adminTottenham 4- 0 QPR
Harry Redknapp’s return to White Hart Lane was a miserable one as the QPR manager saw his side beaten comfortably by a rampant Tottenham. Winger Nacer Chadli scored twice for Spurs, while defender Eric Dier and striker Emmanuel Adebayor also got their names on the scoresheet. The result meant Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has won each of his three matches in charge.
Redknapp’s QPR have lost both of their Premier League games without scoring.
Beforehand, the talk had centred on Redknapp’s first visit to Spurs since he was sacked by the club in June 2012 after almost four years in charge.
The visitors had a particularly strong Tottenham flavour with Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle, who was appointed by Redknapp as QPR’s first-team coach earlier this month, watching from the stands
Redknapp, 67, was afforded a warm welcome by the home fans but any sentiment was quickly forgotten as his team was brushed aside by Pochettino’s men. The Argentine has been tasked with earning a top-four finish and introducing a similar style to the one he implemented at Southampton.
Although they face a sterner test of their credentials in a week’s time against Liverpool, Tottenham fans will feel encouraged with both the quality and ruthlessness of this performance.
Spurs recalled five players rested for their 2-1 win over Limassol in their Europa League play-off and showed no signs of fatigue to take an early lead.
Christian Eriksen dispossessed Loic Remy, which allowed Nabil Bentaleb to send Adebayor clear down the right. The Togo striker’s cross to the back post picked out Chadli, who controlled on his chest before deftly poking the ball past Robert Green.
QPR should have levelled when Matty Phillips brought down a difficult ball on the edge of the Tottenham box but, with only Hugo Lloris to beat, he sliced his shot over the crossbar.
The visitors rarely threatened in the remainder of the first half as Spurs took command.
Eriksen rattled the crossbar with a spectacular free-kick before Spurs added a second goal on the half-hour. Dier got in front of Leroy Fer to head home Erik Lamela’s corner.
Argentine Lamela, who has looked reinvigorated under compatriot Pochettino after a difficult first season following his move from Roma, impressed again and had a major hand in Tottenham’s second goal shortly before the break.
The 22-year-old jinked past several players as he burst into the area and crossed for the unmarked Chadli to head past Green.
QPR gave debuts to Netherlands midfielder Fer following his £8m move from Norwich, and Chile defender Mauricio Isla after his arrival on loan from Juventus, but neither player had much of an impact on a disappointing day for QPR.
Their afternoon would get worse, though, when Adebayor added a fourth goal for Spurs, confidently dispatching Danny Rose’s cross past Green. — BBC Sport
Online Reporter