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In the midst of another sweltering week with three games on the agenda, Tottenham hoped that the trip to Antwerp would demonstrate the effectiveness of the depth of their squad that they have to define their season. Instead, Tottenham finished with the worst possible result. The key players were forced to leave the bench to rescue the game, but were still outscored by Antwerp, who moved to the top of Group J with a 1-0 victory.
Before the game, José Mourinho spoke extensively about the number of options available to him in most positions, talent so abundant that he says it “hurts” to leave out quality players. He has made nine changes since his victory at Burnley.
However, spending hours on the bench does not always lead to smooth and safe football. Steven Bergwijn, Dele Alli and Gareth Bale lined up behind Carlos Vinícius looked like a strong second string attack on paper, but it was their lack of minutes and time together that showed.
The lack of articulation early on was epitomized by Alli, who pressed well and found space, but continually struggled to pick the right pass in the final third. Mourinho had predicted that Bale would fly, but all that flew was his many long-range shots into the empty stands. He remained on the periphery for much of his shift.
Antwerp had no such problems. They came in with five consecutive wins in all competitions, ranking at the top of the Jupiler League after 10 matches. They made Tottenham pay for their inconsistency, spawning many of the key early chances.
Within half an hour, Ben Davies stopped too long on the ball in defense and was caught in possession by Dieumerci Mbokani. Mbokani floated towards a stranded Davinson Sánchez, the last defender, before feeding Lior Refaelov, who launched an excellent shot at the net.
The response after such a poor first half was immediate. Mourinho opened the second with four changes at a time, dragging Giovani Lo Celso, Alli, Bergwijn and Vinícius in favor of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Érik Lamela, Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min. If Alli’s occasional omission from the team has been painful for him, he surely left the Bosuilstadion feeling even worse. “I didn’t do five because I was scared of 45 long minutes with no change to make,” Mourinho said. “There is only one to blame, which is me. I made the team, I chose the starting players and at half-time I tried to improve the situation but it was not enough. The dynamics of the first part were there, the mentality of the first part was there and it is difficult to change ”.
The home team had two chances to double their lead before time. Refaelov couldn’t take advantage of a misplaced pass from Winks in the opening minutes of time before the deft Koji Miyoshi fed Mbokani with a beautiful cross. From three yards, Mbokani’s shot flew well over the bar. Finally, Mourinho replaced Bale with Harry Kane, a replacement that could hardly be more symbolic. The balance of the game began to shift slowly, with Tottenham moving in attack and testing Antwerp’s determined defense in the final half hour. Led by former Leicester City defender Ritchie De Laet, the home team held out to reduce Tottenham to a bitter defeat. After arriving in Antwerp greeting all the members of his squad, Mourinho left with greater clarity.
“You know what our best team [is]”Said Mourinho. “You know the same thing that I know, that everyone knows. But I always like to think that players deserve a chance. We have a great squad with many good players. It is my responsibility to give them the opportunity to play and seize the opportunity with both hands and be in a position to ask for more. And tonight my future choices will be very easy. “
