It was a result that will have brought the Tottenham squad together – footage emerged on the players’ Instagram of dancing in the dressing room. But three Tottenham players will have a sour taste in their mouth, despite the win.
Even Harry Kane was seen dancing around, on Yves Bissouma’s Instagram. A brilliant win, there is nothing like a last-minute winner. It sees the Spurs squad continue their Champions League campaign, as Group D winners.
But there were a couple of surprises in Antonio Conte’s line-up, going into the 2-1 win. With Cristian Romero out injured, Conte decided to play Eric Dier away from his usual position in the middle – on the right of the back three.
Clement Lenglet played in the middle. But the real surprise came at right wing-back. Ryan Sessegnon was preferred to any of the three right-footed wing-backs Tottenham have; Matt Doherty, Emerson Royal or Djed Spence.
Three Tottenham players will have a sour taste in mouth despite win
Royal has been first choice on the right flank all season, while Ireland international Doherty has come in and played well. So, either one of those players will have been hoping they will have got a start on Tuesday night in France.
Spence perhaps less so. But, all three will have been somewhat questioning the decision to start with Sessegnon on the right, a left-footed option. What will the three players, all on the bench, have been thinking as they watched on?
At half-time, Emerson did come on for Sessegnon. But the fact he was overlooked in the first place will have surely annoyed him. Doherty and even Spence will feel they are ahead of Sessegnon in the right wing-back pecking order.
It will be a real blow to the trio’s confidence. A feeling that Conte does not trust any of them to play in their natural position, preferring a left-footed player to play out of position. It will be interesting who starts against Liverpool.
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