Reguilon own goal not the only thing that didn’t make sense in Tottenham loss

The curious case of Steven Bergwijn

Steven Bergwijn was unequivocally Tottenham’s most dangerous attacker. He won possession and fended off two Villa defenders before almost taking the goal of its stanchion with a fierce half-volley. It was his first goal in 41 games. The last time he bagged a goal was against Manchester United in June 2020.

He could have scored a couple more and made a nuisance of himself all evening. More strange than the goal was his second half withdrawal. Ryan Mason’s decision to sub Bergwijn, Spurs’ only consistent threat, was, in a word, peculiar. Bergwijn was also bemused by the decision, which he had every right to be. Mason would have been better off withdrawing Sonny or Dele, both of whom were off the pace.

Bergwijn deserved better. When you’re struggling with confidence the way the Dutchman is, you need all the help you can get. After scoring a magnificent goal, Bergwijn would have felt a massive adrenaline burst, an astronomical surge in confidence. By taking the Dutchman off prematurely, Mason basically extinguished Bergwijn’s flame he’s been waiting over a year to ignite.