Tottenham’s ‘ crazy’ collapse caps wild start to unpredictable season
A two- week break for international matches has done nothing to suppress the relentless unpredictability of this season’s English Premier League.
Goals are flowing at an unprecedented level in the world’s most popular league and the drama continues unabated. The latest exhibition came at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday as West Ham United staged an improbable comeback that is starting to become the norm.
Trailing 3- 0 after 81 minutes, West Ham scored three times to force a 3- 3 draw — the equalizer coming with 20 seconds left of the four minutes of stoppage time as Manuel Lanzini rifled into the top corner from 25 yards ( 23 meters).
No team had previously avoided defeat when 3- 0 down as late as the 81st minute in the EPL.
“This was a game we had in the pocket and we lost two points,” said Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho. “My guys were not strong enough to cope with it psychologically in the last few seconds.”
Spurs raced to a 3- 0 lead within 16 minutes as the free- scoring combination of Harry Kane and Son Heung- min looked to have Mourinho’s Spurs cruising towards a win that would have put them second in the table.
“We should remember this feeling forever so it never happens again,” said Son.
“It is just so sad that we lost a big two points, when we as a collective played so well and as a team dominated and controlled the game, to draw the game feels like we lost.”
With Aston Villa beating Leicester City 1- 0 courtesy of a stoppagetime goal, and Brighton & Hove Albion equalizing against Crystal Palace in added time, it continues to be the wildest of seasons.
Southampton twice came from behind Saturday to draw 3- 3 at Chelsea, which rallied from 3- 0 down for a 3- 3 draw at West Bromwich Albion in the third round of games.
Who could forget champion Liverpool’s 7- 2 loss at Villa and Manchester United’s 6- 1 drubbing by Tottenham in the final matches before the international break?
Then there was Manchester City’s 5- 2 thrashing by Leicester for Pep Guardiola’s heaviest home loss as a coach, and that breathless 4- 3 win for Liverpool over Leeds United on the opening weekend.
There was an average of 3.78 goals per game in the four rounds — a Premier League record for this stage of the season — and there have already been 27 goals in eight games over the weekend.
The reasons given for such volatile results in England’s top division so far have included teams’ limited preseason, the lack of fans reducing the pressure on players, and scorers being unusually clinical. But no one really knows.
“It’s really crazy at the moment,” said West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, who added that the feeling after Lanzini’s last- gasp strike was one of the best he has had in his career.
This wasn’t the homecoming Gareth Bale would have envisaged.
The Wales forward, who has joined Tottenham on loan from Real Madrid for a second spell at the London club, came off the bench in the 72nd minute for his first appearance since signing. Spurs were leading 3- 0 at the time.
Even though Fabian Balbuena’s header and Davinson Sanchez’s own- goal made it 3- 2 by the 85th minute, Bale had the chance to seal the win when he waltzed past two defenders to break into the penalty area only to shoot wide.
Then came Lanzini’s lethal strike after a freekick was only partially cleared.
Delighted Hammers boss David Moyes said: “The halftime teamtalk was actually really difficult because you’re 3- 0 down, but I actually thought the team played really well, except for the opening five or 10 minutes.
“Probably the toughest decision was not to make any decision because it’s always quite easy as a manager to feel like you have to make a decision and change things, but I didn’t think we needed it, we were playing well enough.”
Perfect Villa
Having scored seven goals against Liverpool two weeks ago, Aston Villa just needed one to see off Leicester and maintain its 100 percent start to the season.
Ross Barkley’s long- range shot found the bottom corner in the first minute of stoppage time to seal the win at King Power Stadium.
Villa’s fourth straight victory moved the Birmingham team a point behind Everton, which has played one more game.
Barkley has scored in both of his games since joining on loan from Chelsea.
There was another dramatic finish at Selhurst Park, as Brighton equalized in the 90th minute through Alexis Mac Allister before having Lewis Dunk sent off in the third minute of stoppage time in a 1- 1 draw at fierce rival Palace.
Roy Hodgson’s Palace had just one shot all match, and that was the contentiously awarded penalty converted by Wilfried Zaha.
Sheffield United and Fulham finally have their first point of the season, but both strugglers would have wanted more from their 1- 1 draw at Bramall Lane.
Billy Sharp converted a penalty for the Blades in the 85th minute to cancel out Ademola Lookman’s spectacular solo goal eight minutes earlier on his first start for Fulham, which bounced from relegation two seasons ago to earn an instant return to the top flight.
Fulham’s Serbian striker, Aleksandar Mitrovic, fired a penalty over the bar in the 58th minute.
We should remem ber this feeling forever so it never happens again.”
Son Heung- min, on Spurs’ late capitulation from a 3- 0 lead against West Ham