When Spurs Lose, They Win Big in the Following Game

Whenever Spurs have lost this season in all competitions, they have won a majority of their games except one, a 2-2 draw against Stoke City. However, when Tottenham win, they do so in blowout fashion.

It would be easy to categorize this win as Spurs letting their anger out on their next opponent following a heartbreaking 1-0 loss at home to Leicester City. But looking over their previous wins after suffering a defeat in all competitions this season, it’s almost common to expect a bounce back will occur.

And in true blowout fashion, it happened once again. Spurs dominated this matchup in every single facet of the game, but most importantly: possession (68 percent to 32 percent), shots (26 to 5) and shots on goal (11 to 2) after 90 minutes. Clearly when you win in those three categories, it should translate into a win. But that wasn’t the case once again heading into half-time today.

After 45 minutes, despite being the better team once again, for the fourth consecutive game (Everton, Leicester City twice and now Sunderland) the game was level at one-all. This is starting to become a recurring theme and that is Spurs will always be the better team to start the game off. They’ll be a dominating team early on and will have their way moving into the final third.

But once they get there, that’s when the opposition’s defense starts tightening up and puts more bodies in the way which forces Spurs to continue cycling possession while looking for passing lanes that will cut through a brick wall of a defense.

That’s not to say that Spurs somehow can’t work effectively to break through a team who decides to play a counterattacking style of football after parking the bus for the entire first half and/or game. But it does paint a picture that Spurs seem to struggle against these kinds of teams, and Leicester is the perfect example following their previous two games this past week.

Still, while the only real negative is the fact that Sunderland’s defense somehow stifled Tottenham’s attack in the final third, it was only a matter of time until Spurs would get what they rightly deserved in this three previous games. And that’s goals — lots of them. As well as a win too, which was important.

With Mousa Dembélé returning to Mauricio Pochettino’s starting eleven, the Belgian midfielder would have most likely been Man of the Match if it wasn’t for Christian Eriksen’s brace on the day. However if the Danish international didn’t earn that honor, then it definitely should go to Dembélé because the 28-year-old certainly changed the entire game.

More from Hotspur HQ

When Mousa Dembélé was nursing an ankle injury after being subbed off to start the second half against Watford on December 28, the next three games: Everton (BPL), Leicester (FA Cup) and Leicester (BPL) all started off too fast.

Which isn’t bad, a fast paced game is not only exciting for neutrals and supporters alike, but it should theoretically catch a team’s defense off guard. Unfortunately that works both ways too. See, without Dembélé’s pressing to go along with Eric Dier’s defense at defensive midfield, it looked too easy for teams to just push forward right through Tottenham’s spine.

And if teams didn’t, by instead perferring to go down the flanks, well no one was going to stop them withouth a midfielder like Mousa Dembélé who could boss his way to press, recover and maintain possession of the ball.

Let’s look at today’s game, it was slow. Methodical. Very disciplined and organized. Is it any wonder that it all had to do with the Belgian midfielder returning into the starting lineup and patrolling all around the midfield to stifle incoming attacks and help start the offense?

If anything, while Christian Eriksen got a brace today, deflection included, and Harry Kane got his 15th goal this season, in all competitions. It could be argued that Spurs wouldn’t have won this game without Eric Dier having the proper partner starting alongside him.

Tom Carroll is great for maintaining possession which he showed along with Josh Onomah, Eriksen and Kane around the 82nd minute when the game was practically over. But as a starter? Not yet, or rather, not over Mousa Dembélé if he’s fit.

Next: Matchday: Tottenham 4-1 Sunderland

But really, overall, it’s probably best for teams to just draw against Spurs instead of beating them. Because whenever Spurs lose, they have completely obliterated their opponents with a whopping 15-3 scoreline in four games — again not including a 2-2 draw against Stoke City.

Spurs winning games following a loss in all competitions:

League Cup: 2-1 loss to Arsenal
Following game: 4-1 win over Man City in the Premier League
Europa League: 2-1 loss to Anderlecht
Following game: 5-1 win over Bournemouth in the Premier League
Premier League: 2-1 loss to Newcastle United
Following game: 2-0 win over Southampton in the Premier League
Premier League: 1-0 loss to Leicester City
Following game: 4-1 win over Sunderland in the Premier League