unlucky Butland to take a 2-0 lead into half-time, per Tottenham's official Twitter account:
TalkSport and Bleacher Report's Stan Collymore praised the excellent Kane—comparing him to a former White Hart Lane great—and Spurs' overall performance:
The second half continued in much of the same vein, as Mason and Dier dominated the central midfield. Eriksen looked subdued against Manchester United, but his performance value was significantly better on Saturday.
Hughes brought on new boy Joselu and Ireland just on the hour mark, and the changes were to swing the match toward the Britannia side. The subs almost bore fruits immediately, as Diouf's header forced Lloris into an instinctive save.
Spurs substituted the mercurial Kane for Erik Lamela after 64 minutes, with Chadli being pushed into the striker's role. Stoke responded to Kane's withdrawal positively and began to get their foot on the ball, driving Spurs back as the pace became frenetic.
The away side were offered a lifeline late in the match, as Arnautovic converted a penalty with 12 minutes left. Joselu was dragged down by Toby Alderweireld in the box, leaving the referee in no doubt. The Austrian buried his spot kick low to Lloris' right to set up a nervous end for the home team.
And the Potters, inspired by Ireland, broke Spurs' hearts as Diouf's header hit the back of the net after 83 minutes, sending Stoke's travelling fans into total delirium. The former Manchester United striker met Ireland's perfect cross to draw his side level.
Stoke looked like the most likely to win the game in the closing stages as Spurs capitulated, but the home side hung on by the skin of their teeth to avoid a humiliating loss. Boos rung out across the stadium on full time, with the home fans clearly disappointed with the way their team collapsed.
The Press Association's Tom Allnutt said Hughes' tactical changes had ripped the game away from Tottenham:
It was a terrible result for Spurs after having the game in their pocket for over an hour, but the loss of Kane was to change the game and skew the final score.
Stoke were magnificent in the closing stages and completely flipped the game on its head. Ireland rolled back the years to prove he still is a credible midfield talent, and as soon as Mason had departed the game, the Stoke player dominated the match.
Post-Match Reaction
Pochettino was miffed at the final whistle, after watching his side give away a certain three points. The manager also confirmed Kane was withdrawn early due to tiredness, per football writer Greg Lea:
Hughes was encouraged by the great comeback by his players, and spoke of how his team overcame a Spurs side in the ascendancy, per Lea:
Tottenham now play an in-form Leicester City at the King Power on Aug. 22, with Stoke travelling away to Norwich City on the same day.
