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Tottenham manager José Mourinho was quick to downplay any discontent between himself and Harry Winks, explaining his thinking behind a curious triple substitution shortly after the Spurs took the lead.
Spurs defeated Antwerp 2-0 to ensure they enter Monday’s Europa League knockout stage draw as the seeded team.
Goals from Carlos Vinicius and Giovani Lo Celso settled the tie, but the great talking points of the occasion came from outside the field.
Speaking to BT Sport initially about the decision to bring in the deadly duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-min immediately after taking the lead, Mourinho He said: “The game is open, when I thought about the changes, the result was 0-0 and then we scored a goal, but that did not change my mind.
“We needed a little more of the routines that these players (Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Tanguy Ndombele) have, and the intensity.
FULL MATCH REPORT: Tottenham leads the group as Lo Celso gives Mourinho team a headache
“They had the intensity because they play week after week.
“We managed to keep Antwerp away from our goal. Joe Hart didn’t make a single save. 0-0 at halftime, I thought that in the second half with a little intensity they would collapse.
“It was a great free kick from Gareth Bale and a forward sniffing the second ball to score. The decision was made. Harry is Harry and Sonny is intense.
“I can’t keep the team happy. I think they are happy because we are winning but they are not happy because they are not playing ”.
There was a lot of talk in the media about the way Winks he left the field and went straight through the tunnel after his substitution.
Mourinho was quick to offer a reason behind the perceived display of discontent, stating: “I told every player who left the field to go to the shower because it was cold.
“Some decided to leave and others decided to stay.”
Thong thankful for the opportunity
Japhet Tanganga He was given another chance to impress in the Europa League and he did not disappoint as the Spurs kept another clean sheet.
Speaking to BT Sport after the game, the 21-year-old defender said: “We knew this game was a must win in order to reach the top of the table. We go to the next round against a smaller team because we will be in the highest pot.
“I have been out for a long time with injuries. I am grateful that the coach has put me back.
“We all worked together well at the rear and we kept a clean sheet.”
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