Don’t look down
Nuno tells Spurs to ignore league table even though they’re top and Gunners are marooned at bottom
NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO ordered Spurs fans to ignore the league table after three games – even though Tottenham are top and Arsenal are bottom.
It is the first time ever the north London rivals have found themselves at opposite ends after Son Heung-Min’s winner in his 200th Premier League appearance was enough to beat Watford.
“It doesn’t mean anything at all,” Nuno said. “I invite everybody, not only the players, but our fans – don’t pay attention to that.
“Let’s keep on working, we still have a long way and a lot of aspects to improve on.”
Son scored direct from a 42nd-minute free-kick after a misjudgment by goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann.
Watford manager Xisco Munoz admitted: “I was a little sad – we spoke before the press conference.
“We know the contest and the level of the players in front of us and we know we can’t give one second. In one action, one fault, we decide this game.” Son’s winning setpiece was designed to tantalise the strikers lined up to attack the goal while at the same time heading on a course just inside the far post.
Bachmann took too long deciding whether to stick or twist and when he belatedly did the latter he was clawing at air as the ball evaded him and flew untouched into the back of the net.
A good save from PierreEmile Hojbjerg’s deflected low drive in the second half followed by a sharper stop from Harry Kane from a corner was little compensation – the damage had already been done.
A late deflection robbed Kane of a simple tap-in at the far post to put the game to bed.
He still has not opened his Premier League account and Spurs have reached the summit with little contribution from the man who was their talisman.
Their campaign after the international break is set to be hit by the absence of the club’s Argentinian stars.
Premier League clubs agreed across the board not to release players to red-list countries, but FIFA president Gianni Infantino is adamant that they should play. Tottenham feel they cannot go against the wishes of their players and both Giovanni Lo Celso and Christian Romero want to meet up with Argentina even if it means a 14-day quarantine when they return.
It could rule them out of three London Premier League derbies, with Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Arsenal next up for Tottenham. “We have to obey the government law,” Nuno said. “We will try to do so but at the same time we don’t have any kind of help from FIFA, the government or the Premier League in support in this situation. “We know what it means for all of the players to play for their national teams. It’s something they’re very proud of. “We cannot stop it but we try and find the best way so when they return we can get them sooner.“There are ways and we as a club we are trying to provide a support for our player.”