Jaded Tottenham's Europa League wobble continues as Fraser Forster denied big moment | OneFootball

Late Mats Hummels goal denies Spurs on frustrating night

Mats Hummels’ scored a 90th-minute equaliser on his first European appearance since the Champions League Final, as Roma rescued a late 2-2 draw with Tottenham in north London.

Brennan Johnson restored Spurs’ lead before the interval and both sides had a host of chances in the second half before Hummels struck.

Here are three talking points from the game…

Spurs wobbling in the Europa

It is probably about time to start looking at the Europa League table, and it would have made much better reading for Spurs without Hummels’ stoppage-time leveller.

As it is, Spurs dropped down to ninth, still in a decent position but out of the automatic qualification places following a first draw in the competition, which leaves Ange Postecoglou’s side on 10 points.

They will probably need results in two of their remaining three matches to guarantee they will avoid an unwanted play-off in February, with a visit to Rangers up next in mid-December.

Given Rangers’ recent success in the Europa League and the added motivation of Postecoglou’s return to the other side of Glasgow, it promises to be another tough game.

His side could easily have won by any number of goals, with Dejan Kulusevski, Pedro Porro and Dominic Solanke striking the woodwork and Spurs wasteful in the final third.

Equally, Roma might have had even more joy in front of goal if they had shown greater discipline against Spurs' high-line, and the Italians finished the night with three goals disallowed for offside.

After a strong start in this competition, Spurs are wobbling a little after the defeat at Galatasaray and this result – most likely as their squad feels the effects of the schedule and a catalogue of injuries.

The draw also ensures Spurs failed to build on the win over City, albeit in a different competition.

Follow up the win at the Etihad with another victory over Fulham on Sunday and the Europa League will quickly be forgotten. But slip up against the Cottagers, and Spurs will be guilty of more wildly fluctuating form.

Fraser Forster denied his big moment

Hummels’ strike also spoiled a potentially huge moment for Fraser Forster, who had made a magnificent save to deny Gianluca Mancini moments before the equaliser.

Forster was starting the first of what is likely to be an extended run in the team after Guglielmo Vicario had surgery on a broken ankle on Monday, and he was largely solid.

The 36-year-old was beaten five times on the night, albeit three of Roma’s goals were disallowed for tight offsides, but he did make two smart saves from Paulo Dybala in the first half.

Fraser Forster is starting what looks like a long run in the Tottenham XI

REUTERS

He was guilty of one hairy moment playing out with his feet in the second half when a loose pass played his side into trouble, but he was largely composed in possession.

In all, it was a mixed performance from Forster, with the jury still out on whether the former England international can prove a capable understudy over the next few months.

Spurs jaded?

This felt like a return to the wasteful Spurs of the first few months of the season, as Postecoglou’s side squandered a hatful of chances to kill off Roma.

With better finishing and more robust set-piece defending, Spurs would have been comfortable, but it was easy to wonder how much their exerts against City had taken out of them, especially as Roma pushed for an equaliser in the final 10 minutes.

The likes of Son and Kulusevski were both loose in possession at times and sloppy in front of goal, and the strain is likely to fall on Spurs' forwards given the nature of their injury problems. Richarlison, Mikey Moore and Wilson Odobert are all unavailable through injury or illness, while teenager striker Will Lankshear was suspended here.

Postecoglou is set to name the same front three for the visit of Fulham and Spurs must lift themselves quickly, amid of a jam-packed run of fixtures, which Postecoglou has suggested will be crucial to how their season turns out.