Tragic Lose: About a minute ago Son Heung-min father put to rest.
Contrary to expectations, it ended as a night for travelling veterans to display their staying power.
These are the moments that explain why Claudio Ranieri stepped out of retirement and, although Tottenham had enough chances to take another step towards the knockout stages, they could not complain when Mats Hummels rescued a point for Roma at the end of a contest in which neither side took much interest in defending.
Spurs, who slipped outside the top eight despite taking a 2-1 lead at half-time thanks to Son Heung-min’s penalty and Brennan Johnson’s excellent goal, were guilty of a lack of control.
Ange Postecoglou’s substitutions did not make his team better, although it still seemed that Ranieri’s return to London was heading for despair when Fraser Forster made a stunning stop from Gianluca Mancini’s volley during the dying stages.
No wonder Ranieri singled out the 35-year-old German centre-back for “fighting like a lion until the last second” after Hummels made it 2-2 by turning Angeliño’s driven cross into the net. “We should have killed it off earlier,” Postecoglou said. “It’s disappointing but we’re still in a good position.”
Exceptional in demolishing Manchester City last weekend and downright dozy in losing to Ipswich in their previous home game, it was impossible to know what Spurs would produce against opponents lying 12th in Serie A and already on to their third manager of the season.
Yet with Postecoglou making only four changes before the visit of Fulham on Sunday, clues soon materialised.
A swift attack led by Dejan Kulusevski cut Roma apart and although Glenn Nyberg waved away cries for a penalty when Hummels clipped Pape Matar Sarr, the referee changed his mind after checking the pitchside monitor.
