The absence of captain Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) was greater than imagined.
Tottenham lost 1-2 to Nottingham Forest in the 33rd round of the 2024-2025 Premier League held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on the 22nd. Struggling with 1 win, 2 draws, and 4 losses in the last 7 matches (11 wins, 4 draws, 18 losses, 37 points), Tottenham is currently 16th in the league.
Tottenham's lowest-ever finish was 15th in the 1993-94 season. Tottenham also finished 14th in the 2003-04 season. If this continues, Tottenham will finish the season with the worst record. Their next match is against league leaders Liverpool. The matchup luck is also the worst.
The absence of the captain was significant. Son Heung-min missed three consecutive matches due to a foot injury. Mathis Tel, Richarlison, and Odoverg started as the front three. Although only Son Heung-min was absent, the entire team was shaken. The defense crumbled as well as the attack.
Tottenham conceded a goal to Andersen just 5 minutes into the first half. Only 11 minutes later, Wood added another goal. Tottenham was undone by conceding two goals in just 16 minutes.
Manager Ange Postecoglou substituted starting center-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven simultaneously as the second half began. Tottenham managed to avoid a complete defeat when Richarlison scored a goal in the 42nd minute.
After the match, Postecoglou faced many questions. It was hard to understand why Romero, the vice-captain, was taken out of the game after playing only the first half, especially with Son Heung-min absent. Some pointed out that it seemed like he had given up on the match early.
Postecoglou defended himself by saying, "This has happened a number of times this year. It's a chronic problem for our team. The substitution of Romero was something we had planned from before the match."
A question was raised about whether he felt sorry for the home fans after suffering 18 losses in the league. Postecoglou noted, "The fans must be really disappointed and angry. I have nothing more to say. We are also not satisfied with the results. However, we were not disappointed with our style of play," providing a contradictory rationale.
If this continues, Tottenham will finish the season with the worst record in history. Could this serve as motivation? Postecoglou stated, "I don't understand what that means. I don't think the team gets motivated in that way. Our football was excellent today," directly refuting the fans' perspectives.
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