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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou was delighted with his side’s composure as they made it back-to-back wins for the first time since October with a 2-0 Premier League victory at Nottingham Forest.
In the first half of stoppage time, Dejan Kulusevski passed to Richarlison who headed in the first goal. He then became the scorer himself when he took advantage of a bad clearance from Matt Turner to score the second goal at the City Ground.
Tottenham had to finish the last 20 minutes of the game with one less player due to Yves Bissouma’s ejection for making a dangerous tackle on Ryan Yates. However, they managed to hold on to their lead even though Neco Williams nearly scored for the opposing team.
Postecoglou expressed to Sky Sports Premier League, “This is a challenging match, you must work for everything you achieve. They are clearly determined for points and the fans rally behind them.”
Each time they receive a throw-in, it feels as though we have given up a goal and they are sending it into the penalty area. We had to handle numerous situations that are not typical for us. Our team showed great determination and resilience.
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“We encountered some challenges when one of our players was sent off, but we also played well in certain moments.”
“We were mostly able to maintain our composure and remain calm throughout the game. The defensive line, consisting of Ben Davies and Romero, performed exceptionally well. Vic also stepped up when necessary.”
“We consistently had a means of escape and appeared threatening, which prevented us from getting complacent. Therefore, I am extremely content.”
Postecoglou expressed continued worry regarding Tottenham’s lack of control, as Bissouma received his second season ejection and marked the team’s fourth red card of the season in the 70th minute.
Postecoglou stated that although he has not personally viewed the incident, he assumes it was reviewed in slow motion. He also acknowledged that this has been a recurring problem and that determining the appropriate course of action can be challenging.
The players are cognizant of the situation and do not want to miss any games. I believe today’s tackle was more out of desperation than malicious intent.
We often discuss it, but there is a delicate balance between their dedication to our goals and crossing boundaries.
“We have encountered that situation multiple times this year and it is not sustainable to continue handling it in the same manner, as we will eventually face consequences. This was evident in our match against Chelsea.”
We frequently discuss this, but there is a delicate balance between their dedication to our goals and not crossing boundaries.
The manager of Forest, Steve Cooper, expressed disappointment over the mistake that resulted in Tottenham’s second goal, which put his team in a difficult position.
Due to Heung-min Son’s pressure, Turner’s clearance attempt went directly to Kulusevski, who powerfully shot the ball into the goal, bringing the score to 2-0.
Cooper stated that the outcome is undoubtedly the most crucial and will consistently dictate the story, and we acknowledge that.
“We strategized to play a defensive game on a small field, in order to limit Tottenham’s opportunities to attack. We were aware of their skill and didn’t want to give them too much room to play.”
“It is evident that our objective was not achieved as we strayed from the plan and failed to double up on defense, allowing the opponent to penetrate our defense.”
This is the first instance where they have successfully executed a free cross, but we failed to defend in the box. This is indicative of our struggles in capitalizing on opportunities in the opponent’s box.
“Clearly, we came out strong in the second half and the second goal is unacceptable at any level, especially in the Premier League.”
“That put a stop to the progress, but I have no issues with the overall performance.”
Source: independent.co.uk
