London (AFP)
After a week marked by the injury of Harry Kane, the dismissal of José Mourinho and the psychodrama of the Super League, Tottenham managed to overthrow Southampton (2-1) to revive their European dreams on Wednesday in a late match of the 29th day.
After the defeat of West Ham and the draw of Chelsea, the Spurs did not let the opportunity slip by to come back to two points of the 4th qualifying place for the Champions League, occupied by the Blues, even if they are not still 6th with 53 units.
Orphans of their striker and passer Harry Kane, injured against Everton (2-2), the Spurs players were also surprised to see their coach disembarked on Monday, while they play a League Cup final against City on Sunday.
Interim coach Ryan Mason, who became the youngest coach to lead a Premier League team at 29, asked his players for "energy, combat and freedom" for this first "post-match" Mourinho ".
Quite the opposite of what we saw in a first act where Southampton, which has nothing more to play and is not on a very positive dynamic, had no difficulty in containing them.
After a double save, one magnificent, the other a little lucky from Hugo Lloris, from the second minute, the Saints even took the advantage logically by a deflection of the head on a corner from Danny Ings who rebounded on the 'inside the post before returning (1-0, 30th).
- Bale sounds the revolt -
But Mason obviously has some qualities of a leader of men because the second act was much better from the Londoners, while Southampton seems never to have come out of the locker room.
Gareth Bale, placarded by Mourinho after explaining that he thought to return to Real at the end of his loan this summer, sounded the revolt of a very nice goal full of coolness (1-1, 60th).
After a goal from Son Heung-min canceled by the VAR for an offside by Lucas Moura who masked the goalkeeper, fifteen minutes from the end, the video assistance balanced its record, transforming a free kick at the edge of the penalty area for Spurs.
The South Korean took charge and scored his 20th goal of the season in all competitions for 16 assists.
After plotting earlier this week with 11 other European clubs to create a tailor-made European competition for themselves with the Super League, where their participation would have been assured year after year, Tottenham will perhaps remember that even with an open system, it can find the way to Europe.
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