Ange Postecoglou hasn’t fixed Tottenham’s deepest flaw and mistake-filled Chelsea defeat proves it

LONDON — Can it really only be 15 days since the great triumph of the Ange Postecoglou tenure? In crushing Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, Tottenham had offered a compelling case that you really should be paying attention to all the metrics except the points. The three games since offer an altogether more worrying counterargument: the xG, the goal difference, any other stat you care to mention, they simply won’t pick up the fragility of this side, a team that dares you to deploy the “S” word.

Because what was this if not Spursy? Two goals gifted to them by a Chelsea defense that couldn’t stay standing and yet it is Tottenham who end up smashing themselves to the canvas. Marc Cucurella’s early errors would surely be the most disastrous performance of the weekend. Hold my beer, say Tottenham. Two penalties bequeathed on their west London rivals just to even things up, between then four defenders escorting Cole Palmer to a prime crossing position, Chelsea’s title hopes swelled at Three Point Lane.

These days matter to the Postecoglou progress. There is no shortage of evidence for the argument that Spurs are a better side for having had this manager since the start of last season but any project whose vision extends out to the long term needs to earn buy-in from its constituents. A point from six league meetings with Chelsea and Arsenal is not the way to get that. Two of the most absorbing, amusing derbies in England and the joke always seems to be on Tottenham.

The punch line is all the more effective given that the setup had prepared you for a rather different gag. This is a rivalry that has not been afraid to make its main trade the nonsensical over recent years. The Thomas Tuchel-Antonio Conte handshake set to and Nicolas Jackson’s quest for football’s most underwhelming hat trick had set a high bar. Marc Cucurella was about to slide under it.

There was certainly something about a field drenched by Storm Darragh that gave this a Disney on Ice feel, the sort of production you can imagine Spurs might quite like to poach just for another 20-odd days of stadium usage. Still, it was hard to have much sympathy with Cucurella when, 11 minutes in, he thumped over to the touchline for a fresh pair of boots. Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski had managed to keep to their feet at the most decisive moment. 

At the time, this felt rather a case of attempting to reshod the horse long after it had bolted. Solanke had opened the scoring against his former club with the most elegant of near post flicks. Kulusevski looked imperious, galloping off Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez, always finding himself in spots where he had multiple options ahead of him. Heung-min Son’s eyes lit up every time Moises Caicedo inverted into midfield. A quick ball in transition and he was gone. Perhaps the Spurs captain at the peak of his powers would have gotten a bit more dip on his effort midway through the first half.

That would have served to quell the nerves that had hit a previously raucous home faithful after Jadon Sancho halved the deficit in brilliant style. Driving infield off the left, he attracted three white shirts to him without an inkling of a suggestion that he might concede possession. Instead, a player who would spend the remainder of his 90 minutes elegantly building attacks around the block let fly, Fraser Forster unable to get a glove on the ball.

From then on, this rather seemed like a game Spurs lost in moments. Doubtless, their task would be easier if they had kept more possession; allowing your opponents 70% of the ball on your home ground should be a matter of discomfort for any top Premier League. Surely, it did not help either that Cristian Romero’s comeback from injury lasted just 15 minutes, though Radu Dragusin did well both to keep up with Jackson and then block his shot. By the time his fellow centerback Micky van de Ven departed with 10 minutes plus added time to play, however, it was apparent that this was a lost cause.

That need not have been the case. The chances came for Spurs, Son missing the target with another from a prime spot, Solanke not quite able to turn home a cutback. With better finishing, they could have won this. That is worth Daniel Levy bearing in mind if and when he feels compelled to consider Postecoglou’s future. Tottenham can still have their moments against a team that really is taking on the look of a title contender.

The most basic of flaws in Tottenham’s makeup, however, seems unaddressed 18 months into the manager’s tenure. This team’s capacity to make matters harder for themselves is seemingly limitless. Good play from opponents on the edge of their box engendered panic in the final hour. Sancho’s quick feet and through ball had got Caicedo, perhaps lucky to be on the pitch after a heavy first-half tackle on Pape Matar Sarr, in a good position but hardly one so dangerous that Yves Bissouma needed to hurl his body at the ball and hope. Certainly not when Palmer is lights out from the penalty spot.

Palmer’s trickery makes him quite the challenge for two defenders let alone one. When four converge on him, however, the cross simply cannot come. Enzo Fernandez did what he had done every other time the ball came across his path and rollicked it. It was never-ending there. A Sarr shove on Palmer, moving out of the box, and the shrewd ones were already homeward bound before Palmer’s panenka. 

They knew what was coming. So, you fear, did Spurs, who roused themselves too late to turn the tide when Son’s goal finally came in the sixth of seven minutes of added time. Tottenham had approached the most favorable position they could have imagined with timidity, a conviction that they were not the team who stunned the champions. If they can’t be convinced of the best moments of this project, how will anyone else be?