10 for 10: Our games of the decade, final part - 2019
Tue 31 December 2019, 17:22|Tottenham Hotspur
What a decade! Book-ended by incredible performances and hat-tricks in the Champions League, it’s been an amazing 10 years for the Club we all love – all culminating in the historic move to our world-class new stadium and the Champions League Final in 2019.
What games have defined the decade? There are too many to mention, from that triumphant night at the Etihad in May, 2010, to walking out at the Wanda Metropolitana in Madrid in June, 2019, via that night at the Amsterdam Arena and the opening of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It’s a decade that has seen it all at Spurs and in this special festive feature over 10 parts, we’ve selected our matches of the past 10 years. It’s not a definitive list – as we all know, the game is about opinions – but here’s our take on the 2010s. Here’s to the 2020s!
10 for 10 - 2019
Ajax 2-3 Spurs (Lucas 55, 59, 90+6)
Champions League, semi-final, second leg
Johan Cruyff Arena, 8 May, 2019
Have we saved the best until last? Our decade of celebration started with the game that got us into the Champions League. It ends with the game that got us into the Champions League Final. Is this the moment of the decade? It takes some beating...
Words will never do justice for the elation and ecstasy of the moment Lucas Moura scored his hat-trick goal to win this tie in Amsterdam. At 3-0 down on aggregate to Ajax at half-time in the second leg of our Champions League semi-final, we looked dead and buried, but a quite astonishing resurrection in the final 45 minutes saw Lucas fire home a hat trick, including the latest of late winners.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, we were all but out as Matthijs de Ligt’s header doubled the Dutch side’s advantage with just five minutes gone. Hakim Ziyech then added a third half an hour later.
Somehow though, we performed a miracle that night. A monumental comeback that will forever be remembered, not just in our own history, but footballing history.
It was the brilliance of Brazilian forward Lucas that spearheaded our revival. Ten minutes into the second period he had restored a glimmer of hope with a fine strike before our belief grew further three minutes later, when he somehow found space in a crowded box to rattle home another. We were alive and fighting, the game was end-to-end, but our Dutch hosts still held the upper hand.
Yet, with our last throw of the dice and into the sixth minute of injury time, we found the golden goal. Everything about the move was crucial, from Ben Davies winning the ball on halfway, to Moussa Sissoko’s raking long pass; Fernando Llorente’s knock down and Lisandro Magallan’s slip to Dele’s flicked assist, then Lucas with the vital finish, all in what seemed like slow-motion.
What followed was pandemonium. Mayhem, madness and a chaos of emotion. The players mobbed the Brazilian as he ran away to celebrate while Mauricio Pochettino sunk to his knees in a heap on the pitch, overcome in the moment. Just like the rest of us.
Team: Lloris, Trippier (Lamela 81), Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose (Davies 83), Wanyama (Llorente 46), Sissoko, Eriksen, Dele, Lucas, Son.
Other contenders...
4/1/19 - Tranmere 0-7 Spurs - Serge Aurier on target twice in our record away win.
13/2/19 - Spurs 3-0 Borussia Dortmund - Jan Vertonghen inspired this superb home win in the first leg of the last 16 of the Champions League.
3/4/19 - Spurs 2-0 Palace - the Club's new era ushered in with a win as we welcomed the world to our magnificent Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
9/4/19 - Spurs 1-0 Manchester City - days later, we're back for our first Champions League game at the new stadium and another Sonny-inspired night to remember.
17/4/19 - Manchester City 4-3 Spurs - unbelievable scenes as we make it into the Champions League semi-finals on away goals.
1/6/19 - Liverpool 2-0 Spurs - the Champions League Final.
The story of the decade...
2010 - elation at the Etihad
2011 - memories in Milan
2012 - theatre of dreams
2013 - Bale's belter beats Hammers
2014 - big win at Villa - Kane's arrival
2015 - Blues beaten on New Year's Day
2016 - City slickers
2017 - the Finale
2018 - Bridge of highs