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 Europa League 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.