Danny Murphy staggered by what he saw in front of him in Tottenham vs Copenhagen – ‘Ridiculous’
Danny Murphy was left flabbergasted by Copenhagen goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski’s mistake in the lead-up to Brennan Johnson’s opener for Tottenham on Tuesday.
After a 1-0 defeat for Tottenham to Chelsea in the Premier League, Thomas Frank would’ve been eager to make a statement in Spurs’ clash with Copenhagen in the Champions League.
Indeed, there has been great criticism over Spurs’ creative output, an issue which was on full display against the Blues.
Thanks in part to Copenhagen’s mistakes in the first half, Frank’s team dominated from beginning to end as they went into the interval a goal to the good.
Brennan Johnson profits from Dominik Kotarski error
Johnson netted his first Champions League goal and Spurs’ opener in front of thousands of Tottenham fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It was a fantastic effort. Xavi Simons sent a perfectly weighted long pass into Johnson’s feet, who took the ball around the keeper, carried it down the right channel, before sending it in from a tight angle.
However, Danny Murphy, who was in attendance at the Tottenham stadium, took issue with Kotarski’s decision during the sequence.
The Copenhagen keeper came out of his net to meet Johnson, around five yards outside of his own box. However, the goalscorer rounded him before he rippled the back of the net.
Speaking via talkSPORT on 4 November, Murphy said: “[Simons] finds himself in a good area on the half turn. It’s a great pass, good weight, but I don’t know what the goalkeeper is doing.
“It’s a ridiculous decision. He’s five yards outside his box, but nonetheless, it’s a terrific finish from Johnson.”
Johnson won’t care whether the keeper made a mistake or not, given that he’s finally announced himself to the Champions League in style.
- He has netted four goals this season
- Johnson had averaged just 31 minutes in the Champions League before Copenhagen
There has been speculation that Johnson could leave Tottenham after receiving minimal minutes this season, but after such a strong performance against Copenhagen, his fate may have turned around for the better.
Thomas Frank may have unlocked Xavi Simons
Simons has struggled at Tottenham since arriving over the summer, with some fans calling on Frank to demote him to the bench.
However, the Dutch international was arguably the Lilywhites’ best player in the first half against Copenhagen.
Indeed, he was the centre of most of Spurs attacks, just like most have wanted to see since the beginning of the season.
After consistently building up through the wings this season, Frank may have unlocked Simons by making him the focus of Tottenham’s attacking core.
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