Tottenham Hotspur only managed one point against 20th-placed Southampton this afternoon despite leading 3-1 with 20 minutes to go.
Let’s take a look at the five things we learned:
Injuries –
Not only did Spurs throw away a win, but there were also injuries to two in-form players in Ben Davies and Richarlison, which could be a huge blow moving forward.
Left-side Problem –
You could tell that Southampton had identified Tottenham’s left as a weakness after Perisic came on as they clipped constant balls down the wing.
Teams are going to copy this idea because Perisic and Lenglet have looked like a disaster of a pairing consistently this season.
Negative Subs:
With Spurs sitting back and attempting to defend a lead against bottom-of-the-league Southampton, Conte decided to put on Emerson and Sarr for Porro and Kulusevski.
I understand using the best players to grind out a result, but all that did was drop us deeper into our own box, putting emphasis on the weakest part of our game, defending the area.
The Silver Lining –
Pedro Porro has to go down as the silver lining today for Spurs. Two points were dropped, but the right-wing-back looked different class out there.
Those long balls over the top to Sonny, dangerous overlapping runs, and a well-taken goal amongst other chances to score. If he can sharpen up defensively a little, he could be a great purchase.
Top Four Race –
Spurs had the chance to go into third today, now they sit in fourth with both Man Utd and Newcastle having games in hand. The Lilywhites need three wins from their next four and some kind of result against United, I think, to have a chance at Champions League football next season.
Yes, the top four feels pointless and underwhelming, but it is also necessary to attract our next manager, and signings, and keep Harry Kane.
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