When you find yourselves 2-0 down in a cup competition, the most important thing is to take your chances and try and force your way back into the game. However, that’s the one thing the Lilywhites failed to do yesterday, and when Georges-Kevin N’Koudou missed from a matter of yards out despite a near open goal, it set the tone for the defeat.
41 – A well-worked free-kick routine sees @gknkoudou denied twice in quick succession by Speroni.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) 27 January 2019
Kieran Trippier was lining up a free-kick on the edge of the box after Lucas Moura had been brought down inches from the penalty area. The Crystal Palace fans were desperate to get past Spurs’ spell of pressure and make it to half-time, yet they failed to mark Tottenham’s French winger. Trippier had the easiest of jobs to lay the ball for N’Koudou, yet the 23-year-old couldn’t turn the ball home.
Had N’Koudou netted it may have given the Lilywjtes the confidence to get back into the game and could have been enough to boost Trippier to net his penalty that was fired wide just minutes later. All of that is just what-if though, and the fact of the matter is that N’Koudou spurned a golden chance that could have turned the game on its head given its timing, helping the Spurs fans understand why he barely features.
You can read the Lilwhites’ reaction to N’Koudou’s horror miss here:
Now we know why GK doesnt play
— Matt B (@2TzPunkRock) 27 January 2019
How did he miss that?
— Tobias (@sorensentobiias) January 27, 2019
HES 4 YARDS OUT!
— 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘨 (@GeorgeHxmph) January 27, 2019
Have no words for that lol
— Thomas Wakelin (@ThomasWakelin1) January 27, 2019
Palace left him unmarked for a reason.
— Paul (@PAFCOYS) January 27, 2019
And people wonder why he never plays
— Chris (@chris_hempton) January 27, 2019
So everyone knows now why G Nkoudou doesn't really play many games! pic.twitter.com/gY6o45p0vt
— Enrique Guadiz (@EnriqueGuadiz) January 27, 2019
Get him out this @gknkoudou. What a useless player. I would have done better. #COYS
— Thomas Selfie (@tomasselfie99) January 27, 2019
The Lilywhites expected so much more from N’Koudou after his heroics off the bench against Fulham, yet when it mattered yesterday he failed to deliver.
