It will take more than this to prove that Tottenham pose a potent all-round threat when Harry Kane is not firing on all cylinders, but two first-half goals from the home debutant Son-Heung-min and a late third from Erik Lamela ensured they overcame an enterprising Qarabag side to begin their Europa League campaign with three points. The home team improved after going behind to Richard Almeida’s early penalty, without ever exerting firm control on an engaging game.
Mauricio Pochettino makes little secret of his view that the rigours of the Premier League are not conducive to a tilt at this competition and it was no surprise that he passed up on the chance to generate continuity after Sunday’s win at Sunderland. Among six changes were debuts for the Austrian centre-back Kevin Wimmer and the right-back Kieran Trippier. Tommy Carroll’s start in midfield was his first for the club since August 2013, when Dinamo Tbilisi were beaten 3-0 at White Hart Lane.
That Carroll had been called upon in the Europa League once again was notable, and a more exacting workout was expected from the Azeri champions. Qarabag are at the vanguard of their country’s quest for sporting relevance and took points off Internazionale, Saint-Etienne and the tournament runners-up, Dnipro, in last season’s competition. Pochettino had expressed “surprise” at their quality before the game but in reality opponents are now well appraised that Gurban Gurbanov’s team pose a danger.
The point was succinctly made within seven minutes. Reynaldo Silva had already shot at Hugo Lloris when, from a fast break, the overlapping left-back Ansi Agolli was clipped inside the area by Trippier. The right-back had been caught cold even if the fall seemed dramatic, his punishment was confirmed when Richard Almeida’s penalty beat Lloris to his left.
Tottenham’s only encouragement in a tentative opening 20 minutes were a deflected shot by Son, starting in a central attacking position with Kane rested, and a wayward header from Toby Alderweireld off the resulting corner. Qarabag were crisp in the tackle and alert in the interception, Almeida setting a brisk tempo high in midfield, and the Brazilian scuffed another effort towards Lloris after a lengthy spell of possession.
It was a level of composure that made what followed, in a two-minute spell before the half-hour, all the more perplexing. Son had barely had a touch inside the penalty area when an Andros Townsend corner, swung in from the right, found him alone in the middle of the six-yard box. It was a fair delivery but the fact that Son, four yards out, was allowed to clip the ball past Ibrahim Sehic on the bounce showed a weakness that Tottenham had belatedly managed to expose.
They set about repeating the trick and only 144 seconds passed before Dele Alli, receiving the ball in the inside-right-channel, left the centre-back Rashad Sadygov sprawling with a check inside and centred for Son, this time arriving late, to finish again.
Alli, his footwork and imagination standing out, could have scored a quick third when Sehic blocked his shot after a Townsend through ball. Qarabag’s early poise had disappeared but they should have levelled when Danny Rose, unnecessarily attempting to chest the ball back, sold Lloris short and Afran Ismayilov lifted the ball over. Reynaldo’s header just over the bar before half-time was a further reminder that Tottenham would not get away with letting their newly-found intensity drop.
Urgency had largely deserted Lamela during the first half despite his manager’s assertion that this is a “key season” for the Argentinian but he almost contributed decisively in the 53rd minute when he was sent clear by a touch from Townsend but shot against the inside of Sehic’s left post.
Lamela was finding room to express himself now and moments later he played a cleverly-delayed pass to Son, whose chipped attempt at a hat-trick was claimed by Sehic.
Qarabag, showing a commitment to playing from the back that bordered on brinkmanship, retained a reliable attacking threat even if their early compactness had become a distant memory. Dani Quintana’s 18-yard shot was deflected inches wide on the hour and the impressive Ismayilov kept Rose honest with some twisting forays down the right. The element of doubt was still there and Pochettino sought to eliminate it by introducing Kane in place of Son, who was given a hearty farewell, and making Clinton N’Jie the evening’s latest debutant.
Quintana immediately missed a chance that Kane, awaiting his first Tottenham goal of the season, would have craved, planting a free header at Lloris from an Agalli cross. Another opportunity fell to the away substitute Samuel Armenteros, who screwed wide under Alderweireld’s attention, but Lamela would have the final word four minutes from time when he chipped in a pass from Kane.