Tottenham Hotspur cruised to a 5-0 win over League One side Gillingham in the EFL Cup. The win will see Spurs progress to the last 16 as a trip to Liverpool awaits them.
A brace from Christian Eriksen opened the scoring before Vincent Janssen converted a penalty for his first goal in a Lilywhite shirt. Academy graduate Josh Onomah found the net before Erik Lamela finished the game with a fine strike.
Fluidity throughout the squad
The match saw Mauricio Pochettino make eleven changes from the team that started against Sunderland on the weekend. The Argentine handed full debuts to Cameron Carter-Vickers and Harry Winks, while appearances for substitutes Marcus Edwards and Anton Walkes marked their first competitive game for Tottenham.
With Eriksen and Lamela the only first team players to start in the clash it was surprising to see such a together and fluidity in Tottenham's play. The move for Eriksen’s first goal started with great link up play between Onomah, Tom Carroll and the Dane in the final third. Similar moves were repeated time and time again as Spurs produced 30 shots at goal. It was also encouraging to see the understanding between players who have hardly featured together.
The composure of the youth players and the performance that they produced, even if it was against a side two leagues below them, is only exciting to watch. With Pochettino known for bring youth players through to the first team this team performance was encouraging for what is yet to come and shows that Pochettino has his philosophy and way of working right through the club.
Vincent Janssen scores first
With Harry Kane suffering a blow to his ankle ligaments leaving him sidelined for six to eight weeks, Vincent Janssen will be tasked with leading Tottenham’s attack. The Dutch striker had numerous shots at goal before scoring from the spot to secure his first Tottenham goal. Signs look encouraging for the striker as he found himself in the right positions on numerous occasions as well as registering an assist.
The only problem was his failure to convert, however it took the Dutchman 808 minutes to find the net for AZ Alkmaar after making his move from the Dutch non-league. With this to consider it looks like it is only a matter of time until Janssen finds the net from open play and Kane’s injury will open up the chance for him.