Tottenham Hotspur secure a fifth-placed Premier League finish with a 3-0 beating of Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
Tottenham Hotspur overcame a slow start to secure a fifth-placed Premier League finish and Europa League football with a 3-0 win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
Needing just a point to ensure their place in Europe’s secondary competition, Ange Postecoglou‘s men were not at the races in the opening 10 minutes but quickly found their rhythm.
Dejan Kulusevski netted a brace either side of a Pedro Porro thunderbolt for the Lilywhites, who capped off a turbulent season on a high note and ensured that Chris Wilder‘s basement boys would head back to the Championship with a whimper.
Still at risk of ceding fifth place to Chelsea on the final day, Tottenham’s start did not inspire confidence, as Ben Brereton Diaz volleyed just over the top after a third-minute Radu Dragusin mistake.
However, Blades midfielder Ben Osborn had come off worse in a collision with Micky van de Ven in the build-up to that chance and had to be substituted with just five minutes on the board; Vinicius Souza replaced his stricken colleague.
The Blades were still in the ascendancy, though – Brereton Diaz hit the post in the 10th minute but would have been denied by the offside flag anyway – but they would soon find themselves behind against the run of play.
With 14 minutes gone, Son Heung-min managed to beat a red and white shirt to the ball on the edge of the box and feed Kulusevski, who smashed a low strike across goal and in off the post.
Tottenham back in Europe in Postecoglou’s debut season
© Reuters
Kulusevski’s strike immediately preceded an apparent medical issue in the stands, although play was only halted for a few moments, after which the visitors were firmly in the ascendancy.
The home crowd were counting their lucky stars in the 29th minute, when Rodrigo Bentancur‘s strike hit the post and rolled across goal, before Wes Foderingham quickly got back into position to deny Son on the follow-up.
Spurs failed to keep up the intensity as the half drew to a close but headed down the tunnel with a one-goal advantage to their name, and the second half began in a similar vein, with Postecoglou’s team dominating possession but not looking capable of adding to their lead.
That was until the 59th minute, though, as a corner scramble saw Foderingham push a deflected Van de Ven strike to safety, but Porro – as he did against Burnley – arrived on the scene to fire a venomous strike into the roof of the net.
Any doubts were then firmly laid to rest in the 65th minute, as Son found James Maddison‘s run down the left with a fabulous long pass, and the Englishman’s cutback to Kulusevski saw the Swede force a low strike past Foderingham for his second and Spurs’ third.
Sheffield United’s afternoon almost turned disastrous in the 76th minute as Andre Brooks was sent off for a foul on Son, but upon an on-field review, Andy Madley reversed his decision to keep it 11v11.
Brooks’s reprieve was the only small victory for Sheffield United to take on another humbling Premier League afternoon, while Spurs rejoiced in a swift return to the continent.
No Data Analysis info
