Tottenham were well beaten in the end of an epic enounter in N17, but were in the game right until the death and stayed true to their style
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tottenham fans stood and applauded at the final whistle. Their team had just been beaten 4-1 by one of their fiercest rivals in a London derby. And in the Chelsea dugout stood their former manager, Mauricio Pochettino, returning to N17 for the first time. But they did not miss him one bit.
Spurs finished the game with just four of their starting XI on the pitch. Cristian Romero and Destony Udogie both picked up red cards, while Micky van de Ven and James Maddison were lost to injury. Yet Ange Postecoglou's side were still in the match until the 94th minute.
Down to nine men and with both of their centre-backs forced off, Tottenham stayed true to their style as Postecoglou's high defensive line remained. It might have seemed naïve or even reckless - but it gave them a chance. With nine men on the pitch, Eric Dier saw a volley ruled out for offside following a set piece. From another, the returning Rodrigo Bentancur missed with a header from inside the six-yard box. And in the 93rd minute, Son Heung-min's shot was saved at full stretch by Robert Sanchez following a quick break.
Chelsea ultimately prevailed in this London derby (Image credit: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Chelsea then went up the other end and scored the third. And the Blues added another in the 97th minute to wrap up an ultimately big win for the visitors. But the scoreline did not tell the story in yet another dramatic finale at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spurs secured the latest comeback in Premier League history as they came back from a goal down to beat Sheffield United 2-1 with goals in the 98th and 100th minutes in September. And against Liverpool later in the month, Postecoglou's side sealed victory in the 96th minute against the Reds' nine men.
It didn't work on Monday night, but sitting back might have brought the same result. Under Nuno Espirito Santo, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, it certainly didn't bring much joy.
VIDEO: Ange Postecoglou: "We Want To Achieve Things That Have Never Been Achieved Before"
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Postecoglou had not lost in his previous 52 home matches as a coach. Tottenham had not been beaten all season in the Premier League. Both of those records went on Monday, but Tottenham won a lot of credit in defeat to Chelsea.
"It's just who we are and who we are going to be as long as I am here. We go down to five men, mate and we will have a crack," the Australian said after the game when asked why he did not instruct his team to defend deeper.
The Tottenham manager also refused to criticise the officials' decisions following a weekend which saw Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta vent his anger at Newcastle United's goal in the Gunners' 1-0 loss at St. James' Park and Spurs' north London rivals release a statement supporting the Basque.
Tottenham fans really are loving "Big Ange" this season (Image credit: Getty Images)
"In my 26 years, I was always prepared to accept the referee's decision good, bad or otherwise," Postecoglou said. "And I've had some shockers in my career, let me tell you. I've had some go my way as well."
Romero and Udogie can probably have few complaints under the laws of the game now and both flirted with reds earlier in the game too. Behind the scenes, Postecoglou is likely to speak to both as their actions cost the team on Monday.
The Argentine will now be banned for three matches and will miss the games against Wolves, Aston Villa and Manchester City. Udogie will also be suspended for the trip to Molineux next Saturday, while Van de Ven is set for a few weeks on the sidelines at least after pulling his hamstring and Maddison will need to be assessed for an ankle problem.
It is early November and Spurs' short squad is already set to be tested following Monday's epic encounter, but there is a togetherness in this group and a communion with the fans which has not been seen for a long time in N17.
Tottenham will be tested in coming weeks (Image credit: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Tottenham lost a match on Monday but stayed true to their attacking principles. It is what the fans have wanted for a long time and it is why they adore Postecoglou.
It is easy to forget that this was a club in disarray after the sacking of Conte earlier this year and rocked by the summer sale of their greatest goalscorer, Harry Kane, optimism was not high ahead of the new season.
Yet Spurs sit just a point off the top after 11 matches and, under Postecoglou, they are playing the most exciting football these supporters have seen in years.
Despite defeat on Monday, the fans can be hugely proud of their team. And even if a dip in form follows with several players out, they can be extremely excited about what comes next.
Ben Hayward is the Weekend Editor of FourFourTwo. A European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.
