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The good and bad for Tottenham from 2-1 win over Southampton

By Aaron Coe

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 21: Ryan Mason, Interim Manager of Tottenham Hotspur interacts with Erik Lamela of Tottenham Hotspur after the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 21, 2021 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 21: Ryan Mason, Interim Manager of Tottenham Hotspur interacts with Erik Lamela of Tottenham Hotspur after the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 21, 2021 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) /
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Tottenham Hotspur did a little bit of everything in their first game under Ryan Mason as the Spurs earned a 2-1 home win over Southampton. In reflecting on the game, there were some good moments, some bad moments, and some ugly moments for Tottenham. To win enough points to finish in the top four and to beat Manchester City for the League Cup, the Spurs need more of the good and less of the bad and ugly.

What was good for Tottenham vs Southampton

Tottenham was not great really at any point against Southampton but they showed enough at enough times to get the win. That success for Tottenham began and ended with Spurs trying to play on the front foot.

Tottenham actually held more than 60% of the possession in the match and looked to move the ball forward as much as back. This was especially true in the second half when Tottenham really exerted sustained pressure on Southampton and completely shut down the Saint’s attack. Conceding only one shot in the second half, it is safe to say that playing with the ball helped the defense – at least against Southampton.

The big names played big for Tottenham

Part of the success for Tottenham on Wednesday was having some players step up. With the coach axed and their best player – Harry Kane – up in the stands injured, someone or someones had to step up. Fortunately for Tottenham, they got some solid performances from three key men, Hugo Lloris, Heung-Min Son, and Gareth Bale.

Lloris was excellent from the off, with a huge double save in the opening minutes. Looking more comfortable and commanding than we have seen him in some time, Lloris was the defensive leader Tottenham needed.

Offensively, with Harry Kane absent, it fell to Son and Bale to carry the load and they did that well. The pair accounted for five to the 12 shots Tottenham took and got all three shots on target for the team. If not for some unlucky timing with Lucas Moura, they would have had three goals between them.

What was bad for Tottenham against Southampton

Depending on your perspective you might say the entire first half was bad for Tottenham against Southampton. While the Spurs had a couple of moments early and some possession, they were plodding offensively and slow defensively. For a team that had just lost their manager but still had a lot to play for, the start was terrible.

The slow movement of the ball coupled with low pressure defensively made the Lilywhites easy to slice through for Southampton in the first half. Yes, the second half was much better for the Spurs but a cynic would say it was not until Danny Ings left the field that Tottenham really took charge.

There are no two ways about it, Southampton is not a good team and is in terrible form. Considering Tottenham beat them 2-5 at St. Mary’s and it took a 90th-minute penalty to take all three points, it was far from a convincing performance. But the silver lining was the character shown by the team.

Spurs showed they can come back still

It is now up to 20 points Tottenham has lost from winning positions in the league this season. Making that number worse is how few times the Spurs have come back to win themselves. The fact that this team had been fading late in games and losing leads and instead got stronger as the minutes passed and won near the end shows something.

For whatever reason Mourinho and the Lilywhites were just not working like they should have or could have. The team clearly needed a new voice and a fresh start. The fight demonstrated to come back and beat Southampton shows this Spurs team is not yet dead and maybe can still do something special this year.

There was a little good and a little bad in the end for the Spurs, however, a come-from-behind win is better than a loss from in front loss any day.