Europa League

TOTTENHAM legend Glenn Hoddle believes Dele Alli’s form is becoming ‘an issue’ after he was subbed off at half time of the defeat at Royal Antwerp.
Spurs’ 10-match unbeaten run came to a disappointing end in the Europa League as Lior Refaelov scored the only goal of the game.

Dele Alli was subbed off again at half time in Tottenham’s defeat at AntwerpCredit: Getty

Boss Jose Mourinho rang the changes for the clash, handing Alli his first start since September 24.
But he is still to finish a game this campaign and has now been hauled off at the break in two of his three starts so far.
Alli did create a chance for Carlos Vinicius before he was replaced, but that was not enough to convince Mourinho to let him continue for the second period.
In fact Alli was one of FOUR players hooked at half-time in Belgium, with Spurs en route to their shock defeat.

And unimpressed Mourinho later revealed he would have subbed EVERYONE if he could.
Speaking after full-time, he said: “I would like to make 11 (changes at half-time).
“I didn’t make five because I was afraid of a long 45 minutes. There is only one to blame, I chose the players to start.

“Tonight my future choices are going to be very easy. It is my responsibility.”
Asked about Alli’s performance specifically, Mourinho refused to be drawn, but added: “You always ask me before matches why this player is not playing, why this player is not selected.
“Maybe now for a few weeks you will not ask me that, because you have the answer.”
Alli, 24, enjoyed a rich vein of form upon the Portuguese coach’s arrival last November but soon began to fall down the pecking order.
The England international was heavily linked with a transfer move to Paris Saint-Germain before the summer window closed, but that failed to materialise.
And Tottenham’s former midfielder and manager Hoddle thinks Mourinho will be disappointed Alli failed to take his opportunity tonight.
When asked whether the Alli situation was becoming an issue, Hoddle said: “It is [becoming an issue]. I think this was his opportunity.
“I think Jose will have put him in there tonight thinking ‘ok, hit me right between the eyes, have a great game, score a goal’. But it just didn’t happen for him.

“At the moment, in his all-round game, he’s just giving the ball away too many times. He’s trying his best but it’s not happening for him.
“Sloppy play like this is not going to get him back in the team.”
His fellow BT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves believes it is all down to the player lacking confidence.
He said: “I think he was lacking in confidence. You could see his frustration when he was making mistakes.
“He knows he is being watched like a hawk by Mourinho, and everyone, and he wants to be playing well.
“When your confidence is low, you end up playing really safe and that’s what he was doing today.”

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JOSE MOURINHO and his so-called Spurs gems left the diamond capital of the world with doubts over their true value after being made to look like 24-carat plonkers.
Lior Refaelov’s first half-strike earned the Belgians a famous victory.

Lior Refaelov scored the only goal of the game as Tottenham suffered defeat in AntwerpCredit: Reuters

Gareth Bale, who was replaced by Harry Kane, lasted less than an hour in BelgiumCredit: Reuters

Lior Refaelov scored on 29 minutes and Spurs were unable to find a way backCredit: Getty

Jose Mourinho made four changes at the break but his side could not find a way through despite dominating the second periodCredit: Reuters

But never mind Lior, Lior pants on fire…Mourinho and his stars had theirs pulled down as they suffered a surprise but fully deserved defeat.
The Premier League were simply awful as they lost their first match since the opening day defeat at home to Everton.
Mourinho was so miffed he made FOUR substitutions at half-time – hauling off Giovani Lo Celso, Steven Bergwijn, Carlos Vinicius and, most noticeably Dele Alli.

New superstar loan signing Gareth Bale followed them soon after as his anonymous showing ended with him being replaced by Harry Kane before the hour mark.
What would have angered the Spurs boss even more was that he could have quite easily dragged another three players.
Antwerp might be top of the Belgian top flight and unbeaten at home in 14 months and Tottenham may never have won a match in Hercule Poiroit’s backyard in what is now six attempts.
But Spurs really should have put up a better fight than this as they went down with a whimper.

Just when we were all thinking this might finally be the season they end their 13-year trophy drought, they go and perform like this.

Mourinho, after seeing them throw away a 3-0 lead at home to West Ham, inistsed his squad were no longer ‘Spursy’.
That is something he may now have to reconsider.
That will not bother Antwerp, whose fans celebrated outside the stadium with an impromptu firework display.
The hosts are Belgium’s oldest club having originally been founded in 1880 as Antwerp Cricket Club by a group of English students staying in the town.
Antwerp qualified for this tournament by pulling off a shock win over League champions Club Brugge in last season’s Belgian Cup Final to claim their first trophy for 30 years.
They have started this season in the same fashion they finished the last one and currently sit top of the Belgian with six wins and two draws from their opening 10 matches.
Mourinho made NINE changes to his side that started Monday’s 1-0 win at Burnley, with only keeper Hugo Lloris and defender Ben Davies keeping their places.
While all eyes were inevitably again on Bale, his Wales team-mate Davies was making his 200th Spurs appearance – although it is one he will want to forget after blundering for the winner.

Antwerp coach Ivan Leko named an unchanged line-up from their derby win over Beerschot on Sunday  – but could only name SIX subs in a move that highlighted the difference in squad size and spending power between these clubs.
Tottenham were certainly lucky not to concede here when Peter Gerkens went close with a glancing header from Simen Juklerod’s 13th minute corner.
Spurs responded immediately with Lo Celso having a curling 25-yarder saved by Antwerp’s French keeper Jean Butez.
The visitors then breathed another sigh of relief when Refaelov snatched at a volley, sending it flying over the bar.
But the Israeli made no mistake when he was handed the chance to put Antwerp ahead in the 29th minute after Davies ruined his milestone night by being outmuscled by Dieumerci Mbokani in his own half.
As the usually dependable Dragon appealed for a foul, his Congolese conqueror raced away towards goal before squaring to Refaelov, who was able to take a touch before he rifled home his fourth goal in his last five games.
Mourinho might have expected more after his quadruple half-time substitutions which saw Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min enter the fray.
But the Portuguese could only watch in dismay as his team almost shot themselves in the foot again within moments of the restart.

Dele Alli suffered a miserable return to Spurs actionCredit: EPA
Harry Winks’ wayward back pass let in Refaelov who was denied a second by Sanchez’s saving sliding tackle.
Mbokani then blazed over the bar from just three yards in the 53rd minute after Koji Moyoshi had turned Sanchez inside out – before Hugo Lloris had to backpedal to tip over Juklerod’s curling shot two minutes later.
Mourinho had seen enough and having hoped to give Kane the night off, he was forced to bring on his overworked England captain for the ineffective Bale in the 58th minute.
Lamela and Moura combined to set up Son, whose shot was blocked by Abdoulaye Seck.
The Argentinian was then just a whisker away from getting his head to Serge Aurier’s brilliant cross as Spurs improved.
But in searching for the equaliser, the Prem side left gaps at the back and Juklerod blazed over after being put through with only Lloris to beat.
It was the first time this Tottenham had failed to win away this season.
Nobody could argue Antwerp did not warrant one of the greatest victories of their modern era.

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JAMIE VARDY maintained his remarkable record on the road with his SEVENTH goal in four away games to maintain Leicester’s 100 per cent start to Group G.
AEK Athens can’t claim they weren’t warned – after all, if anyone should be able to recognise a world-class centaur-forward, it’s the Greeks!

Jamie Vardy and Hamza Choudhury were both on target in Greece as Leicester beat AEK AthensCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Vardy won the penalty and then dispatched it although the goalkeeper got a glove to the ballCredit: AP:Associated Press

The famous creature from Greek mythology was half-man, half-horse and at times, Vardy appears to possess the best qualities of both.
The 33-year-old certainly galloped clear of poor Stratos Svarnas when he burst on to James Maddison’s stunning through ball to earn his side the early penalty which set up this hard-fought win.
The struggling defender clipped Vardy’s hoof – sorry boot – causing the vetreran hitman to stumble as he entered the box.
Goalkeeper Panagiotis Tsintotas was suckered into thinking he had a chance of getting to the ball first and committed himself.

That was the signal for Vardy to fold and wait for contact as he earned the umpteenth penalty of his career.
Tsintotas probably studied hours of footage of Vardy’s penalty taking technique because he guessed the right way and managed to get both hands to his spot kick.
But it was struck with such force that he couldn’t prevent it flying off his gloves and into the corner of his net.
He would have been better studying Vardy’s art of winning penalties and maybe he wouldn’t have been so reckless!

⚽ Premier League⚽ Championship⚽ League Cup⚽ FA Cup⚽ Community Shield⚽ Champions League⚽ Europa LeagueJamie Vardy’s now scored in every competition he’s played in for Leicester after giving them the lead vs. AEK from the spot 🎯 pic.twitter.com/mPzLAUPpoG
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 29, 2020

That goal gave the injury-hit Foxes the solid platform they needed to take a firm grip of this tie in a first half they dominated.
It also continued the Leicester legend’s incredible scoring feats away from the King Power.
A double to sink West Brom on the opening day of the season at the Hawthorns, a hat-trick in a 5-2 demolition of Manchester City at the Etihad, the winner against Arsenal at the Emirates… and another in Athens Olympic Stadium last night.
Rodgers’ men rode their luck at times but there is no doubt they were a better team than the Greeks, despite taking their foot off the gas after the break.
They were able to because by then they had built up a two-goal lead as Hamza Choudhury showed the strength in depth Rodgers has at his disposal these days.
The homegrown midfielder grabbed a goal on his first start in European competition, six minutes before the break.
James Maddison’s corner was met by the faintest of flicks from Vardy – who else?
With the Greeks’ defence flat-footed Choudhury arrived at the back of the box and steered a controlled shot beyond Tsintotas to beat the keeper at his near post.

Choudhury was left unmarked at the back post and turned in wellCredit: AP:Associated Press

It was a timely strike because Leicester had been guilty of sloppiness too often for Rodgers’ liking.
AEK skipper Petros Mantalos was a constant nuisance, volleying just over following a quick throw.
Then Svarnas lost his bearings as Michalis Balakis sent him clear of the visitors’ offside trap but the defender didn’t react and the ball ran harmlessly out.
Kasper Schmeichel then rescued his side with a spectacular touch over from a Marko Livaja header.
Athens boss Massimo Carrera went for broke at the break sending on two subs, including Muamer Tankovic.

Muamer Tankovic pulled one back soon after half-time as AEK threatened a comebackCredit: AP:Associated Press

The Foxes made it six points from six to begin their Group G campaignCredit: Getty Images – Getty
And the former Fulham man took just three minutes to make an impact when Mantalos sprung Leicester’s offside trap and Tankovic kept his cool to slam the ball between Schmeichel’s legs.
Amazingly, Leicester almost came a cropper in the shadow of the Acropolis moments later when Mantalos repeated the feat but this time the sub fluffed his attempt as he blazed over.
Cengiz Under curled a shot off the AEK post after 65 minutes and five minutes later Vardy departed and was replaced by Kelechi Iheanacho.
Job done – he will now trot off to Elland Road for another away day on Monday night.
Don’t bet against him being the centaur of attention again!

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