Three thoughts: Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 APOEL

1 - Spurs end slump with easy victory

Tottenham put their domestic woes behind them with another impressive European display, beating APOEL 3-0 at Wembley.

The past month has been tough on Spurs since beating Real Madrid, but that didn't seem to bother a second-string eleven eager on impressing.

Mauricio Pochettino said beforehand that the prospect of starting in the Premier League should motivate the players who took to the pitch.

Georges-Kevin Nkoudou started for the first time since January and scored his first goal on these shores late on, whilst Kazaiah Sterling made his professional debut soon after on an evening of positives.

Juan Foyth showed he may not be physically ready for top-flight English football just yet, but did show one of his John Stones-like runs into the opposition half, getting the Wembley crowd off their seats.

Serge Aurier and Danny Rose, the latter of whom was forced off with a facial injury, were largely untroubled but didn't create much either. Their starts likely signal Kieran Trippier's and Ben Davies's on Saturday vs Stoke City.

APOEL didn't quite provide the sturdy defensive shape that Tottenham will face in their upcoming league fixtures, but it'll definitely have provided a confidence boost around the club.


2 - Llorente and Son show their worth

It's taken until December but Fernando Llorente finally bagged his first goal for Spurs.

The Spaniard looked surprisingly sharp and showed a good rapport with Heung-Min Son, combining with him on numerous occasions, eventually culminating in Tottenham's second.

Twelve of Llorente's 16 goals at Swansea came with his head, but he showed neat footwork to control Serge Aurier's low cross before stroking home.

It wouldn't be easy for any striker to compete with Harry Kane, and this has ultimately limited Llorente's playing time. His minutes are scarce and that can of course impact his confidence, so perhaps it's not a surprise that he hasn't impressed for Tottenham until now.

Wembley's sparse crowd enjoyed the opener and gave his a great reception when his name was read out following the goal - maybe he has a future in north London after all.

Just behind him in attack, Son was excellent.

When picking a forward trident, the South Korean is usually the Spurs attacker sacrificed.

However, with Dele Alli in a bad run of form and Erik Lamela returning to the squad, the competition for places could finally heat up.

Son was a nuisance all night, as he usually is when starting, whilst Dele's game was much quieter. He probed without success, he shot without conviction, and his touch escaped him on numerous occasions.


3 - Tottenham qualify with most points in Champions League group stage

Many outsiders tipped Spurs to crash out of the Champions League at the first hurdle for a second year running.

Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund looked a daunting prospect when the draw was made in August, but Pochettino's side deservedly qualified as group winners with a game to spare.

A remarkable feat that is in itself, and Tottenham also progress to the last 16 with more points than any of the other 31 sides in this year's group stage.

A gloomy few weeks it's been for the lilywhites, but ahead of the draw on Monday, Pochettino and his men can look back with pride on their European campaign thus far.

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