Jermaine Jenas comments on Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat at the Emirates.
Jermaine Jenas has told BBC’s Match of the Day 2 program (broadcast on Sunday, November 19) that he was surprised by Tottenham Hotspur’s long-ball routine on Saturday.
Spurs went down 2-0 to North London rivals Arsenal at the Emirates in an away performance which surprised Tottenham fans and media figures for all the wrong reasons.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side were fresh from a 3-1 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League and, with Arsenal in the Europa League, there was a real sense that the Lilywhites were wedging open a serious gulf in class between the two sides.
But the Gunners’ straightforward win over Spurs has called for a review of such theories.
Arsene Wenger’s side harried their North London enemies in the final third, making it difficult for Tottenham to build attacks from defence, and Jenas says he has never seen his old side resort to a long-ball tactic as much as they did at the Emirates.
“I’ve never seen Spurs play so many long balls, I really haven’t,” Jenas said on BBC’s Match of the Day 2 program last night.
“The amount of times I can remember Hugo Lloris throwing it out to Jan Vertognhen and him having to chip the ball into Harry Kane or Dele Alli. It was just coming straight back at them.“
Arsenal are only one point behind Tottenham, who are 11 adrift of top-of-the-table Manchester City as it goes.
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