Some notes on Spurs loanee Anthony Georgiou’s performance against AFC Wimbledon: 

(This photograph is from Tottenham Hotspur FC)

Spurs loanee Anthony Georgiou made his competitive debut for Ipswich Town on Tuesday night, when they hosted AFC Wimbledon in a league one fixture at Portman Road. Georgiou came on at half time with Ipswich trailing by one goal to nil, and the Cypriot international totally reenergised the home team with his searing pace and directness, and he helped them to turn the game around and win 2-1. In the following piece I will be going through Anthony Georgiou’s second half performance in chronological order. Georgiou replaced Ipswich winger Idris El Mizouni out on the left wing at halftime as manager Paul Lambert looked to inject some pace into the game, after a slow first half. Young Anthony got a good reception from the Ipswich faithful when he came on. Georgiou’s pace was already causing problems for the Wimbledon defence and soon after coming on the 22 year old managed to win a free kick on the edge of the Wimbledon penalty area. It came about after Georgiou was the quickest to a loose ball and he was then tugged back by Wimbledon defender Thomas Terrell. Georgiou took the resulting free kick, he whipped the ball into the Wimbledon box where he managed to pick out central defender Luke Woolfenden whose headed effort on goal was blocked by a Wimbledon defender. The energetic Spurs man was tracking back well during the opening stages of the first half and he was also making some good runs down the left flank. One such good, surging run should have been picked out by Cole Skuse after Georgiou had beaten his man with ease down the left flank but he was ignored by Skuse who decided to play a different pass. Shortly afterwards Myles Kenlock passed the ball to Georgiou down the left flank, Georgiou dropped his shoulder before taking the ball into the Wimbledon box and whipping in a dangerous low cross which was cleared away by Paul Kalambayi, before being gathered by goalkeeper Nathan Trott. Georgiou was getting plenty of touches of the ball as Ipswich switched to a 4–4-2 formation. After picking up the ball down the left flank Georgiou darted forward before whipping another teasing cross into the danger zone, but once again it was cleared away by Paul Kalambayi.

A couple of moments later Anthony received a pass from Kayden Jackson down the left flank, before whipping a dangerous low cross into the Wimbledon box. However, no one was able to meet it (though they should have!) and the ball ran across the face of the goal. Georgiou had singlehandedly become the most dangerous player on the park and the Ipswich players were trying to feed the ball into him out on the left flank at every opportunity. After Ipswich centre forward James Norwood had won a free kick out on the left flank, Georgiou elected to take it. The 22 year old whipped another good ball into the danger zone but it was cleared away by Paul Kalambayi, before Cole Skuse fired an effort wide of goal. About five minutes later Georgiou came close to latching onto James Norwood’s cross into the Wimbledon box from the right flank, after Georgiou had made a good run into the danger zone. A couple of minutes later Georgiou passed the ball to the overlapping Myles Kenlock down the left flank, and he cut inside onto his right foot before forcing a save out of Nathan Trott from his low effort. Anthony delivered a whipped corner kick into the box shortly afterwards from the left hand side but it was cleared behind for another corner kick by a Wimbledon defender. The Lewisham born winger then pumped in the resulting corner kick on the right hand side but before anyone could attack it an Ipswich player had been penalised for a foul inside the box. James Norwood netted a leveller for Ipswich a matter of minutes later as the home side now had some momentum going into the final period of the game. After substitute Alan Judge had won a corner kick Anthony Georgiou whipped the ball into the box but it was cleared away by a defender. Georgiou continued to be heavily involved in the game. After picking the ball up out on the left flank he darted forward with the ball glued to his feet. He then drifted inside onto his right foot on the edge of the Wimbledon box before having a shot blocked by Thomas Terrell. A corner kick which was delivered by Alan Judge a couple of minutes later came to Georgiou in the middle of the box. He poked the ball to Luke Chambers whose resulting effort was blocked by a defender.

Anthony switched onto the right flank for the final moments of the game. Then deep in stoppage time Ipswich netted a dramatic late, late winner through Kayden Jackson. It was in many was the dream debut for Georgiou the fearless left winger. He was an absolute joy to watch with his many surging runs, perfect whipped crosses and tireless tracking back. Unlike in pre-season for Spurs when he was played at left back, Georgiou was allowed the freedom to run at defenders and beat players. And he did so with the same ease and the same quality in which those of us who regularly watch the Spurs development side have been used to for so long. It was a fantastic debut for Georgiou who is now very likely to start Ipswich’s next game away to Bolton on Saturday.