Tottenham Hotspur were going to blow it.
With their rivals for a top-four finish dropping points over the weekend, Spurs were handed an excellent chance to get ahead in the race when they played host to Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday night.
Although the Seagulls are in a relegation dogfight and had plenty to play for, Tottenham were expected to sweep away the lowly South Coast club at home.
But come the 88th minute, and the scores were still deadlocked. Missing Harry Kane up top, Tottenham looked devoid of a cutting edge.
And then Christian Eriksen rose to the occasion and showed why he is Tottenham’s most valuable player.
The Danish playmaker fired home a superb long-range effort to win the match for Spurs, breaking the deadlock in dramatic fashion – stepping up when Tottenham needed him most.
Amidst Spurs’ impressive season, the club has been hit by unfortunate injuries to key players, including most notably those to Kane, their top goalscorer.
And in his absence, other players have had to fill in, such as Heung-Min Son and Dele Alli. But when Spurs seemed set to slip to an embarrassing goalless home draw to a relegation contender, Eriksen saved Tottenham’s blushes with his moment of magic.
That crucial goal underlies just how vital the Dane is to Tottenham’s success, meaning he can arguably claim to be the club’s most important player in the absence of Kane.
