Relief? Joy? In the end, a decent dollop of both. Defining the season may be a stretch, but this victory, or at least the manner of it, could certainly shape Tottenham’s immediate future.
Two in the red as the hour mark approached, a third league defeat in a row – and with it a miserable end to 10 days of retribution – loomed.
Then came the spirit, the fight, which Antonio Conte had been asking for for a long time. First Ryan Sessegnon, then Ben Davies and finally, replacement Rodrigo Bentancur, intervened. In time, the latter calmly returned home from their 19th corner.
Conte, still reeling from Wednesday’s disappointment against Sporting Lisbon, briefly disappeared into the tunnel. “I thought I might have a heart attack with two goals disallowed in a few days,” he said. “So I stayed calm and waited for the referee’s decision.”
Everything was fine. And what could have been a flurry of sheepish apologies after the game to visiting fans became a united celebration.
Tottenham have to deal with their worrying tendency to start late and the performance of a heavily rotated side has done little to allay concerns about squad depth. With an eye on midweek at Marseille, half a dozen changes included Eric Dier’s absence from the starting line-up for the first time this season, with Bentancur initially getting a brief preview and Cristian Romero dropping out altogether.
Conte played and it almost backfired. It’s the margins that mean questions can wait another day. Tottenham’s ninth and final game of a manic October sees them retain third place.
“I don’t want to think about my mood if we lost that game,” Conte said. “It was a vital victory for us, especially after two defeats. I told the players after the first half that they had to take responsibility. Then we started playing with wickedness, with the want to hurt the opponent. I saw in the eyes of my players that they had decided to win this match.
Bournemouth‘s disappointment at a third league defeat in a row was palpable. “I’m really disappointed that the boys invested so much but got nothing out of it,” said Gary O’Neil.
Kieffer Moore’s two goals floated Bournemouth. The Wales No9 shone when the English equivalent might have been expected to be more efficient than a frustrated booking.
In the opening minutes, an unmarked Moore guided Lewis Cook’s corner to the roof top net. A harbinger? Certainly. Tottenham were slow. Bournemouth was lively and lively. Little possession, yes. But they also had a meaning for them and a form.
Moore’s inclusion allowed Dominic Solanke to sink deeper. After a 30-goal promotion campaign, Solanke has successfully filled the supporting role at times this season.
Although he didn’t get an assist, Moore’s first game was of his making. On the halfway line, Solanke’s first touch transformed Davies inside, before his second sent Marcus Tavernier outside. Tavernier’s first cross was swept into the corner.
It took 36 minutes for Oliver Skipp to register Tottenham’s first shot on target. Moments later, Son Heung-min’s dangerous cross was directed towards his own bar by Marcos Senesi. It was a vital intervention with attackers lining up.
Shortly after the break, the skies and Conte’s mood darkened further. Moore was the source of misery again, leaning his 6ft 5in frame and bravely meeting Adam Smith’s sublime whipped cross.
But with Conte’s cavalry stripped and ready, Sessegnon halved the deficit. Tavernier was taken by surprise; Pierre-Emile Højbjerg’s pass was precise; and a Chris Mepham handle beat Mark Travers.
Then came Dier and Bentancur. Then came Ivan Perisic, whose inswinging corner was met by Davies. Travers, starting for the first time since dispatching nine to Anfield, was guilty of beating. “There were mistakes in there that were avoidable,” O’Neil said, without pointing fingers. All square and 17 minutes remained.
Conte pushed the white bodies forward; Højbjerg rolled up close; Bournemouth thought they held on. Bentancur decided otherwise.
For Spurs, the focus is quickly shifting from next season’s Champions League race to the current one. And they risk being revived in the south of France by the return of Dejan Kulusevski. He was spotted doing pre-game shuttles.
Conte is celebrating a year at the helm of Tottenham soon. He only asks for one gift. “This ‘winner’ must give us the enthusiasm, the passion, to go to Marseille to play what will be a final for us.”
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