James Maddison says Tottenham score so many late goals because opposition sides cannot match their intensity for 90 minutes and they often end up tiring towards the latter stage of games.
There’s no denying that the Lilywhites play at a faster pace than any other team in the division, even though the Spurs, under Ange Postecoglou, are still developing and honing their system.
Postecoglou himself made notice of this last week, noting that his team leads the Premier League this season in the majority of the physical metrics (Football.London).
Spurs’ tendency to struggle to break down low blocks in the first half and typically play much better in the second half is something we have seen several times this season.
Tottenham score late goals by design
Maddison believes that it is a natural consequence of how teams set up to defend against Tottenham.
Following the club’s 3-1 win over Palace, the 27-year-old told supporters in attendance at the private members H Club at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (as recorded by WeAreTottenhamTV): “It’s very difficult to break down five at the back with four midfielders. But it’s also very tough to do that (defend) for 100 minutes.
“That’s why we score a lot of late goals. It’s not a coincidence. It’s because we make the same runs and patterns all games and you can’t track them at the end. It’s no coincidence we score a lot of late goals.”
This is an important point and perhaps serves as a reminder to Spurs fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium not to moan and groan when the team finds it difficult in the first-half and to continue backing the players.
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