It felt like an almighty release of emotion months in the making.
Xavi Simons whipped off his shirt and jumped into the crowd after putting Tottenham Hotspur in front against Brighton with 13 minutes remaining on the clock. With players and the crowd wrapped up in those wild, jubilant scenes, it felt like the dam had finally cracked.
But, of course, nothing is simple with Spurs anymore. There would be no lasting release. That much was proven when the visitors hit back at the death to force a 2-2 draw, leaving Roberto De Zerbi‘s side still teetering inside the relegation zone.
It didn’t have to be like this. Spurs had delivered a drastically improved performance, both in tactical understanding and sheer, unadulterated effort. There will have been numerous positives for De Zerbi to take in the build-up to this weekend’s make-or-break trip to Wolves.
While the result against Brighton proved to be bitterly disappointing at the last, the blueprint is now in place and promises to help keep Tottenham in the Premier League.
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Tottenham tactics can keep them up
De Zerbi warned after replacing Igor Tudor that there would be no drastic changes. There simply wasn’t the time. No smoking gun, no revolution. Instead, he promised a renewed focus on the basics, as well as the relentless press he has become synonymous with.
For large swathes against Brighton, this back-breaking work paid off handsomely.
Just look at the build-up before Simons restored Spurs’ lead. Lucas Bergvall swarmed Jan Paul van Hecke before dispossessing him and sliding the ball across to the Dutchman. He then did the rest, twisting and turning before arrowing beyond Bart Verbruggen.
It was ruthlessly simple. Tottenham’s calculated press began as soon as Brighton looked to play out. Their triggers were clear for all to see, but the visitors couldn’t get a grip on them. Time and again, they were swarmed around their box, leading to turnovers and chances.
But with Spurs these days, there is always a catch. Simons’ devilish cross to tee up Pedro Porro and his thumping 77th-minute strike moved the hosts to the cusp of winning a Premier League match for the first time since December, before it was snatched away from them.
Cruelly, there was little Simons could do to stop it. Having moved mountains for so long, he was spent when Brighton flooded forward in the final few seconds. It was cruel that he seemingly pulled up with cramp in his left leg when Georginio Rutter equalised.
As if balancing on a knife-edge, Simons went from ecstasy to the verge of tears in milliseconds. His moment of magic should have broken Spurs’ four-month winless streak.
The fact that Tottenham played so well yet came away with so little boggles the mind. De Zerbi has clearly already instilled his non-negotiables into his squad. Hard work is king, as is attitude. Players who arrived at training on Monday not smiling risked being sent back home.
They hounded their opponents on Saturday night, giving the crowd reason to row in behind them. The atmosphere was fervent, fuelled by the sight of each of Spurs’ players running forward with purpose, closing down the visitors and expertly shutting off passing lanes.
It was telling that Spurs scored two goals from high turnovers – their highest tally this season. They could only manage one against Fulham back in November and one against Arsenal on February 22. Already, the fruits of De Zerbi’s labour are beginning to show.
There is a new hunger in the squad, demonstrated when Bergvall, who had hardly been on the pitch 60 seconds, robbed the ball off Van Hecke and teed up Simons.
Tottenham covered a distance of 113.6km against Brighton, already an improvement on the 111.34 registered at Sunderland in De Zerbi’s opening match in charge. They also sprinted more last time out, the 8.86 per cent trumping the 8.24 they managed on Wearside.
There was a clear difference in xG, too, 0.98 compared to 0.7. Forward passes were also up from 118 to 124, while they made 14 tackles, four more than at the Stadium of Light.
What these numbers prove is that De Zerbi’s high-energy style is beginning to filter through. It is an approach that promises to keep them in the top-flight by the skin of their teeth.
Roberto De Zerbi’s instant impact
In the lead-up to the draw with Brighton, De Zerbi looked to stitch his wounded squad back together by treating them to a swanky team-bonding meal at a Mayfair restaurant. He also promised more expensive dinners if they were able to secure victory in his first home match.
For a while, this dangling carrot looked to have done the trick.
News of West Ham’s goalless draw at Crystal Palace on Monday night was met with a resounding sigh of relief in N17, but Spurs still have it all to do. It is just as well, then, that De Zerbi has bullishly insisted they can win all five of their remaining matches to beat the drop.
Whether he will echo that sentiment in private is unknown, but what is clear is that Spurs made a major mistake not moving for the 46-year-old sooner.
They will just hope that lapse in judgement doesn’t dump them into the Championship.
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