Eriksen: Tottenham 'completely different' thanks to Pochettino
After going 2-0 down within 10 minutes, most teams would have succumbed to a comprehensive defeat away from home.
At least that’s what Christian Eriksen thinks, who starred as Tottenham Hotspur overcame that deficit to record an impressive 2-2 draw at Italian behemoth Juventus on Tuesday.
The Dane bagged the leveller, firing a free-kick past the Old Lady’s wall and beyond Gianluigi Buffon. It completed a turnaround which, for Eriksen, serves as indisputable evidence of an identity change at Spurs.
“Of course, we are building on every season compared to when I arrived here four or five years ago,” Eriksen told The Telegraph’s Matt Law after the Champions League round of 16 tie. “The games against the top teams when you are 2-0 down after nine minutes, you lost 6-0.
“That’s the thing we’ve changed with the manager coming in, with the players we have here. Everyone has grown up and they are not going to lie down if they are 2-0 down anyway.”
In front of an expectant crowd in Turin, Gonzalo Higuain scored twice early on to give an advantage Juventus seldom surrenders. However, the usually resolute outfit was soon overwhelmed by the visitor’s midfield. Mousa Dembele was at his imperious best, Erik Lamela justified his selection in lieu of fan favourite Heung-Min Son, and Dele Alli showed signs of his explosive form from the previous two campaigns.
Related: Dembele the driving force as Spurs shock Juventus
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
But it was Eriksen, an expert infiltrator of space and master of the clipped pass, who drew the most praise. Not bad for a man previously listed alongside the inadequate players acquired using cash from Gareth Bale’s Real Madrid transfer in 2013.
“Tottenham has become, compared to what it was when I came to what it is now, completely different,” Eriksen said. “That’s up to the manager, up to the players and the quality we have in the squad really.”
He added: “We don’t care where we are or what time it is, or which stadium we play in or which we team we play, we always try to dominate, to get the ball forward as quickly as possible and create something.”
Spurs are now out of their toughest spate of fixtures this season. Since the last day of January, the north London club has faced Manchester United, Liverpool, an FA Cup replay against Newport County, Arsenal, and Juventus, collecting three wins and two draws. The second leg with Juventus will be staged at Wembley on March 7.
