Tottenham Hotspur showed their determination and desire as they pulled off an unbelievable comeback against Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.

A lack of clear cut chances and sloppy play from Spurs meant that the Lilywhites were a goal down in the 88th minute despite dominating the game. With 18 chances at goal compared to Swansea’s eight, Spurs became increasingly frustrated as they tried to break down a stubborn Swans side.  However, a Dele Alli goal with only one minute left of normal time reignited Mauricio Pochettino’s men, who were then fuelled even further when it was shown that there would be an extra seven minutes to play.  A Heung-Min Son goal in the second minute of this extra time put Spurs in front before a Christian Eriksen strike a minute later secured the win. 

Key Players missing 

Spurs were without some of their major players today as Hugo Lloris was left out with illness while Victor Wanyama and Harry Winks were both out with injuries they sustained against Burnley at the weekend, the latter's leaving him side-lined for the rest of the season. Spurs have been without Harry Kane and Danny Rose since before the international break, and Erik Lamela since October.

The amount of injuries meant that Tottenham had to revert back to a 4-2-3-1 formation, rather than their usual 5-2-3.  This slightly impacted Spurs' game as at times they lacked the extra width that their fullbacks can offer when playing five at the back, an element that is key to Tottenham's attacking play. The impact of the injuries did show in terms of the quality of the performance with Spurs lacking quality with their final ball for most of the game.

This meant that Swansea were allowed more time to re-group during Tottenham attacks and so allowing them to reorganise themselves and hence were harder to break down. This further frustrated Spurs meaning that the players tried to force passes or shots, eventually leading to the likes of Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld shooting from range. Yet despite their recent performances being below their normal high standards, Spurs have consistently pulled three points out of the bag, showing that the team still have enough desire to pull through without key members; even if done the hard way.

Pochettino’s methods shine

Mauricio Pochettino is a manager who is known for making his teams work extremely hard, both on the pitch and in training, as well as inspiring his team and demanding a desire from his players when they play. Spurs’ late win against Swansea epitomised this. With seven minutes of extra time to grab the win, Spurs were only inspired to push for the three points. The men from North London’s eyes lit up as they saw their opportunity to pounce, as they increased their intensity pressuring a tiring Swansea team. Spurs showed that the gruesome double training sessions their manager puts them through were worth it as they looked much fitter than the Welsh side in the dying minutes of the game, despite their opposition managing to hold off the Lilywhites for most of the game.

Spurs’ third goal further showed this. Vincent Janssen countered from a Swansea attack before releasing Dele Alli.  A lapse in concentration in Swansea’s defence allowed Christian Eriksen to run into the gaping space as he pounced on the opportunity to score. Spurs exploited their opposition’s tired legs as looked to get all three points and continue breathing down Chelsea’s neck.

Not only did Pochetino’s training methods show in Spurs’ 3-1 win, his attempt to change Tottenham’s mentality has seen to be successful. Previous to the game Pochettino had demanded his players to prove that they had learnt their lesson from last season and it seams so far that they have. Despite frustrating moments when spurs lacked that cutting edge to put the ball in the back of the net they stayed calm and eventually came out on top, in a similar manor as in their victory at Turf Moore. Spurs have now picked up 17 points from loosing positions; more than any other team, further showing a shift in mentality caused by Pochettino.