Report and highlights as a Heung-Min Son penalty and Gareth Bale strike ensure Ryan Mason's interim spell in charge of Tottenham began on a winning note against Southampton; Danny Ings had headed the visitors in front in the first half
Thursday 22 April 2021 06:05, UK
Heung-Min Son and Gareth Bale completed a remarkable 2-1 comeback win for Tottenham against Southampton in Ryan Mason's first game as interim boss, boosting their top-four hopes after Spurs supporters had earlier staged a protest against club chairman Daniel Levy.
A turbulent week for the club, which has already seen them sign up to and then exit the Super League amid fan outrage, and surprisingly sack head coach Jose Mourinho, will take another twist on Sunday in their Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, but against Southampton, the drama fell in their favour, with a late VAR call allowing Son to strike from the spot.
The visitors had bounced back from their FA Cup semi-final disappointment impressively to lead through Danny Ings' header on 30 minutes but Spurs, who had been below their best in the first half, improved after the break and replied with Bale's bending effort on the hour.
Son thought he had completed the comeback when he swept home on 74 minutes but referee David Coote ruled it out after a VAR check, with Lucas Moura offside, however, the officials at Stockley Park judged in Spurs' favour when Moussa Djenepo caught Sergio Reguilon just inside the box, allowing the South Korea forward to eventually find the net from 12 yards.
The winning start for 29-year-old Mason - the youngest manager in Premier League history - lifts Tottenham up to sixth, two points off the top four having played a game more than the teams around them, and they will head into their cup final on a positive note, while Southampton stay 14th.
Mason had said he wanted Spurs to play 'like Tottenham Hotspur' under his management and there was an immediate shift back towards a more attacking approach against Southampton, with Mourinho's three-man defence at Everton ditched for 4-2-3-1. But that intent did not translate to the pitch.
Instead, a lacklustre Spurs needed a sensational double-save from goalkeeper Hugo Lloris just two minutes in to deny Mohammed Salisu and Che Adams, before their captain again came to the rescue 10 minutes later, rushing out to smother at the feet of former team-mate Kyle Walker-Peters.
Giovani Lo Celso and Lucas had directed tame efforts off target in between but it was Southampton looking the more energised and they deservedly took the lead on 30 minutes when Ings beat Serge Aurier to James Ward-Prowse's corner and steered a fine header in off the far post.
Southampton had won just two of their previous 14 but were in control until a late Spurs rally to end the half forced Adams to scramble clear in his own box before Lucas fired over.
Spurs failed to have a shot on target in the first half - the first time they had done that at home in a Premier League game this season - and a good block from Jan Bednarek on Son at the start of the second period extended the wait.
Bale eventually warmed the hands of Alex McCarthy on 54 minutes from distance before Ings fired straight at Lloris at the other end. However, it was a costly effort for the Saints striker, with the action forcing him off moments later, clutching his hamstring.
Saints' problems then worsened on the hour when Salisu's block on Lucas fell kindly for Bale and the Wales forward bent a fine effort past McCarthy to level the score.
Bale almost added a second moments later when Lo Celso's perseverance nearly teed him up in the six-yard box before the forward lashed well wide from the edge of the box.
Spurs piled on the pressure and Son thought he had put his side in front when he swept home Reguilon's cross but after the celebrations, a VAR check advised referee Coote to go to the monitor, where replays showed Lucas had run in between his team-mate and Saints goalkeeper McCarthy, and the strike was ruled out.
The VAR drama was not over, though, and, after the officials in Stockley Park judged the ball hitting Jannik Vestergaard's arm as not worthy of a penalty, they spotted a foul by Djenepo on Reguilon came just inside the area, after initially being given as a free-kick.
Son sent McCarthy the wrong way to eventually make it onto the scoresheet - and get Mason's reign off to a winning start, as Spurs' players on the pitch put off-field distractions to one side.
Tottenham interim boss, Ryan Mason: "It's great [to get off to a winning start], it's a massive relief. Obviously it's been a bit of a whirlwind the last two or three days but thankfully we got the win. Most importantly, I thought second half we were outstanding. The performance, the commitment, the energy was brilliant. I think in the first half we found it very difficult, we found it quite tough to get out. They were very good, they created some chances, Hugo pulled off two world class saves for us but I thought as the game went on we gained control of it and there was only one team that was going to win the match.
"[The half-time team talk] was about giving them the belief, the energy, to have the bravery to play and express themselves but within that we had to compete as well. There were some situations in t he first half where they were quicker to the second ball, and the duels, the tackles I thought they were coming out on top. But we changed that second half and gained full control of the match, and played pretty much in their half. I thought we fully deserved to win the match overall."
Southampton boss, Ralph Hasenhuttl: "The way we lost the game today, we can not be more hurting. In the first half we must be three up, and in the second half, especially in the last 30 minutes, we had not the best game we wanted to have but the way we gave them the goals, it's always the same issue.
"We don't clear the ball after the corner, we make a stupid foul around the box in the last minute and then you concede a goal which you can never normally concede and the whole work you put in is then gone. It's hard to take. Hopefully [Ings] is not too much injured but I don't know his situation."
Tottenham face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Football from 4pm; kick-off 4.30pm. Southampton have a weekend off before hosting Leicester on Saturday May 1 at 3pm.
