PEP’S LOCK IN
SUDDENLY, they are back in top-four business. With this, the first landmark win of Jose Mourinho’s tenure, Tottenham look well placed to take the race for that final Champions League slot to the wire.
An 11-point gap when Mourinho was appointed in November has been reduced to just four. The clean sheet here was only their second in their last 13 games in all competitions. But the Spurs plan is starting – finally – to come together.
Steven Bergwijn’s delicious volley to set up this win underlined why Spurs brought him in from PSV Eindhoven last week for £25.4million. He is now, already, a hero in north London. So much so that Harry Kane’s absence no longer matters when Spurs play Manchester City.
They have beaten Pep Guardiola’s side three times since the City boss referred to them as the “Harry Kane team”. This was another of those days on which the Spaniard was left eating his words.
Japhet Tanganga impressed again, this time at left-back. Giovani Lo Celso demonstrated exactly why Spurs exercised their option to make his loan permanent. Heung-Min Son showed once again he is an outstanding understudy when Kane is out.
Tanguy Ndombele joined the fray for a fine second-half cameo, and that first-half save from Hugo Lloris, using his legs to divert the ball onto the post, kept Spurs in it.
No wonder Mourinho had a smile as wide as the Seven Sisters Road at the final whistle.
FROM BACK PAGE was talking with my staff, my wife, it would be a mistake after this performance to say how bad we played.
“You are close to winning games when you create more chances and concede fewer, but sometimes it’s not enough and it’s happened too much this season. We lost the game and that’s all I can say. Maybe one day we will click and we will change it.
“The team is good, but it’s not enough, the distance is so big and next season we will have to do better.”
Guardiola could not resist a pop at former Premier League chief Richard Scudamore (right) who gave a warning after City ran away with the title two years ago. “The last two seasons, the owner of the Premier League said that can’t happen again and it was not good for City to win the titles in that way,” said Guardiola.
“So now it’s Liverpool. Now the owner of the Premier League must be concerned.
“We are far away, they are unstoppable, they’ve won a lot of points, we dropped points in games similar to today, like when we played at Anfield. Now our target is the other competitions, and to qualify for the Champions League next season.”