Norwich 2-2 Tottenham: 3 reasons Why Norwich Held Tottenham To A Draw

Modified Dec 31, 2019 12:09 GMT

Norwich City v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League

A struggling Norwich side welcomed an inconsistent Tottenham Hotspurs to Carrow Road and snatched a point off their opponents. A calmly slotted strike from Mario Vrancic opened proceedings in the 18th minute and put Norwich ahead. The Canaries denied a second when Teemu Pukki had a goal disallowed for the most minuscule of offsides.

Tottenham would eventually equalize through Christian Eriksen in the 55th minute before Serge Aurier would restore Norwich’s lead with an own goal six minutes later. It looked set for an unlikely Norwich win before Harry Kane would win himself a penalty and then convert it, seven minutes from the end.

Despite impressing the rest of the league with their attacking style of play, the Canaries are winless in their last 15 Premier League games, drawing 4 and losing 10. As for Tottenham, they have been highlighted for their inconsistency, having lost to Chelsea and then winning against Brighton a couple of days later, only now to be held by Norwich.

Here are 3 reasons why Norwich drew with Tottenham.

#3 Spurs’ Porous defense

Jose Mourinho's teams have always shown flair in tactical defending. His teams are all meant to be resolute and hard to beat, with clean sheets being their main objective in each match. This Spurs side does not seem to be adopting that philosophy just yet as they always look vulnerable when put under pressure. Since the Portuguese manager took over, Spurs have conceded 17 goals in 10 games, a record that’s not good enough for a top 4 finish.

For Norwich’s first goal, Tottenham’s defense opened up for Vrancic to run through from midfield and score. Such space is criminal and Mourinho has always preached on not having too much distance between the midfield and the defense. The lack of communication between Toby Alderweireld and Aurier is what caused Norwich’s second goal, with the two failing to clear their lines, ultimately clearing into their own net.

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#2 Teemu Pukki’s movement

The Norwich striker has been a revelation this season. For those who doubted his ability to translate his form from the Championship to the PL, he has proved them all wrong. Pukki has been Norwich’s only shining light this season, directly contributing to 12 goals in 20 Premier League appearances.

Against an out of sorts Tottenham defence, the 29-year-old wreaked havoc and his endurance and infectious energy unsettled the Spurs defence. The striker’s insistence to make runs down the flanks made him hard to mark. Also, his persistence in pressing the Spurs defenders didn’t allow Tottenham to play out from the back, forcing them to go long.

If it weren’t for the VAR, the 29-year-old would have a well-taken goal on his hands. However, his efforts were not to go unrewarded as it was due to his movement in the box that Aurier scored an own goal to put them 2-1 up. After this performance, it’s safe to say that Pukki is one of the most difficult strikers for any defence to face.

#1 Defense rather than offense-oriented

In a typical Mourinho fashion, Spurs lined up in a 3-1-4-1-1 formation away from home. The game plan was to block gaps at the back, whilst trying to stretch Norwich’s defence. This would, in turn, create space for Dele Alli and Kane to run into, however, it did not work out that way. Instead, Tottenham looked void of ideas and creativity despite deploying Eriksen in the middle. Mourinho’s decision to favour more defenders on the pitch than midfielders had a negative effect on Tottenham’s ability to breakdown an already open Norwich side.

Just to add to the negativity, the exciting Tanguy Ndombele was deployed as a holding midfielder instead of his normal box-to-box role. The fact that Tottenham were only able to score from two dead-ball situations shows how toothless and ineffective they were from open play.

Edited by Joseph Solomon