MY ACCOUNT
Tottenham coach Antonio Conte was left baffled by his team’s performance in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, as he struggled to surmise what went wrong.
Spurs came into the weekend on a run of four successive Premier League wins, a run that had seen them score 14 times and concede just twice.
Their display on Saturday was a significant contrast, as Spurs failed to get a single shot on target for the first time in 21 league games, and it dealt them a major blow in the top-four race.
They remain three points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal, with the Gunners in action against Southampton later on Saturday.
Tottenham’s underwhelming expected goals (xG) haul of 0.5 reflected their lack of invention and threat in attack, while Conte focused on Spurs’ ponderous nature in possession.
He told BT Sport: “We started very slowly and in this type of game you have to move the ball more quickly. Maybe the weather? I want to find an excuse, but it was not a good game for us.”
Leandro Trossard got the decisive goal late on with a tidy finish, and Spurs’ inability to at least hold on to a point was another source of irritation for Conte.
Speaking in his post-match news conference, Conte added: “For sure not a good result for us. A lesson that we can learn is that there are games that if you are not able to win you have to not lose.
“It was very clear that it wasn’t our day. It was important to get three points before our rivals in the race for the Champions League but the game was very difficult.
“It was a tactical game for both sides and Brighton were very good at closing the space. I think that we are able to do much better than his.
“Perhaps a draw was more fair but Brighton played a good game. If you win against Arsenal and Tottenham away, you know it’s a good game.”
Yet Conte was also philosophical about the situation, adamant Spurs must get used to the expectation that surrounds tussles like the one they are in for Champions League qualification.
“Once you reach a good position in the table, then you have to try to keep this position. It’s a good experience for us to try to cope with pressure.”
