Tottenham concede seven goals at home for first time in a major competition
Wednesday 2 October 2019 08:05, UK
Former Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry came back to haunt Tottenham, scoring four second-half goals as Bayern Munich embarrassed Mauricio Pochettino's side 7-2 in the Champions League.
Heung-min Son gave Spurs the lead in the 12th minute but Bayern roared back through goals from Joshua Kimmich (15) and Robert Lewandowski (45) to lead at the break.
Then Gnabry, who left Arsenal in 2016 to join Werder Bremen, took over, scoring two in two minutes (53, 55) before Harry Kane handed Spurs a lifeline (61), scoring from the spot after Danny Rose was caught by Kingsley Coman.
However, any signs of a comeback from the hosts were extinguished when Gnabry completed his hat-trick in the 83rd minute and Lewandowski added his second three minutes from time.
There was still time for Gnabry to add his fourth (88) as Tottenham conceded seven goals in a home match for the first time in a major competition.
Victory leaves Bayern top of Group B and in pole position to top the group, but defeat leaves Spurs, who drew 2-2 with Olympiakos in their opener, with plenty still to do to if their Champions League campaign is not going to end before Christmas.
Tottenham capitalised on a bright start when Son put them ahead in the 12th minute.
The South Korea forward, who was played onside by Niklas Sule, raced on to Moussa Sissoko's pass and found the far corner despite goalkeeper Manuel Neuer getting a hand to the ball.
But the lead lasted less than three minutes as Kimmich struck a powerful effort from 25 yards to beat the dive of Hugo Lloris to equalise for Bayern.
Bayern took the lead on the stroke of half-time thanks to a superb finish from Lewandowski. The Poland striker picked up the loose ball at the edge of the area and swivelled to fire into the bottom corner to bring a breathless first half to an end.
Bayern then took full control and ripped Spurs apart in the second half with Gnabry the instigator.
The 24-year-old, who had spells in English football with Arsenal and West Brom, cut inside both Serge Aurier and Toby Alderweireld and emphatically finished past Lloris before beating the French goalkeeper again two minutes later with another crisp finish.
Spurs briefly threatened a comeback after Rose was felled by Coman in the penalty area. Kane converted from the spot and Pochettino threw on Christian Eriksen, Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela, but the Spurs cheers soon turned into jeers as they collapsed in the closing stages.
The visitors ran riot as Gnabry produced another clinical finish after latching onto Thiago's through ball before Lewandowski added his second with an inch-perfect side foot finish.
With the Spurs fans heading for the exit, Gnabry then put the full stop on his, and Bayern's, incredible night, producing another emphatic finish to increase the pressure on Pochettino and Spurs.
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino: "Now it's a moment to stay all together. We cannot talk now. Today is a moment where we know how we feel, all disappointed. The feelings are not so good. Now is a moment to be calm. After a result like today, there will be no shouting or talking when the emotion is on the skin.
"They were very clinical. With the quality that they have, if you are after 53 minutes and you concede two goals then you take risks. We are so disappointed. I feel very, very disappointed. My feeling is so bad. When you concede seven goals you have to stand up and be tough."
Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac: "It looks like London is a good town for me. It was a great evening for Bayern Munich and German football.
"We were lucky in the first 30 minutes. We knew Tottenham would put a lot of pressure on us, that is the mentality of this club. We were too passive and did have some nervy moments. Then we dominated the game. In the second half we performed extremely well."
Former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson told Soccer Special...
"It's a totally embarrassing night for Tottenham. Pochettino has got big problems. There's clearly something amiss. They look disjointed and disgruntled. When they went two or three goals down, there was no fight.
"Tottenham were appalling. It's unacceptable. They capitulated. They had no leaders on the pitch. They had no spine, they had no fight. It was a very, very worrying display."
Former Tottenham striker Darren Bent told The Debate...
"They capitulated a little bit. They went 2-0 up as they did in the first game (against Olympiakos) and let that slip, but I still felt they were playing well enough against Bayern to get themselves into the game. But the last two goals were quick-fire in the last five minutes and it's just scary to think.
"In the last four seasons, we've all sung their praises, and they did well to overcome some of the situations they got into last season in the Champions League. They should've gone out of the group but ended up getting to the final.
"This season, they just don't seem like the same Spurs and don't seem to have the same hunger, the same buzz. Pochettino hasn't got the same charm, so for me, maybe behind closed doors, something seems to be very wrong.
"The situation down at Spurs hasn't been great for a little while now. To be on the back of that hiding, it's scary to think. They reached the final of the Champions League last season and probably had high expectations this season, but to be beaten seven and the manner in which they were at home, it's really disappointing.
What a night for the former Arsenal man!
Once deemed not good enough for English football after spells at the Gunners and West Brom, the 24-year-old, who cost Bayern just €8m, dispelled all those views with a clinical display on his return to north London.
His pace and trickery caused Aurier problems all night and his finishing was sublime. He is the only the second German player to score four goals in a Champions League match after Mario Gomez for Bayern in their 7-0 win against Basel in March 2012.
Sold for just £4m by Arsene Wenger at Arsenal in 2016, he came back to haunt Tottenham and if four goals weren't enough, he took one final dig towards Spurs on social media…
How will Tottenham respond to this massive set-back?
They travel to Brighton on Saturday in the Premier League; Kick-off at 12.30pm. Spurs' next Champions League tie is at home to Red Star Belgrade on matchday three of the Champions League on October 22; Kick-off 8pm.
