LONDON — It was not so way back {that a} workforce resembling Doncaster Rovers may rock up on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a well-worn and sometimes efficient plan for downing a Premier League large. Hold it tight in open play, belief yourselves to nick one thing from a set piece on the different finish. Eighteen months in the past, when Ange Postecoglou was at his most dismissive in regards to the worth of specialist set piece teaching, it would even have labored.
In 2025, nonetheless, what was as soon as a terrific equalizing issue between the EFL and the Premier League seems to be to be one other side of the sport the place cash talks. At any time when Xavi Simons stood over a nook or Rodrigo Bentancur stood over a free kick, Andreas Georgson would step out from Thomas Frank’s shadow to oversee one other rigorously crafted routine. Verify their penalty space and it was obvious how a lot smaller and youthful the League One aspect appeared. Gone are the times when a large 33-year-old is perhaps the rock on which Doncaster constructed their protection. As an alternative, it was the Premier League athletes who leaped highest and hit hardest.
Within the early exchanges, Doncaster appeared firmly on this tie. They attacked aggressively out broad, Tottenham loanee Damola Ajayi inflicting explicit points for his father or mother membership, volleying a supply from broad again throughout purpose to a spot the place Toyosi Olusanya couldn’t fairly flip the ball dwelling. McCann’s aspect appeared comfy in possession too, and although they had been no much less weak down their very own flanks than they had been harmful once they had the ball, you can persuade your self that they may create a number of points for his or her hosts as this sport went on.
Then got here Tottenham’s first nook, lofted menacingly in the direction of the purpose line by Simons. It’s honest to notice that with or and not using a set-piece coach at his disposal, Ian Lawlor within the Doncaster purpose must have been in a position to get a extra convincing punch on the nook. Sean Grehan may have cleared it anyplace, however the place he did, the proper spot for Joao Palhinha to attempt an overhead kick. With Lawlor in no man’s land, the connection did not even should be that candy at hand Spurs the lead.
Make no mistake, with or with out set items, Tottenham would in all probability have had this sport received with relative ease. Their high quality out broad was past something proper again Tom Nixon may take care of, Wilson Isidor skipping previous him two minutes after the opener to ship a tremendous cross Jay McGrath may solely flip into his personal internet. Spurs may wait till the final kick of the ball so as to add a 3rd, Brennan Johnson charging by an exhausted protection to fulfill Lucas Bergvall’s by ball and clip dwelling.
Earlier than then, one other purpose appeared extra doubtless than not, it might be from one other useless ball. There was a interval late within the first half when this was getting ready to coaching floor train standing, Spurs engaged on a string of nook routines that ended with an unmarked Pedro Porro placing at purpose. It was too straightforward for Bentancur to outjump the pink and white shirts when a supply went straight into the field whereas Kevin Danso’s knock on discovered Archie Grey within the field for probably the greatest probabilities of the sport. The previous limbering as much as hurl one into the mixer spoke to the burgeoning pattern for lengthy throws in 2025-26.
In all, 11 of Tottenham’s first 15 pictures got here from set items. And maybe the intense nature of their dominance from set items is precisely that, excessive. An enchancment from useless balls has been a key tenet of Spurs beneath Frank, whereas the early-season information from League One would recommend that Doncaster are a reasonably unremarkable workforce on the subject of attacking and defending such situations.
Equally, as set items turn into the newest marginal acquire that obsesses the Premier League, it’s straightforward to see how the actual form of dominance Tottenham utilized is perhaps utilized on the times which are alleged to be about large killing. When the nights attract for FA Cup third spherical weekend, what number of extra of League One’s best will discover themselves smothered and bullied at corners? If that does certainly show to be the case, it’s more durable than ever to see how the following Doncaster may pull off a cup upset.
