Eric Dier has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur were erratic in how they responded to going a goal behind against Chelsea and lost control as a result, via the Evening Standard.
Spurs lost at home to Thomas Tuchel’s Blues on Sunday for a second successive 3-0 defeat in the Premier League. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have now fallen from the top of the table to seventh ahead of visiting rivals Arsenal.
Dier believes Tottenham let the game get away from them by how they reacted to Thiago Silva opening the scoring for Chelsea. The centre-back headed past Hugo Lloris in the 49th-minute to break the deadlock, before N’Golo Kante struck home from long-range.
Kante’s strike took a nick off Dier before it bounced in off the post, and Tottenham had no response to Chelsea’s blitz. Dier was annoyed at how Spurs let the Blues keep the pressure on after scoring their first. Believing Nuno’s men lost the game in those eight-minutes.
“To concede two goals back-to-back so quickly is difficult,” Dier said. “We just needed to be a bit smarter in that moment when we conceded the first. Maybe come together more, stay in the game for five minutes and try to get back on the front foot. We were a little erratic in that moment.”
Dier added: “We conceded the first goal very early in the second half and then lacked a bit of control to stay in the game and not concede the second. [We needed to] try to build and get back to the way were playing. But we conceded again, and it became very difficult. We lacked that [control] a little bit but they were sloppy goals [to concede], all three of them.”
Can Nuno correct Tottenham’s erratic nature that Dier rues before facing Arsenal?
Nuno will desperately want to correct for Tottenham’s erratic nature before facing Arsenal this Sunday to avoid any repeat of the blitz suffered against Chelsea that Dier rues. The Portuguese will be loath to lose three-on-the-bounce straight after winning three-in-a-row.
Tottenham will know they must improve in the areas Dier notes if they are to enjoy a return to form. Chelsea were able to create chances at will after the break, with Tuchel’s men taking the game away from Spurs.
Nuno will particularly want to spend time addressing how Dier claims Tottenham reacted to going a goal behind on Sunday. Spurs had produced a fluid style in the opening period, but lost their way once on the backfoot. Especially in defence, once Kante entered the fray.
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