Postecoglou: Romero's Injury Disrupted Everything
Tottenham Hotspur's head coach, Ange Postecoglou, expressed that the injury to Cristian Romero was a pivotal factor in their recent 4-3 defeat to Chelsea.
In a thrilling Premier League encounter, Tottenham Hotspur suffered a 4-3 loss to Chelsea. Head coach Ange Postecoglou attributed the defeat to the early injury of defender Cristian Romero, which he believes disrupted the team's momentum.
Tottenham started the match strongly, with early goals from Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski. However, following Romero's injury around the 20th minute, Chelsea capitalized and turned the game around with two penalties converted by Cole Palmer and additional goals from Enzo Fernández and Jadon Sancho.
Postecoglou commented, "We began the game very well, but Romero's injury after the 20th minute disrupted our rhythm, and they scored immediately after." He also noted missed opportunities, including a significant chance by Son Heung-min that could have altered the outcome.
Addressing the defensive errors leading to the penalties, Postecoglou stated, "I believe we were very poor in both penalty situations. We need to be more disciplined, and ultimately, those two critical moments changed the game."
He acknowledged the team's inconsistent performance, with seven losses in fifteen matches, but remained optimistic: "There are still many games left, and we've proven that with a full squad, we can achieve great things and defeat any team."
Regarding injuries, Postecoglou revealed that Romero is experiencing discomfort in his quadriceps, a recurring issue from last season. Additionally, Brennan Johnson played through pain in the first half, and the plan for Micky van de Ven to play 60-70 minutes was disrupted by Romero's early exit.