Tottenham’s Postecoglou off to Premier League record start،
LONDON — Ange Postecoglou set a new record for the most points won by a manager in his first nine Premier League matches (23) after his Tottenham Hotspur side’s 2-0 victory over Fulham on Monday evening.
The Spurs manager’s tally surpassed the previous record of 22 points jointly held by Mike Walker and Guus Hiddink in their first nine matches in charge of Norwich City (1992-93 season) and Chelsea (2008-09 season ), respectively.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)
Goals from Son Heung-Min and James Maddison at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium were enough to earn Spurs a comfortable victory over Fulham and put Postecoglou’s side two points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
When asked how proud he was of his record, Postecoglou replied: “Look, it’s everyone’s credit. It’s a really encouraging start to the season, that’s for sure. In terms of performance, we have been very consistent.
“We had to work hard tonight. During the first half we held together very well. We had to be quite patient in the way we looked for openings and I thought they [Fulham] were very well organized, particularly defensively.”
However, the Spurs manager criticized his side’s second-half performance after Fulham missed chances to get back into the game.
“I thought our pressing was exceptional throughout the match,” he said. “But with the ball, it was probably the worst 45 minutes we had all year.
“We need to make sure we stay disciplined in our approach. Ultimately, Vic [Guglielmo Vicario] made some superb saves to keep a clean sheet. In this context, we should have had much better control of the game.”
Despite Postecoglou’s frustrations, this is the longest in a Premier League season where Spurs have been top of the league since December 15, 2020 (top after 12 PL games under José Mourinho).
Postecoglou left Celtic to manage Spurs in the summer and is yet to taste defeat in the league with his new team.
The Spurs head coach has breathed new life into Tottenham when they were at rock bottom after their eighth-place finish in the league last season prevented them from qualifying for European football for the first time since 2009.
Tottenham’s start to the season is their best since the 1960-61 season, when they began the campaign with 11 consecutive victories en route to the league title.
The north London club have the opportunity to move five points clear at the top of the Premier League – having played a game more than their rivals – when they take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Friday.
