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The best anyone can say of this Tottenham performance is that it was a winning one and had the effect of putting an unhappy run to bed. They had not scored a league goal in open play since Dele Alli’s winner against Brighton on Boxing Day so it was to some relief that the same player moved that conversation along.
However, for long periods it looked like being the sole redeeming feature: they did not deserve to beat a Norwich side who belied their position at the bottom and merited at least a draw.
That did not escape the attention of a home crowd that showed audible frustration at a largely insipid night’s work. Norwich had equalised through Teemu Pukki’s penalty and were threatening more when Giovani Lo Celso, Spurs’ best player, slipped in Alli on the right-hand side of the area. The resulting cross-shot ricocheted off Christoph Zimmermann and looped up towards the one place Norwich could ill afford. Son Heung-min, standing virtually on the goalline at the far post, nodded in the winner that will not make it into the end-of-career scrapbook and peace could break out from the brink of small-scale mutiny.
“How can we change the game? With the family spirit, the family character and desire,” José Mourinho said, referencing a general fatigue among his players and a lack of attacking options on the bench. “The 1-1 was obviously a bit scary for everybody connected with us. We didn’t want to lose points but then the reaction was very good. I saw players really tired but going over their limits to try to give us the points.”
Whatever earned Spurs the win, nobody could attribute it to superior technique or cohesion. After surviving two close efforts from Érik Lamela early on it was Norwich who imposed those qualities for much of the night. A typically slick interplay with Todd Cantwell offered Pukki the kind of opportunity he usually gobbles up but this time the striker sidefooted wide, ensuring Hugo Lloris was not extended after returning ahead of schedule from his elbow injury.
Alli promptly delivered at a time when Spurs were toiling, although Norwich should never have offered the chance. They had cleared their lines after a dangerous burst from Serge Aurier only for Cantwell to be dispossessed, ultimately allowing Son to tee up Aurier for a cross Alli finished on the run.
Cantwell had a fine game beyond that aberration but diced with danger shortly after half-time when he slid in zealously to win possession and, in the follow-through, felled Lamela. He survived two minutes of VAR investigation and a booking sufficed; moments later he inadvertently caught Harry Winks after the midfielder had blocked his effort and the outcome will have consequences for Spurs. Winks had to be substituted after sustaining an ankle injury; the good news was that he was able to depart the stadium in trainers and Mourinho said the problem was “not a crazy one, hopefully weeks and not months”.
The tension increased when Pukki squeezed his 70th-minute penalty, whose award was confirmed by VAR after Ryan Sessegnon clipped Max Aarons, past Lloris.
Christian Eriksen’s introduction had been met with a few boos and they grew louder when he knocked an attempted pass out of play. The manner of his long goodbye is helping no one. Those jeers were aimed more widely when Cantwell shot over after another slick Norwich attack but, almost in the next breath, they became roars when Son converted against the run of play.
“We won’t give up, we will try until the last to work on this little miracle,” said Daniel Farke, whose team is arguably one of the best in recent memory to be six points adrift of safety. The little details have cost them all season but they have a fan in Mourinho, who told Farke that Norwich deserve “a happy ending” in May.
Mourinho had already enjoyed one of his own, for this particular night. He may be even more satisfied if Spurs complete a deal for the Real Sociedad striker Willian José. They look far from convincing but the Tottenham “family”, a word he continually returned to, can all get along for now.
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