View: Future is bright, Future is Lillywhite after Tottenham make super start to Premier League Two
It was a result very few people would have expected. After such a poor season for the Tottenham Under-21s last time out, they kicked off their Premier League Two campaign with a 5-0 win away at Manchester City.
City stormed Premier League Two last season, winning the title by a margin of 13 points. Meanwhile, Tottenham finished 31 points behind the Citizens, finishing second bottom and only avoiding relegation on a technicality due to the reform of Premier League Two.
Therefore, the idea of Spurs going to Manchester and winning by five goals to nothing would have seemed fanciful at best, yet that is exactly what Wayne Burnett’s side did.
Highly rated academy prospects such as Alfie Dorrington, Damola Ajayi and Josh Keeley were all part of Spurs’ starting XI who put on such a scintillating performance away to the reigning champions.
Two goals after 12 minutes put the club’s youngsters in dreamland early in the contest. Yago Santiago scored his first of the afternoon inside the opening 10 minutes, finishing off a flowing team move that saw the ball move seamlessly from back to front.
Keeper Keeley played it to Jude Soonsup-Bell who combined well with Brooklyn Lyons-Foster and Jamie Donley before getting it forward to Santiago, with the Spaniard cutting inside from the left and firing past an unsighted True Grant.
Captain Lyons-Foster was denied by the woodwork before Soonsup-Bell made it 2-0 soon after.
In the 12th minute, the former Chelsea academy product took advantage of his side’s aggressive press on City’s backline to double the Tottenham advantage. He pounced on a loose ball in the box and fired his unstoppable strike high into the roof of the net.
Just after the restart, Damola Ajayi got in on the action, slotting a composed finish through the legs of City’s shot-stopper as the rain lashed down in Manchester. Soonsup-Bell was involved once again, playing a delightful through ball forward to his teammate.
Santiago got his second in the 57th minute when he harried substitute Jahmai Simpson-Pusey to win the ball back, before skipping past the defender on the byline and placing a lovely finish high into the net.
Second-half substitute Rio Kyerematen, who replaced goalscorer and creator Soonsup-Bell, made it a five-star display with his first and Tottenham’s fifth of the afternoon in the 72nd minute. Fellow substitute Will Lankshear, who was making his first appearance at this level since January following a knee injury, was also involved.
After Lankshear was taken down inside his own half, Ajayi showed quick thinking to take the free-kick straight away and send it through to Kyerematen, who raced down on goal and curled a pinpoint finish past the keeper.
Manchester City just couldn’t handle Spurs’ intensity throughout the contest as Burnett’s side went toe-to-toe with the hosts and dominated the contest, and the result promises a very exciting season going forward, which is much needed after last year’s disappointment.
In other Tottenham News, BBC pundit Jermaine Jenas was left fuming after a decision during the club’s clash with Brentford.