Wild Spurs-Chelsea fracas proves ‘Angeball’ is here to stay،
LONDON — The most chaotic, frenetic and hypnotic match of this Premier League season – and perhaps any other – ended with Tottenham Hotspur fans singing tributes to their manager, Ange Postecoglou, after having lost 4-1 at home to Chelsea on Monday.
Spurs’ commitment to “Angeball” is absolute, regardless of the chaos he causes. If we can draw any meaning from these utterly absurd 111 minutes – yes, there were 21 minutes of added time – it is that Postecoglou’s insistence on playing his way will not be compromised by any imaginable event in the settings of a football match.
Having come through the austere era of Antonio Conte, during which Tottenham often seemed allergic to attack, fans in this part of north London adopted the high-octane, high-octane style of Postecoglou that had propelled them to the top of the league. the Premier League after 10 games without defeat. .
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So it’s hard to argue with his philosophy given the returns to date – but it was arguably the best and worst of Postecoglou’s style summed up in a ridiculous evening, which included nine VAR checks, five disallowed goals, two injuries, two reds. cards, a hat trick, a penalty and a reserved manager.
“It’s quite difficult to deal with,” said Postecoglou, who joined Spurs in the summer. “It’s almost impossible to analyze the match because it seemed out of control for a lot of it. Disappointed with the result but really proud of the players, they gave everything and that’s the positive we will take away.”
Dejan Kulusevski opened the scoring in what has now become a customary fast start for Tottenham, his sixth-minute shot deflecting off Chelsea defender Levi Colwill to spark a level of pandemonium that did not subside all evening .
How different things could have been if Tottenham striker Heung-Min Son’s 13th-minute goal had counted. The South Korean expertly palmed away Brennan Johnson’s cross down the left wing as the cacophony of noise inside this magnificent arena threatened to consume Chelsea – but a close offside call deservedly played into their favor.
There followed a gradual loss of control on the part of Tottenham. Destiny Udogie was lucky to only receive a yellow card for a two-footed challenge on Raheem Sterling, while Cristian Romero was also lucky to escape any sort of punishment for sending off at Colwill.
Postecoglou also let himself be taken in by the wild atmosphere. Usually a presence on the sidelines, Postecoglou was furious when officials flagged offside, but he tried to give Spurs the lead who gave the ball away under pressure. Referee Michael Oliver booked Postecoglou for the manager’s first time since joining the club.
Sterling had a goal disallowed, as did Moisés Caicedo, but in the build-up VAR spotted Romero’s excessive use of force in tackling Enzo Fernández. Romero was sent off and Chelsea were awarded a spot kick, which Cole Palmer converted.
Jackson had another goal disallowed for offside before Spurs lost Micky van de Ven to a hamstring injury and James Maddison to an ankle problem. In fact, after all the substitutions – and Udogie’s second yellow in the 55th minute for another reckless and stupid lunge on Sterling – Spurs finished this game with just four of their starting 11 players on the pitch.
But Tottenham would not be bowed down.
Despite nine men and four including Emerson Royal at left-back and a centre-back pairing of Eric Dier – in his first appearance of the season – and midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Spurs pressed on to play with an absurdly high score. Defensive line. And while the answer is relatively simple – ball over the top to connect with a well-timed run – the combination seemed to unnerve Chelsea, who have struggled to score goals this season.
The fact that Spurs lasted as long as they did with nine players, ultimately succumbing to a simple Jackson finish off a Sterling pass in the 75th minute, due to a combination of Chelsea’s lack of cohesion and a heroic goalkeeper from Guglielmo Vicario, who didn’t deserve to finish. the night conceding four. But it was the Spurs product who led with their chin, following up with a high line that allowed Chelsea to score the same goal twice more, the first assisted by Conor Gallagher, the second by Palmer and both converted by Jackson.
“It’s just who we are, buddy,” Postecoglou said. “That’s what we are and what we’ll be as long as I’m here. If we go down to five men, we’ll take our chances.”
Chelsea’s much-maligned striker Jackson will take confidence from his hat-trick in this lopsided result, but it was a particularly absurd set of circumstances that effectively allowed the visitors to play an attacking training exercise for the last 35 minutes. The fact that it took Chelsea so long to translate their numerical superiority to the score line dampens enthusiasm about the final margin of victory.
The consequences could be serious for Spurs. Van de Ven left the stadium on crutches, Romero is suspended for three matches and Maddison’s return date is currently unknown.
The last word here should go to Mauricio Pochettino. All the pre-match speeches focused on the former Tottenham manager’s emotional return to the team he managed, but apart from a few angry outbursts as Chelsea struggled to bring closure to this matter, it was a satisfying return to an evening that epitomized the glorious bedlam that is the Premier League.
“I’m so happy because these three points mean a lot to us,” Pochettino said. We are in a situation where we have to win points. I’m happy to come back and see people who I didn’t have the chance to say goodbye too. The most important thing for me is victory .It’s Tottenham and it’s not any more special because of that.”
After a win that eased some of the pressure on him following Chelsea’s disappointing start, he greeted several Tottenham coaches with a long hug – including assistant coach Ryan Mason – before embracing Son in midfield that he called home.
However, this is now Postecoglou’s home, and if confirmation was needed, the PA system switched to the Robbie Williams song “Angels” as fans filed away, with the reworked lyrics paying tribute to their new manager .
Tottenham fans may have lost to their bitter rivals, but with Pochettino at home they rather like ‘Big Angel’.
