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Hagley Park In Stadium Live Feed“That’s my responsibility”: Postecoglou shoulders blame for “unacceptable” Spurs defeat as Chelsea and Arsenal draw
Andrew Slevison • November 11th, 2024 9:23 am
Ange Postecoglou has shouldered the blame for Tottenham Hotspur’s shock 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town in the Premier League overnight.
Coming off a disappointing 3-2 loss to Galatasaray in the Europa League during the week, Spurs fell to a second home league loss to a previously winless Tractor Boys side.
Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap gave the visitors a two-goal lead by the break and a Rodrigo Bentancur response with just over 20 minutes left provided Spurs with some hope, but they were unable to conjure a second goal.
Postecoglou said his side’s recent slump lays with the manager.
“That's down to me. That's my responsibility,” he said post-game.
“It was hugely disappointing and, from my perspective, unacceptable, because we started the game nowhere near the levels we needed to be.
“The inconsistency we're having this year, ultimately it comes down to me and my approach and something I need to try and fix and see if I can help the players in that area.
“We didn't start the game well at all. It was all sort of passive, without the ball, with the ball. I felt we didn't get the tempo right or intensity right and then we gave ourselves a mountain to climb.
“Second half we were in the ascendancy and had opportunities obviously but we didn't do enough with them.”
The Ipswich victory - their first in the English top flight in over 20 years - was masterminded by Kieran McKenna who spent well over a decade at Spurs in the youth academy.
It was another poor result for Spurs which led to a chorus of boos from the restless natives, heaping more pressure on Postecoglou whose side has dropped to 10th on the table.
In the key Sunday fixture, Chelsea and Arsenal drew 1-1 at Stamford Bridge with the London rivals moving to third and fourth respectively.
After a Kai Havertz goal was ruled offside against his former club, the Gunners still managed to score first through Gabriel Martinelli from an acute angle on the hour-mark.
However, the Blues would not be denied as Pedro Neto found space outside the area before finishing superbly 10 minutes later.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal produced some gilt-edged chances in the dying stages but were unable to find the back of the net as last season’s second-placed side slumped to a fourth league game without a win.
Both Arsenal and Chelsea now sit on 19 points, a massive nine points behind tearaway leaders Liverpool (28) with reigning champions Manchester City (23) a further five behind the Reds.
Elsewhere, Manchester United produced a much-needed 3-0 win over Leicester City as Newcastle United came from a goal down to beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 at the City Ground.
