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Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has Heung-Min Son to thank for his side’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon. The South Korean forward struck in the 83rd minute to finally break the deadlock, after Spurs dominated much of the game up to that point without being able to produce any end product.

However, it was the introduction of Fernando Llorente, who assisted Son’s winning goal, that truly changed the course of the match.

On the chalkboard

Pochettino’s side were on top throughout the first half. They persistently played crosses into the box from dangerous areas, but the Magpies’ were consistently able to deal with them. This is because Spurs lacked a physical presence.

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With in his introduction on the hour mark, Llorente finally gave the home team a focal point. The 33-year-old Spaniard took up a target man role and was able to use his 6’4” frame to good effect. For Son’s goal, he was able to hold off a Newcastle defender and chest the ball into Son’s path.

Late luck for Pochettino

Llorente was the perfect man to lead Spurs’ attack against Newcastle, who pulled no surprises with their game plan of sitting deep and soaking up pressure, which begs the question as to why Pochettino didn’t include the striker in his starting XI.

Ultimately, the fact that Spurs took all three points is all that matters, but had Llorente been on the pitch in the first half, he could have had an earlier impact and perhaps Spurs would then have enjoyed a more comfortable victory.

By not starting the veteran striker, Pochettino almost cost his side the win, and was fortunate that Llorente was able to make the difference in the final ten minutes.