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Seven new faces took the pitch for Tottenham Hotspur in Transnistria on Thursday, but they had no problem grabbing another win to take a stranglehold on Group K in the Europa League. Jan Vertonghen and Jermain Defoe were the scorers in a shaky, but ultimately solid Spurs performance as they downed FC Sheriff, 2-0, in Tiraspol.
Vertonghen's opener came in the 12th minute off a set piece, with Christian Eriksen providing the assist. From the right flank, Eriksen floated a cross to the back post towards the head of Vertonghen, who beat his man in the air and placed a perfect header into the back of the net.
Spurs clinched their result in the 75th minute, though they needed a bit of luck to do so. Defoe's goal came from 25 yards out, but took a wicked deflection off the back of a Sheriff defender, giving goalkeeper Vjekoslav Tomic no chance to make a save.
Notes:
- I'm sorry for that "Erik Lamela Veron" joke on Twitter, but seriously, that's what we're working towards. He's been bad in every chance he's gotten so far. My patience is wearing thin. Fans who want him to get starts ahead of Andros Townsend baffle me. And i was a massive proponent of spending whatever it took to get him. His poor performances have been baffling.
- Aaron Lennon looked rusty, but showed flashes of brilliance. Pretty standard for Lennon after a long injury layoff. He'll be a very useful player for us in a couple of weeks.
- Vlad Chiriches gets better with every start.
- Zeki Fryers had to come off injured in this game and that gave me a sad.
- Sandro is this team's best non-goalkeeper when fit and in form. I love Jan, Moose and our advanced playmakers, but Hugo Lloris is the only other truly world class player we have, and he's not as important to the team as Sandro is.
- Eriksen and Holtby continue to be inseparable. I'm not even sure who I want starting big games at the moment.
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