Sun 19 July 2020, 19:25
Tottenham HotspurJose Mourinho felt the players responded impressively to the pressure of needing to beat high-flying Leicester City to keep our European hopes alive in our final home match of the season on Sunday.
It was done and dusted with a fine first half display. Heung-Min Son’s shot was deflected home by James Justin for the boost of the opener on six minutes and Harry Kane provided a finishing masterclass with a quickfire double to hand us a 3-0 lead at half-time.
Leicester remained a threat but Hugo Lloris produced saves when required to maintain his clean sheet with the three points lifting us over Wolves into sixth with our season finale at Palace next Sunday (26 July, 4pm).
Jose said: “It was a difficult game and lots of pressure, because we knew without the three points, our hopes for the last match would be gone, so we felt that pressure, we felt that responsibility.
We knew without the three points, our hopes for the last match would be gone, so we felt that pressure, we felt that responsibility
“We analysed the opponent well, we knew how to hurt them, and we knew how they could hurt us. So we took away the defensive gap where Vardy normally kills opponents and we gave them the ball, we attract them because we want Evans, Morgan, Bennett to have the ball, we want them a little far from their goal to exploit the space behind them.
“So I think strategically we did well. In the second half, not clinical, because the energy also goes and the feeling of 3-0, if we don’t concede we are safe, we are in control.
“You know, the team was very effective, an amazing collective effort defensively against a team with a very good coach, Leicester have their principles of play very well worked, very clear, so an important victory for us, and let’s see now for the last one.”
