Tottenham: Takeaways from big victory vs. Southampton

Takeaways from Tottenham’s win at Southampton.

After a lackluster 45 minutes, a goal just before the half woke up Tottenham Hotspur, who dominated Southampton in the second 45 for a 5-2 win.

Tottenham were not good in the first match of the season against Everton. Then in the second match of the season, things were looking rough for much of the first 45 minutes against Southampton.

After teams traded goals that were called back, Danny Ings put Saints ahead. With a halftime deficit seemingly at hand, Harry Kane found Heung-Min Son late, to draw the match at 1-1 just before the whistle and flip the script for the rest of the game.

Tottenham off the pace in first half

Tottenham were not terrible in the first half, as we saw some glimpses of the action to come, as Harry Kane twice was able to put the ball into the back of the net, but had the goals denied. The first seemed to be a clear goal but was called back for Kane being offside on a ball that Son controlled and played.

Yes, Kane scored the goal, but he was not involved in the build-up and the goal should have stood. VAR 1, Spurs 0. FYI, VAR got that exact same call correct for Brighton to go up 2-0 as I write this. Great consistency, Premier League!

Less than five minutes into the match, Spurs had to have felt hard done and it started to show on the pitch. Moments later, Southampton has a freekick that is kept alive and knocked down to Che Adams who hits it hard and on target. Fortunately for Spurs, Hugo Lloris was directly between Adams and the goal, making a strong reactionary save, which would not be the last on the day.

A few minutes later, Ings scores as Lloris comes out of the box and tries to head the ball by Ings. Fortunately for Spurs, Ings used his hand to block Hugo’s clearance and the goal was called back for handball. As Saints began to take control, yet another freekick that was not cleared fell to Moussa Djenepo, who had a strong first half for Southampton. The Mali midfielder struck the ball well, beating Lloris, but not the post as it pinged out wide of the goal.

The action for Lloris was a harbinger of things to come as at about 32 minutes, it took only one ball for Southampton to finally get in behind Tottenham and score. It was likely a moment to remember – even if the day was not – for Kyle Walker-Peters as the young right back got one over on his old team. Walker-Peters played a simple ball over the top which got Ings between Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez in the back.

A soft touch and calm slot later and it was 1-0 Southampton. With the remarkable hold and classy finish, it is easy to see why Spurs made a move for Ings and why he should get more minutes from Gareth Southgate. For Spurs, thoughts of the recent history with Southampton had to be creeping in.

Southampton continued to hold most of the possession as the first half wore on, and Lloris was called into action, cutting out a dangerous cross and punching away another. Lloris had three saves in the first and Spurs were on their heels. Suddenly, Tanguy Ndombele – who started and was Spurs’ best midfielder in the first 45 – managed to tussle for the ball and then spun upon the defender, seeing green in front of himself and Harry Kane.

Ndombele hit a nice through ball up the left flank, playing Kane in behind the defense. Kane played a wonderful first-time ball into the box which Son managed to get on and blast past Alex McCarthy to tie the match at +2 into the first 45. Deserving or not was irrelevant at that point, as Spurs had not been great after having two goals called back, but it was enough, and the tide was turned.

Spurs’ second half surge

The second half started much how the first half ended and a few small tactical changes put the match on its head. Tottenham have been pushing the wingbacks way up the pitch over the first few matches of the season. The result has been a lack of space in the front for wingers and a defense left exposed. In the second half this was changed.

While Tottenham did not play a true back four the entire second half, it was much closer than it has been over the first two matches of the season. Sure, the backs push up and today Harry Winks dropped between Dier and Sanchez to form a back three, but in the second half it was Son and Kane who were furthest forward for Spurs, not Ben Davies and Matt Doherty.

The other change for Spurs tactically was with the role of Kane. Kane was asked to drop a bit deeper and work to facilitate the attack and take advantage of a high Southampton backline. While the pressure on the defense from Southampton was such that hitting the ball over the top was not possible in the first half. By working the ball through the midfield to the feet of Kane in the second, Kane could then play Son in behind the Southampton defense.

Now, instead of Tottenham hitting a 45-yard-long ball to a running defender against a set defense with little room to operate, Kane was playing 20-yard through balls to Son against a reacting defense with nothing but space behind. The result was brilliant as Kane had a career-high four assists and Son had a career-high four goals.

Kane added the fifth, slamming home a rebound off an Erik Lamela shot that was saved by McCarthy off the post. Then another terrible VAR call gave Southampton and Ings a penalty for the 2-5 final score.

In the end, while the first half was close, the second was not at all. Between the tactical changes from Jose Mourinho, the passing of Kane, and the introduction of Giovani Lo Celso – who replaced Ndombele – Spurs just got it going. So effective were Tottenham, that Harry Kane actually was subbed off following his goal, giving Steven Bergwijn a couple minutes of run.

Ndombele did play sound in the first half and set up that first goal, but also received a yellow card and is still getting his match fitness, just like Lo Celso. Ultimately, getting Lo Celso and Ndombele into the match together with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg behind should be the goal for Mourinho and team, but with the fixtures and squad, we may not see that combination yet for a while.

Regardless, the change from the turn from Ndombele, turned the tide and then Mourinho, Lo Celso, Son, and Kane carried the day. Now it is on to Leyton Orient, the first of two matches for Spurs before they have their third Premier League match of the season next Sunday versus Newcastle at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.