In a rollercoaster match against Chelsea, Tottenham experienced a series of dramatic events that ultimately led to a 4-1 defeat.
The game kicked off with Kulusevski giving Spurs the lead, followed by a disallowed goal from Son minutes later.
The turning point occurred when Cristian Romero received a red card for a rash tackle inside the box, resulting in a penalty that Chelsea converted to equalise.
As if injuries to James Maddison and Micky van de Ven weren’t enough, Spurs faced further ordeal as Udogie received a second yellow card, reducing them to nine men in the 55th minute.
Surprisingly, rather than adopting a more defensive strategy, manager Ange Postecoglou introduced a bold 0-7-1 formation with an extremely high defensive line.
Pundit Paul Merson described Postecoglou’s tactics as “extraordinary” in his latest column for Sky Sports and suggested that a shift in approach during the final 15 minutes should have been made.
Merson believed that adopting a more defensive stance could have made it challenging for Chelsea to break down Spurs, especially given the reduced time on the clock.
He said:
“Tottenham playing on the halfway line with nine players was just extraordinary.
“I’d never seen anything like it. But Ange Postecoglou should have changed tactics.
“When it gets down to the last 15 minutes or so and it’s still 1-1, then you’ve got to change it. The clock moves a lot quicker with 15 or 20 minutes to go in the final part of the game. Sit nine behind the ball and make it very difficult for Chelsea.
“I like Postecoglou and he probably thought Chelsea were going to score in the second half playing against 10 men, so it’s pointless going out with a whimper, playing 10 behind the ball and never looking like scoring a goal.”
Despite the relentless Chelsea attacks, Tottenham continued to push forward, creating several chances and even having a goal disallowed.
Despite the heavy defeat on a night to forget, Tottenham players spirit to fight was hugely praised by fans and pundits both.
