Tottenham Hotspur fans have every right to be raging after what they witnessed unfold on Sunday.
To think Ange Postecoglou had two weeks to prepare for the Arsenal game, yet they were 3-0 down by half-time, is baffling.
What’s even worse is that Tottenham’s issues this season have been pretty clear. They can’t defend from corners!
Yet, two of Arsenal’s goals came from corners and it well and truly killed off the team’s chances of getting anything from the match.
Cristian Romero and Son Heung-min might have brought the game to life after the break, but in truth, the north London derby was lost in the opening 45 minutes.
It’s frustrating for the fans because they have now provided Arsenal with a boost in their Premier League title hunt, whilst also damaging their own Champions League challenge.
Tim Sherwood thinks if David Raya didn’t gift Spurs a goal when he miss-kicked the ball straight at the on-rushing Romero, then they could have ended up losing the game by ‘four or five’, as he told Premier League Productions (29/04/24 at 5:25 pm).
Many were surprised that Tottenham’s £42 million signing was so far up the pitch because he was acting like a striker, and in the end, it paid off because he put off the Arsenal man.
But Sherwood also highlighted the form of Romero and how it is a ‘worry’ because he plays ‘desperate’ stuff at times.
Cristian Romero’s form
“It’s a worry, to me,” said Sherwood about how Romero is playing.
“It’s off-the-cuff. It’s desperate stuff. Yes, it comes off on a couple of occasions there (during the north London derby). But there is no plan to it. We are 3-0 down and he is going to do whatever he wants to do. If the goalkeeper, Raya, doesn’t make that mistake then they end up getting beat four or five. Raya gives the ball away, it gives the crowd a lift and the Tottenham players
“He (Romero) took it upon himself there. That’s just the freedom that Ange gives these players. Love it or loathe it. I like his character. Sometimes it can boil over. He isn’t someone I would trust fully, but I think he is a good player and one of the better ones they have.”
Will Tottenham bounce back?
There isn’t any room for Spurs to move here. They either bounce back or crash in a dramatic way.
After a small break, the games are now going to come thick and fast for the club, including another London derby against Chelsea on Thursday night.
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Given Postecoglou’s record in London derbies this season, you don’t want to be seen losing another because it will just infuriate the fans even further.
Not only that, it will just further indicate that Champions League football will be heading to Villa Park because Unai Emery’s side have a seven-point lead, with Tottenham having two games in hand.
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