Back against more comfortable opposition
Tottenham Hotspur were up against a more comfortable foe in Leicester City after recent exploits in the Premier League. Unlike Brighton and Brentford, the Foxes are not built to sit back and remain compact for 90 minutes. It's space that Spurs revel in and this was the first of three matches in which, while the attacking threat will be greater for Antonio Conte's men to deal with, they will have the room to create chances.
Leicester made eight changes to their team from their draw against Roma in midweek and with the likes of Jamie Vardy and Youri Tielemans on the bench, Spurs were expected to win the match, adding to the pressure on them to leapfrog Arsenal, if only for a few hours.
They started brightly, pressing all over the turf with the centre-backs chasing high up the pitch, but Spurs still needed Hugo Lloris to make a crucial low fingertip save on to the post from Patson Daka to prevent them from falling behind. Then when Harry Kane overcame his poor start to the game to head home and add to the Foxes' woeful set piece record this season, Spurs picked them off at key moments from that point on.
READ MORE: Tottenham player ratings: Cristian Romero a colossus, Son simply sublime and Kulusevski inspired
"It was a good performance against a really good team," Conte told football.london . "The game wasn't easy, and we knew very well that despite them making eight changes from the last game against Roma, you could see the quality, you can see the squad that Leicester has. I think in the game we started well, and then we were lucky when they hit the post, but after this, we scored with Harry [Kane] and then I think we created many chances to improve the final result. I think then we deserved to win the game.
"For sure we got three points in an important moment of the season, especially because in the next games we are going to face first Liverpool and then Arsenal. Today it was vital to get three points. There is only one result and a lot of pressure, but I said to my players to live this moment, to enjoy this moment because we deserved it after really great work that we did in these six months.
"I think no one at the start of the season could imagine Tottenham challenging for a place in the Champions League, especially in November when there was a change, and for this reason, we have to be satisfied that we stay in this position to fight for a big achievement."
Conte mentions at every possible juncture that nobody expected Spurs to challenge for a top four place - he often calls it a miracle - and while it's repetitive it's not wrong. The Italian has taken Spurs from a fragmented mess into one that if they win their remaining four matches will finish fourth in the Premier League and have Champions League football next season.
That is of course a big 'if' with a trip to Anfield up next ahead of the north London derby, but it does not detract from the job Conte has done.
Spurs were eighth when Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked, dreadful on the eye, barely scoring goals and bottom of almost every team statistic possible. Conte has turned them into the fourth highest scorers in the Premier League with the fifth best defence. This was Conte's 100th Premier League match and he marked it with a victory but the job is far from done.
That Cristian Romero noise
There was a huge thud of a noise every time Cristian Romero launched into another crunching challenge on Sunday afternoon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It's not that you could hear it because the 59,482 people inside the ground were quiet. It's more that there's a sharp intake of breath every time the Argentine flies into a challenge.
The 24-year-old takes no prisoners and while he will miss-time the odd challenge, he has an unerring ability to get most of them spot on and his anticipation bailed out his team-mates on a number of occasions on Sunday.
Romero is an odd blend. On one hand, he's got skill on the ball, can dribble past players and ping a crossfield ball like a playmaker. On the other, he's a throwback to old school defenders who enjoys the rough stuff, flinging their body in where it hurts.
He won the ball back twice in the build-up to Tottenham's decisive second goal, the first a strong challenge and the second was one of those borderline tackles that is either brilliant or reckless and, thankfully for Spurs, Romero remained on the brilliant side always keeping his feet on the ground, something he's done with aplomb in his past six matches after a public rebuke about his yellow card count from Conte.
The Leicester players moaned to the referee about the challenge, but their manager Brendan Rodgers was only annoyed that they did not match Romero's desire.
"There was no problem with the tackle. I had a problem with us not winning the tackle. Romero was strong, aggressive and that's what you want from your centre-half," he said.
Conte was strangely reluctant to praise Romero after the game, only going as far as saying that he had a "good game" to football.london when asked about his display and he also swerved a question about the Argentine in his in-house club interview. The head coach is likely keen to keep the defender on his toes.
Son had no reluctance in praising Romero though, saying: "Obviously you're scoring goals but you're not scoring alone. There's always a previous action. Cuti won it back twice so he made one tackle and then the second tackle was obviously risky, which a defender has to do sometimes.
"Cuti did an unbelievable job, not only this situation but the whole game. He was fantastic. This goal for me goes to Cuti because he deserves the credit 100%. I'm very happy to score the goals but this one goes to Cuti."
The South Korean star also praised how Romero has adapted behind the scenes and his desire to learn the language and speak to everyone in the squad.
"It's fresh energy every time new players come in," said Son. "The first time is not the best feeling because it's a weird feeling, we don't know each other, but now we understand each other and Cuti has tried really hard, wanting to speak to everyone, so this brings us all more and more closer and this changes everything."
Romero's desire to win challenges rubbed off on his fellow South Americans on the day with both Rodrigo Bentancur and Emerson Royal strong in their defensive work across the pitch.
Romero is becoming a major player for Tottenham and this summer's £42.5m fee to make his deal permanent is a bargain.
Super Son continues to save Spurs
Sunday was not only about Romero, it was also once again The Son Heung-min Show.
For as much as Harry Kane's renaissance in mid-season helped revitalise Tottenham, it will be Son's contribution in front of goal across much of the campaign that will prove crucial.
For Son has only failed to score or assist in six Premier League matches in the past six months. The South Korean does not take penalties and that means his 19 league goals this season is a higher tally than anyone else in the division from open play.
Those 19 goals are Son's highest total in a Premier League season and he also has eight assists to his name.
His assist on Sunday was a pinpoint corner to the unmarked Kane to head home the opener. Then Son took over in front of goal. His first strike was created by a clever turn to make space for himself to hit the ball back across goal and into the bottom right corner.
His second was simply stunning, cutting inside and sending the ball arching into the top left corner of the net with his left-foot. It was even better than the similar goal he scored at the King Power Stadium a couple of years back.
The modest Son did admit that those curling efforts with either foot are borne of hard work on the training ground since he was a child.
"It was lucky. To hit top bins like that, I have to be honest and say I practice so many shots like this, especially in this position, because when I was a kid I knew I was going to be a winger so left foot and right foot I tried so many shots from there," he said.
"So especially when I score in this position I'm more than happy because it's hard work paying off because I've had so many shots from there. It's my favourite position and as soon as I hit it I could see the way the ball was flying so it was incredible.
"Nobody expects you to score from there but I'm pretty confident to shoot there with right foot or left foot and luckily the ball went top corner and a very happy moment."
Son does not care about his goal tally and perhaps it's that laudable selflessness that prevents him from being seen as one of football's very best by those outside the game when he is seen that way by those who play the sport at the highest level.
"[The goal tally] is not important because I want to play Champions League next season. Scoring 19 goals, 30 goals, 25 goals, it's not important for me because the team is more important than me," he said.
"I try to do my best for the team. If I get a chance I want to score but the numbers are not important for me. I want to finish with these guys, with this team, with the supporters, I want to play Champions League football next season and it's more important than anything else at the moment."
A scary thought for defenders everywhere should be that Conte told the BBC that he believes Son can still do "much better" and continue to improve.
Conte admitted that he told Son he was thinking of taking him off for a rest, only for the winger to smash home his incredible second goal in response. The pair joked about it and the player's ability with either foot when he finally did come off with eight minutes of normal time remaining.
"I gave him a big hug because, after an amazing goal, my question was which is his favourite foot, right or left?" said the Spurs boss. "He scored a fantastic goal and three minutes before when I spoke with him, I said, 'Go for five or six minutes and then I have to make a change, and I said to him that when you listened that I wanted to make a change and you decide to score this amazing goal!'.
"We are talking about a great player, a fantastic player, but it's important at the end of the season to celebrate a big achievement with the team. Otherwise, it remains only a personal success only to score these types of goals."
Conte needs Son in these final four matches because he's currently a player that every defence fears.
Spurs' other attacking options
There was mixed success for Conte's other attacking players on Sunday and the Tottenham head coach made an interesting admission about the one who is getting the least game time.
Despite opening the scoring, Kane had a poor game by his standards. Early on in the encounter he lost the ball five times in a row when it came to him and his passing radar was intermittent, occasionally finding his team-mates and other times sending the ball sailing away from them.
He got away from his marker well to head home yet another goal against Leicester in the first half but this was a day when he took something of a back seat to Son.
Lucas Moura was brought in to freshen up an attack that had failed to produce a shot on target for 221 minutes until Kane's goal.
However, while he brought pressing off the ball, with the ball the Brazilian put in one of those performances he can be known for, when he will dribble past one man and lose the ball to the second or third rather than passing it. He touched the ball just 24 times, less than any other starting player on the pitch, and he attempted only 11 passes - just 72.7 of them accurate - and hit just one cross and that did not find a white shirt before he was hooked not long into the second half.
Conte praised Lucas after the match but in truth the biggest impact he made was that his inclusion served as a little reminder to Dejan Kulusevski that he cannot afford to have two poor games in a row otherwise he will be rotated.
The 22-year-old Swede responded in the perfect fashion with assists for both of Son's goals and his fancy footwork and drive tied Leicester up in knots down the right flank.
Kulusevski is joint sixth in the Premier League assists table, having set up eight goals for his team-mates. That's all the more remarkable because he only played his first game in England for Spurs three months ago and yet has eight assists and three goals to his name from 14 Premier League appearances.
The winger passionately beat his chest and the club badge repeatedly with his fist after his first assist and Son was quick to praise the man who helped him push Spurs over the line on Sunday.
"Kulu and all of the [new signings], to adapt to the Premier League is not easy. I've suffered. I suffered my first year. Even now I'm suffering in some games because it's not that easy. We're very happy and we're very proud that they're working really hard. Their commitment is unbelievable," he said.
"Lucas did an unbelievable job today as well but then Kulu came on and he changed the game. He changed the game. He brought some positive energy for the team which we needed. The last four games we need everybody. It's really important that [the new signings] are fit and they're into the team."
When answering a second question about Son's impact on the game, Conte decided to take his answer in a different direction with what seemed to be a guilty admission about Steven Bergwijn.
"Steven, for me, it's a bit difficult to keep him on the bench because Steven is maybe the player he should deserve more, but we have to try always a good balance," he said.
"He is a striker, a fantastic striker, but in this position, there is Harry and then Sonny. Deki gives us quality and quantity, and sometimes it's very difficult. For sure maybe I'm giving [Steven] less than he deserves, and I want to be honest. Lucas played a good 50 minutes, and we have to continue in this way and prepare for an important game."
The problem with Conte's statement about Bergwijn is that this was the day when he could have changed that narrative, but instead he chose Lucas to start without much reasoning.
Bergwijn's appearances for Tottenham from the bench have been more positive than those of Lucas and it was of course against Leicester that the Dutchman scored those two dramatic added time goals.
Some within Spurs suggest that while players like Matt Doherty fought back to prove to Conte that he should play, Bergwijn can take his lack of game time and setbacks to heart.
That's perhaps understandable when you know Kane and Son will always play and Lucas is still coming on ahead of you, even against Aston Villa last month following a week in which Bergwijn had scored three goals in three matches for his country and then netted for Spurs against Newcastle.
Kulusevski has only made the situation worse for Bergwijn and Conte's words - he genuinely does rate the Dutchman despite his actions seeming to prove otherwise - will unlikely be enough to stop the 24-year-old seeking a move away this summer for regular football.
A crunch week for Conte and Spurs
Premier League weeks don't come much bigger for Tottenham and they need to prepare for eight days that will bring a trip to Liverpool, a north London derby and the visit of in-form battling Burnley.
To put the task at Anfield into context, Jurgen Klopp's men lead the home form table in the Premier League without a single defeat there in their 17 matches this season, winning 14 of them and conceding just seven goals.
For those wondering, Spurs have the fourth best home record in the league, which makes that defeat to Brighton a fortnight ago all the more frustrating when you look at the table.
There is something else that Tottenham fans will no doubt look at with envy when they see Liverpool.
It's not just the trophies, it's the stability that has brought that silverware to Merseyside in recent years. Liverpool spent a number of years behind Tottenham in the table, with that dominant 4-1 win for Spurs at Wembley seen as the watershed moment of that time.
Klopp was given time and backing and eight years on, with a Premier League title and Champions League under his belt, he's just signed a new contract that if fulfilled will see him at the club until 2026 - 11 years after he arrived at Liverpool.
His first interview after inking the new deal with his staff showed his love and connection for a club which is now formed in his image.
That stability and connection is something Tottenham crave. They had it with Mauricio Pochettino but Klopp's side's Champions League final win against the Argentine's Spurs was the moment that dream began to crumble.
Pep Guardiola is reportedly also set to extend his silverware-laden stay at Manchester City until 2025, which would take him up to almost a decade in the Premier League.
With the two most currently successful sides in the country showing that stability is the way, you can't help but look at Tottenham's slide in the other direction since Pochettino's departure.
Should Conte's post-season meeting with chairman Daniel Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici end sourly then Spurs could be looking for their fifth manager in just over three and a half years.
Tottenham want Conte to stay and build a new era at the club but whether he has the patience for that will be revealed next month.
Spurs have little choice but to spend well and wisely in a summer in which Liverpool and City will continue to strengthen, Chelsea will be able to spend big after their sale to try to bridge the gap and replace their lost players, Manchester United will splash out millions in an attempt to claw their way back to relevance and Arsenal are expected to make moves in the market.
The competition at the top is going to be tougher than ever and the new rule of using five substitutes from nine on the bench alone will force clubs to create bigger squads.
For Tottenham, much will depend on whether Conte truly believes the north London side can put a cat among the pigeons with some clever, ready-made signings in the summer and a full pre-season under him.
If he does not and he looks to force a departure with a year left on his contract then Spurs will rekindle their interest from before Paratici's arrival last summer in Graham Potter, who may feel this time around that he has taken Brighton as far as he can with their record points total this season.
The Seagulls boss is a man for the long-term but his arrival might see Spurs need to take a step back for a season at least in order to adjust to his methods and what that means for Harry Kane among others remains to be seen.
The other alternative would be a Pochettino bruised after his PSG experience, which brought silverware to his CV but likely a dent to his confidence.
Plan A though is Conte and there's an excitement about what he could achieve next season with the right environment around him and a squad tailored to his requirements. The club hope to ensure he feels that excitement as well and a belief that he can compete with the top sides at Spurs' helm.
For now all eyes are on his preparations for a defining week in Tottenham's season because what happens over these coming days will play a major part in what comes afterwards.
