Ange Postecoglou made one key selection error against Bournemouth which he must fix before Tottenham Hotspur’s clash with AZ Alkmaar.
Tottenham Hotspur salvaged a point against Bournemouth as they came from behind to draw 2-2 in North London.
The Lilywhites produced one of their worst first-half performances under Ange Postecoglou, however, a quartet of substitutions just after the hour mark helped swing the game into their favour.
Spurs ended up rescuing a point but it could have been so much more had Postecoglou not made such a strange decision with his initial team selection.
Ange Postecoglou’s strange midfield selection vs Bournemouth
Tottenham supporters will have been left scratching their heads when they saw Ange Postecoglou’s midfield selection against Bournemouth.
The Australian manager opted for a trio of Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr, which was odd given all three have been out of form recently, and no creative spark being selected.
Bentancur’s performance vs AZ Alkmaar left fans questioning his role in the team and again, it was a tricky afternoon for the Uruguayan.
Bissouma looks set to leave Tottenham in the summer and has been phased out of Postecoglou’s squad over recent weeks, so it was strange to see the 59-year-old bring him back into the line-up.
Unfortunately for the hosts, their concerns became a reality as Tottenham struggled to build anything meaningful in attack and left their front three looking rather isolated.
In the first 45 minutes, the North Londoners failed to create even a single big chance and Postecoglou’s uninspired midfield selection did not help their attacking cause.
Ahead of Tottenham’s clash with AZ Alkmaar, the former Celtic boss cannot afford to make the same tactical error and must assess his midfield options.
Lucas Bergvall was Tottenham’s brightest spark vs Bournemouth
It was unsurprising to see that Tottenham improved quite dramatically in the second half with Lucas Bergvall being introduced for Bissouma at the break.
The 19-year-old was rather fortunately credited with the assist for Sarr’s goal, whose cross ended up looping over the head of Kepa Arrizabalaga.
| Total | |
| Minutes | 45 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Accurate passes | 33/36 (92%) |
| Dribble attempts (succ.) | 3 (2) |
| Duels | 11 (5) |
But the young Swede has been one of Spurs’ bright sparks in this dark period and his positivity in looking to play forward was pivotal for the team’s revival.
