Stoke City scored twice in the final 15 minutes to snatch a point in a 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in Saturday's Premier League match at White Hart Lane.
First-half goals from Eric Dier and Nacer Chadli looked to be sending the hosts on their way to three points, but Marko Arnautovic's spot kick in the 78th minute handed Stoke a route back into the match.
The visitors secured a share of the spoils in the 83rd minute when Mame Biram Diouf headed home from close range.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action from North London.
Match statistics
TOTTENHAM
Shots: 13
On target: 7
Possession: 48%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 15
STOKE
Shots: 16
On target: 7
Possession: 52%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 11
Was the result fair?
At the interval, even the most ardent of Stoke supporters would have found it difficult to make a case for their team, with Spurs rightly entering the break with a two-goal lead. The second half was a different story entirely, however, with the visitors dominating possession for long spells and indeed creating the better chances. It was Spurs that started on the front foot, with Christian Eriksen twice coming close early on, but it took until the 19th minute for Dier to send the hosts ahead. Stoke had their chances in the latter stages of the first period, but Chadli made it 2-0 moments before the break.
At that point, it looked a tough ask for Stoke. However, some choice words were bound to have been exchanged at the interval and the Potters emerged from the dressing room a different team. Diouf and Jonathan Walters both had chances to score Stoke's first before and after the hour, but it was from a penalty that the Potters reduced the deficit, with Toby Alderweireld bringing Joselu to the ground. Arnautovic stepped up to score for 2-1 and it was all Stoke from that moment. Diouf levelled for 2-2 in the 83rd minute and on another day, the visitors might have won it late on. That would have been a touch harsh on Spurs, however, and when reviewing the match as a whole, a point apiece was just about a fair result.
Tottenham's performance
Having lost their league opener to Manchester United last weekend, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino would have wanted to see some sort of response from his team. Well, that was the case in the early moments as the hosts dominated proceedings. As mentioned, Eriksen twice came close in the opening eight minutes, but the Dane was twice denied by Jack Butland. The home side's opener came from a corner as Dier headed home at the near post and Spurs continued their dominance as the first period developed. Harry Kane had a goal disallowed just past the 30-minute mark, but they had a second in first-half stoppage time when Chadli converted a smart cross from Ben Davies. At the break, it was looking rosy for the hosts.
Pochettino's side lacked intensity in the second period, however, and were fortunate to still be two goals ahead entering the final 10 minutes, with Hugo Lloris called into action to deny Diouf once again. A poor challenge from Alderweireld led to Stoke scoring from the spot, however, before Diouf headed home a Stephen Ireland cross seven minutes from time. Spurs further lost their way in the latter stages and in the end, were fortunate to escape with a point as Ireland passed up another good opportunity. The statistics demonstrate that the hosts had 13 attempts, seven of which were on target. However, it was another difficult afternoon for Kane, while their lack of forward options off the bench were apparent once again. There were some decent performances from a number of their players, but the fact they could not claim all three points after being in such a commanding position will be a worry for the manager and supporters alike.
Stoke's performance
Like Spurs, Stoke were also beaten 1-0 last week, with the Potters going down at home to Liverpool. Mark Hughes's team have been backed to have a strong season, but their first-half performance at Spurs seemed to suggest that they could struggle to match their achievements of last term. To be blunt, Stoke were really poor in the first half. Too often they lost possession in dangerous areas and aside from a couple of opportunities for Diouf, they lacked a threat in the final third. Xherdan Shaqiri has been purchased to take on that mantle, but the Swiss international was not available here. Instead it was Arnautovic that came to the forefront. The attacker did frustrate at times, but he was the catalyst in the latter stages, with Spurs unable to deal with the Austrian when he picked up possession in forward areas. If Hughes was disappointed with his side's first-half performance, then he would have been absolutely delighted with their second.
Just before the hour, Hughes made two changes, with Ireland and Joselu replacing Marco van Ginkel and Walters, who struggled to make their mark for long spells. The two substitutes changed the game for the Potters, with Joselu winning the penalty for 2-1 and Ireland providing the assist for 2-2. Diouf might have missed a couple of guilt-edged chances during the match, but he came up trumps late on to seal a point. Ireland might have won it late on when he met another super cross from Arnautovic, but his header was over the crossbar. In the end, Hughes will have been delighted with a point considering the circumstances, but he will be a touch disappointed with their defending, which was poor in the first period.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Marko Arnautovic: As mentioned, the Austrian frustrated at times against Spurs, with his set-piece delivery not always the best. The attacker came to the forefront in the latter stages, however, as he scored from the penalty spot and helped set up a couple of opportunities late on. If his head is right, Arnautovic is one of the most gifted players in the league, but consistency has always been a problem.
Biggest gaffe
There are a couple of moments that stand out, with Diouf guilty of missing two close-range headers for the visitors. However, Alderweireld's challenge for the Stoke penalty was really poor. Having been eluded by Joselu, the centre-back should have simply left the forward alone, with no obvious danger at the moment that the foul was made. However, on his home debut, the Belgian international decided to tug at the shirt of the Stoke forward and the referee was correct to point to the spot.
Referee performance
Referee Robert Madley was forced to issue four yellow cards during the course of the match, but all of the decisions are correct. The 29-year-old also had a couple of flash-points to deal with in the latter stages, but he was always on hand to calm proceedings. All in all, the official can be pleased with his afternoon of work.
What next?
Tottenham: Spurs will hope to record their first league win of the season when they travel to in-form Leicester City next Saturday.
Stoke: The Potters, meanwhile, will make the trip to Norwich City next Saturday afternoon.
Matt Law
