Christian Eriksen double spares Hugo Lloris blushes with Spurs winner at Stoke
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Updated 07/04/2018 at 18:07 GMT
Premier League, bet365 Stadium - Stoke City 1 (Diouf 57') Tottenham Hotspur 2 (Eriksen 52', 63')
Christian Eriksen celebrates at Stoke.
Image credit: Eurosport
Christian Eriksen struck twice in Tottenham's 2-1 victory at relegation-haunted Stoke after an awful Hugo Lloris blunder almost gifted the home side a draw.
Eriksen had given Spurs the lead at the bet365 stadium when he scored on 52 minutes only for Lloris to gift Stoke an equaliser five minutes later when he missed the ball racing from his line
Mame Diouf clipped the ball into the empty net to level, but Eriksen had the final word when he his free-kick went straight into the home net on 63 minutes with England forward Harry Kane just failing to connect with his head.
Spurs are fourth in the table a point behind second-placed Manchester United and Liverpool in third.
Stoke remain second bottom the table after a fourth straight defeat, four points from safety with Crystal Palace in 17th position.
TALKING POINT: Lloris errors are starting to become a pattern
For the second week in a row, a Lloris howler led to Tottenham conceding a goal. Just like last week it didn’t cost them in the end, but Lloris’ form must be a concern to Mauricio Pochettino.
The Frenchman looked uneasy all game at Stoke, flapping at several crosses before and after the goal, and had clearly been identified as a weak link by the opposition. For a player considered by many as one of the world’s best shot-stoppers, that is an alarming fall from grace.
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Christian Eriksen of Tottenham Hotspur and Erik Pieters of Stoke City battle for the ball.
Image credit: Eurosport
MAN OF THE MATCH
Dele Alli (Tottenham): Eriksen got the two goals, but it was Alli who made the first and his all-round play and movement was impressive throughout and too much for Stoke to handle. After some criticism he’s really stepped up in the last two weeks and he now has 10 assists in the league to go with eight goals this season – another impressive return.
KEY MOMENTS
- 12’ – CHANCE! A nice Stoke move gets Pieters the ball in space down the left and he crosses low for Diouf, eight yards out, who slices over.
- 23’ – SAVE! Huge chance for Spurs and Son goes through on goal but he can't beat Butland, who spreads himself and saves with his leg. Brilliant goalkeeping.
- 52’ – GOAL! Stoke 0-1 Tottenham (Eriksen). Stoke's back four get their line all wrong Alli is played in on the right. He takes his time before pulling the ball back for Eriksen, who sweeps home.
- 57’ – GOAL! Stoke 1-1 Tottenham (Diouf). It's another howler from Lloris. He comes off his line deal with a hopeful through ball Diouf is chasing but hesitates and then blasts the ball straight into Diouf, who collects the ricochet and taps home before going down in pain.
- 63’ – GOAL! Stoke 1-2 Tottenham (Eriksen). Eriksen's inswinging free-kick ends up in the back of the net, with Kane claiming he got a touch. Replays suggest he didn’t.
- 80’ – OFF THE POST! Shaqiri steps up and smashes a free-kick into the post, with Lloris beaten.
- 84’ – CHANCE! Huge opportunity for Stoke, as Dier loses possession and Diouf is put through on the left with three men to chose from waiting in the box, but Diouf somehow picks out the one defender present.
PLAYER RATINGS
- Stoke City: Butland 7, Johnson 6, Shawcross 6, Martins Indi 7, Pieters 6, N’Diaye 7, Allen 6, Bauer 6, Shaqiri 6, Sobhi 6, Diouf 6.subs: Campbell 5, Crouch 5, Zouma n/a.
- Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris 4, Aurier 5, Sanchez 6, Vertonghen 6, Rose 6, Wanyama 6, Dembele 7, Eriksen 7, Alli 7, Son 6, Kane 6...subs: Lamele 6, Dier 5, Sissoko n/a.
KEY STATS
- Mauricio Pochettino took charge of his 200th Premier League game (W103 D53 L44); the first non-European manager to reach the landmark in the competition.
- Spurs have won more Premier League away games at the Bet365 Stadium than any other team (7).
- Stoke have conceded 63 Premier League goals this season, the most they’ve shipped in a single league campaign since 2005-06 (63).
- Spurs are on the longest current unbeaten run in the Premier League (14 – W11 D3), and are the only side yet to lose in 2018.
- Christian Eriksen scored a brace vs Stoke, taking his tally to 10 Premier League goals this season – his joint-best return in a single campaign (also 10 in 2014-15).
- Mame Biram Diouf has scored as many Premier League goals in 2017-18 (6) as he did in his previous two campaigns combined.
- Dele Alli has been directly involved in six goals in his five Premier League appearances against Stoke (four goals, two assists).
- Alli has provided more league assists this season than in any other campaign (10).
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