Tottenham Hostpur v Monaco match report: Erik Lamela fires rapid hat-trick as Spurs clinch top spot in Europa League group

Tottenham 4 Monaco 1

Erik Lamela celebrates opening the scoring for Spurs in the second minute (Reuters)

Games like this do not always feel important but Erik Lamela made sure that this one did. Tottenham confirmed first place in Group J by beating Monaco 4-1, when just a draw would have been enough. They are now seeded for the round of 32. Last year they were not, drew Fiorentina at that stage, and were knocked out.

What matters more than Europa League seeding, though, is domestic form. And Lamela scored a 35-minute hat-trick, winning the game in the first half, putting himself emphatically forward for a place against Newcastle United on Sunday and beyond that.

Lamela is a confidence player who has shown flashes of brilliance this year, more than ever before, while also having a few of those games where little comes off. Here, in the rain, he took a good team to pieces, scoring three and setting up at least as many chances for his team-mates. Lamela in this sort of form might be the difference between wins and draws, which looks like the difference between Spurs finishing in the top four, or just outside it.

This was a night set up for players to show Pochettino what they are all about. He made seven changes from the team who drew at West Bromwich Albion. Core first-teamers including Jan Vertonghen, Harry Kane, Mousa Dembele and Christian Eriksen were all rested. Josh Onomah was given his first Tottenham start, while Nabil Bentaleb and Nacer Chadli came off the bench after long-term injuries.

Any of these players, or Heung-Min Son or Clinton Njie, also up front, could have seized the night but it was Lamela, desperate to assert his credentials, ensuring that he is at the very top of Pochettino’s thoughts next time he picks a team.

“Lamela has not surprised me,” said Pochettino afterwards. “He is a great talent. He deserves the headlines. When a younger player like Lamela arrives in a new country they need time to adapt. He is more confident and looks a different player from two years ago.”

The whole Tottenham team started fast, and given the wet ball and slick pitch, Monaco simply could not keep up with them.

It only took two minutes for Spurs to go ahead. Ben Davies stole the ball from Nabil Dirar, burst down the left and exchanged passes with Clinton Njie. Facing no opposition, Davies rolled the ball to Lamela in the box, and the finish was simple.

Spurs, without Eriksen, Kane or Mousa Dembele, were shredding Monaco. Lamela, Son and Njie were combining and switching, too fast and sharp for their struggling visitors.

Lamela scored his second when he stole possession from Jeremy Toulalan, broke forward, opened his body and curled a shot towards the bottom corner. The slippery ball slid through Danijel Subasic’s damp gloves.

Giving his team-mates a chance to score, Lamela played in Son, who finished well only to be denied by the linesman. Then Lamela played in Josh Onomah, on his first start for the club, but Subasic managed to get behind his effort.

It was Lamela, then, who had the score the third goal himself. Njie won the ball in midfield, Son quickly moved it on and Lamela burst forward and gleefully smacked the ball into the bottom corner. That was the end of the competitive tension and from then on, it was simply about preparing the team for the challenges ahead.

Eric Dier felt a pain in his ankle and was taken off as a precaution, for Bentaleb after three months out. Lamela was withdrawn on 60 minutes, for Chadli, out for two months. Stephan El Shaarawy curled a clever goal in from 20 yards, but this was not his night.

The only contest left was whether Njie or Tom Carroll would score their first ever goal for Spurs. Njie was denied twice by Subasic. Carroll skipped past Elderson at the near post and slotted the ball into the net. Njie will have to wait. Lamela is done waiting.