Tottenham show all their thrills and flaws before last gasp Mats Hummels denies victory

TOTTENHAM 2-2 ROMA: Mats Hummels scores a past gasp equaliser to contradict Spurs a Europa League triumph aft they had taken the pb twice

Electric going guardant - but fishier astatine the backmost than Billingsgate market.

Tottenham are the large entertainers of English football, and successful different rip-roaring thrust astatine Big Ange’s fairground, they went from thrills connected the rollercoaster to scares connected the shade train. When the carousel stopped spinning, Spurs were inactive connected people to scope the Europa League’s knockout stages. But Ange Postecoglou was frustrated by German seasoned Mats Hummels’ stoppage-time equaliser arsenic Tottenham slipped to ninth.

It was large amusive - adjacent if your cardiologist whitethorn not hold - and if information beryllium told, decision would person been desperately harsh connected 1 of European football’s godfathers.

At 73, Roma manager Claudio Ranieri returned to the beforehand enactment earlier this period - helium indispensable beryllium mad. The Tinkerman’s fable is everlastingly unafraid successful English shot aft helium led Leicester’s 5,000-1 no-hopers to their rubric occurrence successful 2016.

But Age Concern’s helpline should person been going into meltdown with callers fearing for a septuagenarian chilled to the bony connected a northbound London touchline. Instead of having his feet up with a bully solid of Chianti, the Emperor Claudio was prowling successful his method country and urging his men guardant similar an orchestra conductor.

In his past 38 games arsenic a Premier League manager, incorporating his past 7 matches astatine Leicester and abbreviated shrift astatine Fulham and Watford, Ranieri took conscionable 23 points - relegation signifier by immoderate yardstick. But his vocation has enjoyed a renaissance backmost successful Italy, wherever helium saved Cagliari from relegation successful Serie A past season, prompting Roma to bring him retired of short-lived status for a 3rd stint successful the eternal city.

Ranieri’s thermals had hardly warmed his toes erstwhile Hummels felled Pape Sarr successful the container - an evident penalty, though it took referee Glenn Nyberg ages to springiness it aft VAR involution - and skipper Heung-min Son fired Spurs successful beforehand from the spot. The South Korean poster boy’s 4th extremity of the season, aft conscionable 5 minutes, sent Roma keeper Mile Svilar the incorrect way.

And it should person fixed Tottenham the assurance to drawback the question again aft their astonishing demolition of champions Manchester City past weekend. But they lapsed backmost into slipshod, careless ways and a acquainted weakness soon resurfaced.

Paulo Dybala’s free-kick was glanced successful disconnected the barroom by Evan N’Dicka’s good header, and 2 minutes aboriginal Spurs were lone spared by a borderline offside telephone ruling retired Stephan El Shaarawy’s volley. Then Fraser Forster, each 6ft 7in of him, plummeted debased to support retired Dybala’s skimming effort earlier Tottenham restored their pb aft 33 minutes.

Brennan Johnson swept location Dejan Kulusevski’s cut-back with a glorious first-time decorativeness for his ninth extremity of the play and a infinitesimal aboriginal Son spooned the rebound implicit the apical from 8 yards aft Kulusevski’s changeable deed the acold post.

Pushing their luck again, Spurs survived 2 much goals disallowed for offside earlier Roma shuddered the barroom - each wrong 15 minutes of the restart. Pedro Porro returned service by skimming the woodwork, and Dominic Solanke’s close-ranger header besides knocked connected wood.

But Tottenham were fortunate not to beryllium reduced to 10 men aft Rodrigo Bentancur’s mediocre situation connected Alexis Saekermaekers brought Ranieri rushing to the touchline picketing for a reddish card. And justness was done erstwhile Hummels turned location Angelino’s driven cross-shot with the hourglass moving abbreviated of sand.

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