Sun 07 March 2021, 23:00
Tottenham HotspurJose Mourinho felt the players took the only negative in our 4-1 win against Crystal Palace and turned it into a positive.
The disappointment was tangible as the players trudged off at half-time after Palace had found an equaliser right at the end of a first half we’d dominated to go into the break on level terms.
Gareth Bale put us 1-0 up on 25 minutes, Heung-Min Son and Sergio Reguilon had further chances but Christian Benteke headed home for 1-1 in the first minute of added time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
That sparked an impressive response. Gareth planted home a header from Harry’s nod back on 49 minutes before a classic from Harry, curling in to out over Vicente Guaita into the postage stamp of the top corner.
The second and the third goals were fantastic goals and immediately, confidence is high, again in control and a very good victory
Then the icing on the cake as Sonny set up Harry for 4-1 – their 14th goal combination this season, taking them past Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton’s record of 13 in a Premier League campaign, scored for Blackburn in 1994/95.
Jose said: “I think the best thing that could happen to us was to concede that goal, because if we go (in at half-time) at 1-0, the players would probably come with a feeling of we have the game under control, and the second goal will arrive, then sometimes you can concede a goal in the second half and it’s too late.
“So probably it was good, because in the second half the players came with everything.
“The second and the third goals were fantastic goals and immediately, confidence is high, again in control and a very good victory. That’s nine points out of nine and exactly what we needed after a negative run.”
Gareth and Harry will no doubt take the headlines but Lucas was outstanding, won the ball for our first goal and played a part in goals three and four.
Jose added: “Lucas in that position is a player who is capable of acceleration, transporting the ball and beating people one against one.
“Some other players were very good. Matt Doherty was impeccable in his defensive football and going forward, especially in the first half.
“But you look to our attacking guys, and today we decided no Dele, no Bergwijn, no Lamela, no Tanguy and nobody remembered them because the ones on the pitch did so, so well.
“So, in the next game, we are going to make changes and what I wish is that people will not remember the others, because the squad at this moment, it is working very well. Winks wasn’t playing since the last match in the Europa League, came back for a start and did well too. I’m very pleased with what the guys are doing.”
