The Times - UK (2021-12-06)

Southampton

Broja 29^1

RATINGS

Southampton (4-2-2-2): A McCarthy 7 —

V Livramento 6, Lyanco 7, M Salisu 7,

K Walker-Peters 7 — J Ward-Prowse 6, O Romeu 7

— N Redmond 7, N Tella 6 (M Elyounoussi 84min)

— A Broja 7 (A Armstrong 81), C Adams 6.

Booked Tella, Salisu, Elyounoussi, Romeu

Brighton & Hove Albion (3-5-2): R Sánchez 7 —

J Veltman 6 (J Moder 78), S Duffy 6, D Burn 6 —

T Lamptey 6 (S March 63, 7), P Gross 6

(A Connolly 55, 7), Y Bissouma 7, E Mwepu 6,

M Cucurella 7 — L Trossard 7, N Maupay 7.

Booked: Duffy, Bissouma.

Referee: A Taylor. Attendance: 28,706.

Brighton

Maupay 90+8^1

the times | Monday December 6 2021 2GG 5

thegame

THE MATCH IN A GRAPHIC

Statisticians Opta show who was on top throughout game

Attacking threat

0 mins 15 30 45 45 60 75 90

Tottenham more threatening

Norwich more threatening

First half Second half

Goal ‘77

Goal ‘67

Goal ‘10

Lucas Moura’s options seemed fairly
limited when he received the ball
from Davinson Sánchez midway in
the opposing half with his back to
goal. The Tottenham Hotspur
forward drew Ben Gibson behind him
and the safest option seemed to be to
pass to Oliver Skipp, who was
demanding the ball ten yards away.
Moura had other ideas. He held off
Gibson and showed a cute piece of
skill to slip the ball to the right of
Billy Gilmour and run around the
other side to collect it.
There still did not seem to be much
on and with a challenge coming,
Moura toe-poked the ball to Son
Heung-min, who returned it to him
ten yards outside the penalty area.
The Brazil forward, with his back to
goal, rolled the ball with three
touches, shuffled inside Andrew
Omobamidele and whipped a shot
that flew into the top corner.
“It is natural for me, when I found
space I just decided to shoot,” Moura
said. “I am not a killer like [Harry]
Kane or Sonny. I have scored some
nice goals, the feeling is good when
you score a beautiful goal. It is in my
top-three goals. It was my style,
dribbling and when I find space I
shoot quickly.”
The goal handed Tottenham the
lead, which they extended through
Sánchez and Son each scoring from
close range, to earn a third straight
league win to keep up with the teams
chasing fourth place. The margin of

victory, though, flattered Tottenham

and Teemu Pukki mis-kicked gilt-

edged chances for Norwich City.

Moura has arguably been Spurs’

best performer this season. However,

his goal was his first in the league,

and third overall, since February,

going some way to explaining why his

long-term prospects at the club have

not always looked clear.

Moura was the hat-trick hero in the

second leg of the 2019 Champions

League semi-final win over Ajax and

the first to score a treble at the

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He

managed ten league goals and 15

overall in that 2018-19 season but has

come nowhere close since. He started

only 14 of his 30 league matches last

season, contributing three goals and

four assists, and could well have left

the club in the summer had they

received the right offer.

“Amazing goal but he has the

quality to score more and he has to,”

Antonio Conte, the Tottenham head

coach, said. Moura would no doubt

have impressed Conte with other

aspects of his game, especially his

threaded pass that put Kane through

on goal in the first half. Kane chipped

the ball over Tim Krul, who was some

way off his goalline, and past the far

post. Kane later glanced a header

wide and his goal tally remains one

from 13 league games.

His star striker’s barren patch does

not concern Conte, who insisted that

Kane is undroppable, especially with

their heavy fixture schedule. The lean

spell is clearly worrying Kane,

though, as he made his agitation clear

when he turned on Son to tell him

where he wanted the ball played after

the South Korea forward had scuffed

an effort across goal. Kane had five

attempts, two of them on target.

Sánchez doubled the lead from

close range after Ben Davies glanced

on a corner that hit Gibson and fell

nicely for the centre back. Son

wriggled clear in the penalty area to

add a third with 13 minutes left.

At that point the crowd chanted

“Antonio” and he acknowledged them

with a wave. José Mourinho and

Nuno Espírito Santo, by contrast, had

divided them. “Maybe it’s too early

but they trust in my work,” Conte

said.

Mourinho and Nuno liked to play

on the counter and Conte appears to

have a similar approach. They had 41

per cent of the ball yesterday, 47 per

cent in the 2-0 win over Brentford

and 43 per cent in the 2-1 win over

Leeds United. Conte has relied on

Sergio Reguilón’s pace to break and

was thankful that the left wing back

did not suffer a serious injury despite

having to go off clutching his thigh in

the 22nd minute, especially having

lost the unwell Emerson Royal, his

right wing back, before kick-off.

The game had barely started when

Adam Idah ran down the right and

squared for Pukki who caught the ball

badly and it went straight at Hugo

Lloris. Norwich were in contention

and Brandon Williams got too far

underneath a volley when meeting a

cross on the stroke of half-time.

Early after the restart Williams

went on a run and squared for Pukki

but the striker’s scuffed shot ended up

in the path of Idah, who contrived to

turn the ball wide from six yards.

Omobamidele missed a chance from

close range for Norwich, who have

scored just eight league goals this

season. “I am disappointed and

frustrated,” Dean Smith, the Norwich

manager, said. “Players have to come

to the party and can’t rely on Teemu.”

9It is a rare breed of striker who can
have little impact on a game that his
side is losing 1-0 and then execute a
perfect first touch and finish when the
pressure is at its most intense in the
98th minute.
Having faced the ire of Brighton &
Hove Albion supporters nine days ago
after two glaring misses in the
goalless draw at home to Leeds
United, Neal Maupay redeemed
himself in style. First the Frenchman
equalised in the dying seconds against
West Ham United in midweek with a
stunning overhead strike before
performing the same rescue act on
Saturday away to Southampton.
“After the Leeds game they were
probably saying I was the worst
striker in the league,” Maupay, 25,
said. “Then a week later, I’ve scored
two goals and all of a sudden I’m a

hero. Football fans are sometimes

harsh with the players. I know they

expect a lot from me — so do I. I

can’t listen too much but equally I

can’t be too satisfied.”

Graham Potter, the Brighton head

TOM PRENTKI

One day I’m worst in league, next I’m a hero, says Maupay

coach, was uncharacteristically

critical of the club’s supporters after

the Leeds game when a section of the

spectators booed the players off.

He is delighted at the resolve

his team showed to gain

points away to West Ham

and Southampton,

contributing to an

extraordinary record

of nine draws in 11

games. “It’s the

players, they keep

going,” Potter said.

“We create an

environment where they

try to be together, create a

spirit where the subs have an

impact and no one gives up.”

None more so, it seems, than

Maupay, Brighton’s top scorer this

season with six goals.

“Neal is unique, he’s a single-

minded guy, he sits before the games

and reads a book. He always has a

Three points would have lifted

Southampton into mid-table but the

draw keeps them looking over their

shoulders. In Broja, however, there is

cause for optimism, with the 20-year-

old forward on loan from Chelsea

showing he is more than capable of

scoring goals in the Premier League.

“I’m really enjoying it,” he said. “It’s

obviously my first season in the

Premier League. It’s been crazy. I’m a

young player and it’s amazing for

everyone to be able to have this

opportunity to be in the Premier

League, gain experience, become a

better player and work with better

players. It’s a dream come true.”

Southampton are considering a

move for Willy Caballero, the 40-

year-old former Chelsea and

Manchester City goalkeeper, after

injuries to their first choice, Alex

McCarthy — who hurt a hamstring

against Brighton — and their reserve

goal keeper, Fraser Forster.

book with him but when the game

goes he always fights for the team and

does everything he can to help.”

The manner of the draw was a

bitter blow to Southampton,

who were the better side,

particularly in the first

half when they missed a

number of excellent

opportunities to add to

Armando Broja’s

superb goal.

“It’s the Premier

League, anything can

happen, it’s the best

league in the world,”

Broja said. “One chance

and it’s a goal. It’s not ideal for

us. We dominated the game and that’s

the thing, when you concede a goal

like that, basically the last kick of the

game, it was a shame.”

Maupay also scored a late equaliser

against West Ham on Wednesday

Conte: Moura has to score more

3

Moura 10, Sánchez 67,

Son 77

RATINGS

Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-2-1) H Lloris 6 —

D Sánchez 7, E Dier 8, B Davies 7 — J Tanganga 6

(M Doherty 62min, 6), O Skipp 7, P-E Hojbjerg 6,

S Reguilón 5 (R Sessegnon 23, 6) — L Moura 8

(S Bergwijn 80), Son Heung-min 7 — H Kane 6.

Booked Reguilón.

Norwich City (5-3-2) T Krul 6 — M Aarons 7,

A Omobamidele 6, G Hanley 7, B Gibson 6,

B Williams 6 — P Lees-Melou 6 (K Dowell 72),

B Gilmour 7 (J Sorensen 81), K McLean 6 —

A Idah 6 (J Sargent 69, 6), T Pukki 6. Booked

Pukki, Gilmour.

Referee J Gillett.

Attendance 57,088.

Tottenham Norwich City

0

HANNAH MCKAY/REUTERS

Lucas Moura

UNSTOPPABLE

Moura, centre,

and Pierre-

Emile Hojbjerg

join Son, left,

in celebration

of Spurs’ third

GARY JACOB