Chelsea moved the ball forward, finding Moises Caicedo just inside Tottenham`s half. With no immediate pressure, Tottenham`s defenders casually retreated. The ball was then floated to Pedro Neto on the wing, who, despite having a defender nearby, had ample space. Neto looked up and saw his teammates unmarked. The lack of pressure allowed him to attempt a pass to either Cole Palmer or Nicolas Jackson, but he overhit both, delaying the inevitable for Spurs.
Ultimately, Tottenham was destined to concede. A team that doesn`t prioritize defending their own goalmouth can`t expect to keep a clean sheet, especially when they seem to have lost the identity that their manager was trying to build.
While Ange Postecoglou`s team was never going to be mistaken for a defensive powerhouse, they were previously showing signs of a clear plan. Tottenham would press opponents intensely and in numbers. While this aggressive approach could leave them vulnerable to shots, the idea was that winning the ball back quickly would create better scoring opportunities for themselves.
When did Tottenham last demonstrate this style of play? In their recent match, there was no sign of the sharp, proactive defending expected from a team that had a significant break. Chelsea ended up recovering possession in Tottenham`s defensive third seven times, compared to Tottenham`s four. It`s worth remembering that earlier in the season, with a severe injury crisis, Postecoglou adapted his high-pressing, high-line tactics due to constant criticism. Without key defenders, Tottenham adjusted, becoming a weaker team, but understandably so.
Now, with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Guglielmo Vicario, and Destiny Udogie all back in the lineup, a solid defensive structure is still missing. It`s as if Tottenham are struggling to grasp the fundamental concept of defensive stability.
Chelsea frequently gained possession simply because Tottenham gave it away, and then faced a defensive line that was slow to react and offered little resistance. Despite facing what is arguably Tottenham`s strongest back four, Chelsea easily progressed the ball through midfield, where only Rodrigo Bentancur seemed to be putting in significant effort.
Tottenham`s defensive errors were glaring. Opponents` runs between full-back and center-back were ignored. Palmer had the freedom to reach the byline at will. Against a more clinical team than Chelsea, Spurs would have been punished much earlier than Enzo Fernandez`s goal from Palmer`s cross. Jadon Sancho, in particular, reinforced the idea that Chelsea might have been better off avoiding his signing altogether. While one powerful shot did test Vicario, too many Chelsea attacks fizzled out on the left side of the penalty area.
Perhaps Tottenham`s defensive weaknesses could be excused if their attack was as potent as it had been earlier in Postecoglou`s tenure. However, that attacking spark has also faded recently. Their expected goals from open play have dropped significantly, ranking them low in the league. Before a late save denied Son Heung-min, Tottenham had struggled to create meaningful chances in this match.
Instead, their lackluster attack has increased tensions between Postecoglou and Tottenham`s traveling supporters. While much of the fans` anger was directed at chairman Daniel Levy, the substitutions of Odobert and Bergvall for Johnson and Sarr led to chants of disapproval from a section of the crowd. When Sarr then scored a spectacular goal, Postecoglou responded by sarcastically cupping his ear towards the away fans.
This incident is likely to be replayed frequently in sports news, highlighting how Postecoglou`s initially promising reign in North London, built on principles and energy, has devolved into something indistinct. With twenty defeats across all competitions, closer to the bottom of the league than the top, and with their rivals celebrating St. Totteringham`s Day, Tottenham`s current defensive fragility also puts their Europa League hopes in serious jeopardy.
