Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur Dismantle Southampton, Chelsea Lay In Wait

Antonio Conte feels it, Spurs fans feel it, and even the critics of professional football can’t ignore it; 2022/23 in the EPL could be the season where Tottenham finally match the expectations of their long-suffering fan base and challenge for silverware alongside the world’s elite clubs. This sentiment became a reality as Conte, and his men delivered a memorizing comeback after receiving an early setback in the first half of their opening EPL fixture this past weekend.  

It all started with the footwork of Dejan Kulusevki, who ensured his side wouldn’t end the first 45 minutes in a losing state caused by an early goal from James Ward-Prowse.

Even more surprising than the early Southampton lead was perhaps, the goal scorers for Spurs, who assisted them as the winning home side at the halftime break. Defenders Ryan Sessegnon and Eric Dier turned the tide for the Lilywhites, both causing an eruption of cheers from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium stands.

“It was imperative to have this reaction from my team,” Conte said. “We kept calm and continued to play in the way we know. For sure, we saw today that this team has seven months’ work on its back. For me, that is very important because we can take another step to try and be stronger.”

The Tottenham fan base has patiently waited during the summer preseason months to finally witness the talents of Conte’s newly signed players. Still, surprisingly, five of the signings were benched for the Southampton meeting (Ivan Perisic, Yves Bissouma, Clement Lenglet, Fraser Forster, and Djed Spence). Further proving the depth of this year’s squad could be a winning formula both domestically and on a European stage.  

The first three of the aforementioned players received some pitch time, but this only came after Kulusevki put a nail in the coffin of the Saints with a fourth Spurs goal in the 63^rd minute. The confidence from Tottenham’s Champion’s League qualifying efforts for the 2021/22 season was present. Still, the same couldn’t be emulated by a Southampton team that took a measly one point from their final six games of the previous campaign.

Hassenhúttl gave his new arrivals a position on Saturday’s starting line-up – Gavin Bazunu, Romeo Lavia, and Joe Aribo – but the game unfolded into a Déjá Vu feeling for Southampton, especially after the 20^th-minute equaliser from Spurs. “It felt a little bit like our opponents went into the next gear after 20 minutes, and we couldn’t follow,” Hassenhúttl commented. “It was frustrating to see how big the gap is between the two teams.” 

Once Ward-Prowse silenced the 60,000-plus gathering of Tottenham fans, it was like a time bomb of confidence had been activated for Conte’s men. Eight minutes later, Sessegnon headed home the equaliser from a beautifully delivered Kulusevski-cross, which ultimately was the beginning of the end for Hassenhúttl’s men. Another headed effort came from Dier, putting spurs in the lead, as a second-half own goal from Salisu summed up the day for Southampton. Kulusevki was the fourth and final Tottenham man to put his name on the score sheet, a well-deserving goal for the Swedish international who was unquestionably the most in-form player on the pitch.

Next Up, Chelsea

 As more than 3/1 betting underdogs, Spurs will now take the short trip to Stamford Bridge and face their London rivals Chelsea for the Premier League Matchday 2 schedule. UK betting sites are providing plus-value odds on both teams, but notably, Thomas Tuchel’s men are expected to win the game – from a bookmaker’s perspective.

With that said, I can’t envision gamblers running to the window with their tickets on Chelsea, as Tottenham’s Matchday 1 outing was significantly more potent than their capital city counterparts.

Chelsea took a conservative 0-1 victory from Merseyside when facing Everton this past weekend, but not without the assistance of a Jorginho penalty kick. The Toffees barely survived the relegation battle last term, as many expected a whitewash performance from the visiting Chelsea squad. However, Everton fought tough and nail to stay in the game, despite the apparent lack of attacking prowess in the final third.

If Matchday 1 outings are anything to go by, Chelsea could be in for a rude awakening should they dare Spurs to chase the ball as they did with Everton. A defensive-minded approach could be risky with Spurs’ goal-hungry squad, and an away win for Tottenham would undoubtedly send a message to the rest of the division.