After recruiting heavily in the summer, Antonio Conte’s side were unbeaten heading into the game.
However, the football on display in recent games was rather unimaginative, and any wins merely papered over the noticeable cracks.
Spurs’ luck was always going to run out sooner or later, and last night, Sporting ended up being the catalyst.
The London outfit dominated possession in both halves, and created decent chances, but were ultimately let down by the finishing.
In contrast, Sporting rode the pressure and looked to hit on the counter, a strategy that was effective but lacked the clinical edge.
Things looked destined for a draw until the Leoes struck twice in injury time and picked up all 3 points.
A flicked header by Paulinho broke the deadlock, which was then followed up by sheer brilliance from Arthur to further cement the victory.
Arthur Gomes launches into a passionate celebration after scoring a goal against Spurs.
Sporting’s frontmen brought out their bag of tricks on multiple occasions, showing off their technical prowess and leaving their markers for dead at will.
The offensive performance typified what sides from Portugal are all about, and at the centre of it all was a young Englishman who was once a Lilywhite.
Marcus Edwards started off his career as part of Tottenham’s academy, eventually rising up to the first team during the 2016-17 season.
The gaffer at the time, Mauricio Pochettino, even likened him to Leo Messi due to his dribbling abilities and low centre of gravity.
On the night against his former club, the 23-year-old justified Poch’s lofty comparison by producing an incredible run through the heart of Spurs’ defence.
Marcus Edwards. Remember the name
He gracefully dashed past Spurs’ most experienced players, and dropped Ben Davies not once but twice, before breaching into the box.
Unfortunately, he lacked the finish to match the wonderful run, as his strike was blocked by Hugo Lloris.
Nevertheless, the Maradona-esque run went viral, and Edwards has become a sensation.
Marcus Edwards disappointed not to score a goal after cutting through Spurs defence like a hot knife through butter
The forward has evidently picked quite a few tricks during his time in Portugal, however, he still remains a proper London boy at heart.
Fans online were fascinated by this very aspect, as it emerged through Edwards’ post-match interview.
Despite spending 3 years abroad, his Roadman accent is still intact.
Edwards spoke with cadence you’d associate with a Grime artist, he even had the lingo to go along, as he literally started off the interview with a low-key ‘yeah fam’.
