SANCHEZ LATE
Davinson ends Spurs suffering
ANTONIO CONTE said it was important for Tottenham ‘to suffer’ for victory – as Davinson Sanchez’s injury-time winner proved in a sometimes dour struggle. The Italian boss breathed a huge sigh of relief at the final whistle as the big Colombian nodded home a free-kick in the dying seconds to snatch victory for his Spurs side.
But the result heaped yet more pressure on beleagueredwatford chief Claudio Ranieri.
Defender Sanchez rose highest to meet Heung Min-son’s free-kick, ending an afternoon of dogged resistance from the hosts that came within seconds of yielding an all-important point in their battle to beat the drop.
That made it eight games unbeaten for Conte since stepping into the hot seat in north London. It has taken him out on his own among his peers, setting a new benchmark.
But this narrow victory went right to the wire as Ranieri’s bunch of desperados had grown into the game and had decent claims for a share of the spoils.
Conte said: “It was important to get three points.we know we have to suffer to get them.
“We’re building a team and we want to be competitive in the future – but we have to be competitive this season as well.
“It’s important for us to be humble, to fight and to suffer.
“We do need to improve.we need to work on this and playing every three days is not easy. I was delighted with the commitment.we have shown solidity.”
Before kick-off, Conte had warned that it would take more than one transfer window to turn his new club into genuine challengers for a place in the top four.
That evaluation looked spot-on for the vast majority of a game in which the hosts attempted to stem the flow of goals that has undermined their season so far by conceding space and retreating backwards.
For the record, it’s now 28 games since their last shut-out in the Premier League.
The opening 45 minutes was like the morning after a heavy night before. It was like being presented with leftovers from the late-night takeaway for breakfast.
Spurs were stodgy, one-paced and, despite an overwhelming – and at times embarrassing – amount of the ball they just couldn’t fashion much with it.
Over on the right flank Emerson Royal was almost being presented with crossing opportunities with the same sort of regularity that he might be during a training drill. But time after time the young Brazilian found a yellow shirt.
It looked as though Spurs would eventually grind down the Hornets with their possession.
But the introduction of Joao Pedro for the ineffective Emmanuel Dennis at half-time – Ranieri later said the Nigerian wasn’t feeling 100 per cent before the start of the game – changed the whole complexion of the contest.
Josh King called Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris into action with a super save from a curling shot.
Then Watford’s serious claims for a penalty, when Pedro appeared to be upended 10 minutes from time by Lloris, were waved away by referee Rob Jones and then backed up by the VAR.
Son had come closest to breaking the deadlock with a flicked finish that Daniel Bachmann did well to save.
But Watford’s keeper had no chance in the final seconds of stoppage time when the South Korean whipped in a wicked centre.
Sanchez rose highest, beating Ranieri’s defenders to the ball, to collect his second goal of the campaign.
It leaves Spurs two points behind north London rivals Arsenal with two games in hand.
A Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea this week will undoubtedly give Conte, and the watching world, greater insight as to how much work he needs to undertake.
For the hosts, Ranieri refused to round on the match official to find excuses for what is a morale-sapping defeat.
This was Watford’s tenth loss under his charge but the performance may quell suggestions that he is about to be replaced.
He said: “What a pity they scored! “I didn’t think we would concede a goal from a header and in the last minute – but our fans should be proud of the team.
“The performance was much better.we had good moments from Pedro and from King.
“We are alive and we will survive.”