Contrary to expectations, it ended as a night for travelling veterans to display their staying power. These are the moments that explain why Claudio Ranieri stepped out of retirement and, although Tottenham had enough chances to take another step towards the knockout stages, they could not complain when Mats Hummels rescued a point for Roma at the end of a contest in which neither side took much interest in defending.
Spurs, who slipped outside the top eight despite taking a 2-1 lead at half-time thanks to Son Heung-min’s penalty and Brennan Johnson’s excellent goal, were guilty of a lack of control. Ange Postecoglou’s substitutions did not make his team better, although it still seemed that Ranieri’s return to London was heading for despair when Fraser Forster made a stunning stop from Gianluca Mancini’s volley during the dying stages.
Ranieri had spent the second half bouncing around his technical area, 73 years young, his team’s shoddy finishing driving him to distraction. Yet Roma, who remain in danger of an early exit after taking six points from five games, kept going and their spirit was typified by how Hummels recovered after his first start for the Italians began with him conceding a penalty and straining to live with a speedy Spurs attack.
No wonder Ranieri singled out the 35-year-old German centre-back for “fighting like a lion until the last second” after Hummels made it 2-2 by turning Angeliño’s driven cross into the net. “We should have killed it off earlier,” Postecoglou said. “It’s disappointing but we’re still in a good position.”
Exceptional in demolishing Manchester City last weekend and downright dozy in losing to Ipswich in their previous home game, it was impossible to know what Spurs would produce against opponents lying 12th in Serie A and already on to their third manager of the season.
Yet with Postecoglou making only four changes before the visit of Fulham on Sunday, clues soon materialised. A swift attack led by Dejan Kulusevski cut Roma apart and although Glenn Nyberg waved away cries for a penalty when Hummels clipped Pape Matar Sarr, the referee changed his mind after checking the pitchside monitor.
Behind to Son’s spot-kick, Roma turned to Paulo Dybala. The Argentinian, no longer the next big thing but still extremely dangerous, spurned an inviting chance and later tried to lob Forster from the halfway line. Yet when Angeliño volleyed a corner back towards the original taker, Ranieri may have wondered why he agreed to a third spell in charge of his boyhood club.
Still, Dybala was proving elusive – Forster had to thwart the forward – and Roma exerted control. Their 3-4-3 system troubled Spurs and the equaliser arrived in the 20th minute, the unmarked Evan Ndicka glancing Dybala’s free-kick into the far corner.
Now Roma, who were denied a lead when Stephan El Shaarawy’s goal was disallowed, were experiencing some of the magic Ranieri sprinkled over Leicester. Dybala was running the show and, but for Forster’s sharp reflexes, would have scored a solo goal.
Spurs responded, Johnson’s shot cleared off the line after poor goalkeeping from Mile Svilar. Then came Kulusevski, running on to a long ball down the left, pulling Hummels away from the centre. Hummels could not stop the Swede, who set up Johnson to score with an emphatic finish.
The goal unnerved Roma. They should have been further behind at half-time, only for Kulusevski to hit the woodwork and Son to blast the rebound over.
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Spurs could only be encouraged by Dybala making way for Matías Soulé at half-time. But Roma started the second half well, Manu Koné dominating midfield, and it twice took the linesman raising his flag against Artem Dovbyk for offside to deny them a second equaliser.
Roma were having joy with their wing-backs pushing higher. Zeki Celik crossed for Angeliño, whose deflected volley hit the bar. Spurs had to wake up and Pedro Porro grazed the bar with a free-kick.
The action remained open, Koné placing a shot just wide. Roma were short of the accuracy required to beat Forster on the 36-year-old goalkeeper’s first outing deputising for Guglielmo Vicario, who faces a long layoff after breaking an ankle.
Ranieri’s frustration grew. He wanted Rodrigo Bentancur sent off for a scythe on substitute Alexis Saelemaekers. Spurs almost twisted the knife but Solanke headed against a post.
Then nerves set in, Porro nearly gifting Dovbyk a goal, Forster denying Mancini. Spurs inched towards victory. With Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven missing, though, their defence unravelled and Hummels had the final say.
