Ange Postecoglou faced plenty of criticism last week after a 1-0 defeat at Selhurst Park. Tottenham's form has been inconsistent, with big wins over Manchester United and West Ham followed by defeats to underdogs Brighton and Crystal Palace.
However, a week later, Ange Postecoglou's men can look back with pride on two resounding victories over two opponents who finished higher than Spurs last season. In midweek, the "Roosters" eliminated Man City from the League Cup. At the weekend, the North London team once again showed excellent form when defeating Aston Villa.
Aston Villa were a tough opponent, coming to Spurs’ home ground with discipline and a fierce style of play, trying to slow the pace of the game so that Tottenham could not develop their style of play. Despite falling behind from a corner, Postecoglou’s team continued to accelerate in the second half, gradually pressing their opponents and eventually winning spectacularly.
This winning script has become familiar to Postecoglou’s Tottenham, who have done the same against Brentford, West Ham and many others last season. Spurs seem content to start slowly or even concede a goal at home, because they always believe they can accelerate and turn the game around in the second half.
Combining the performances against Man City and Aston Villa, Tottenham fans could have seen the club’s best week since Postecoglou took over. However, in his post-match press conference, the Australian did not see it that way, saying the defeat to Crystal Palace was part of the week.
"We have to fight and get back in the spirit. The whole team did that in the match against Aston Villa but that doesn't mean everything is perfect" - Ange Postecoglou shared.
The 59-year-old does not want Spurs to get complacent after the Villa win. They have a tough week ahead as they travel to Galatasaray in the Europa League before returning home to host Ipswich Town on Sunday. While the game in Istanbul is not a huge pressure point, if Spurs fail to beat Ipswich Town, the positive atmosphere could soon turn negative.
It’s all temporary at the moment, but Tottenham appear to be finding the answers to some big questions. The Spurs have won nine of their last 11 games in all competitions, a run that stretches back to their defeat to Arsenal on 15 September.
Tottenham have always been questioned about their mentality, the usual questions that never go away. However, the wins over Man City and Villa were a strong response, especially when both teams won at Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium last season.
Postecoglou has also shown his ability to adjust tactics and make substitutions in difficult games. Against Man City, Yves Bissouma came on at the start of the second half and changed the game, giving Spurs a more solid foundation in midfield. Against Villa, Richarlison’s introduction set up the third goal, while James Maddison came on and scored the fourth.