Five things we learned about Tottenham from the win against Sheffield United

Follow us on Google Discover

Tottenham Hotspur fought hard for a win against Sheffield United in the League Cup last night.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Andros Townsend scored the only goal of the game to give Spurs a 1-0 lead heading into the second leg of the League Cup semi-final against Sheffield United.

Boss Mauricio Pochettino will be pleased with the way his side closed out the match although he more than likely would have been hoping for a more comfortable margin of victory.

Here are five things we learned about Spurs from the game last night.

Townsend is definitely worth keeping

Townsend is a player Tottenham need to hang onto over the second half of the season. He may not be the most consistent winger around, but his pace causes problems and puts defenders onto the back foot. He’s a very good option to have attacking from the start or coming off the bench late in the second-half when players are tiring.

A hint over Adebayor’s future

The decision to make Emmanuel Adebayor captain was a big one by Pochettino. It’s a big hint that he’s not looking for the striker to leave the club any time soon, despite the rumour mill continuing to spin round at full pace. He got stuck in and gave Tottenham a presence up front.

Kane is affected by having a big strike partner

Adebayor’s presence in the team allowed Harry Kane to drop off slightly and drift to either side of the attack, giving him more creative licence than he’s perhaps had at other times this season. That doesn’t seem to be his best role. He appears to be at his best when he’s playing through the middle as the main man.

Dier continues to impress

Eric Dier continues to look very comfortable in the middle of Tottenham’s back four. He played against a side looking to use a rougher approach and showed remarkable maturity which definitely would have impressed his manager. He looks set to place a bit of pressure on Federico Fazio to play at centre back.

Is Stambouli now first choice?

Benjamin Stambouli could now well be first choice for Spurs in the holding midfield role. Pochettino had the chance to stick Mousa Dembele, a player with a physical reputation, into the side last night but opted for Stambouli controlling the space in front of the defence and it was a decision, which paid off.