Following their disappointing 3-3 draw against Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dejan Kulusevski has revealed that there was little said in the dressing room after the match. Despite being 3-1 up in the 74th minute, Spurs were unable to hold on to their lead and Southampton were controversially awarded a penalty for Pape Matar Sarr’s adjudged foul on Ainsley Maitland-Niles. James Ward-Prowse converted from the spot to snatch a point, with Spurs missing out on the chance to go third in the Premier League.
Speaking to Spurs Play, Kulusevski said, “No, absolutely it feels like a loss. We needed this win, we know that these three points were very, very important and we prepared for the game a lot this week so we are very disappointed. Not much was said inside there [the dressing room].”
The match had started well for Spurs, with Pedro Porro scoring his first goal for the club on the stroke of half time. Che Adams levelled the scoring at the start of the second half, but Harry Kane and Ivan Perisic, who also scored his first Spurs goal, handed the visitors a solid lead. Theo Walcott’s goal set up a tense final few minutes on the south coast, and Ward-Prowse’s stoppage time penalty sealed the draw.
The result led to Spurs manager Antonio Conte launching a scathing attack on his players, calling them ‘selfish’ and taking a swipe at the culture at the club. Spurs remain fourth in the table, but Newcastle will overtake them if they win their two games in hand. Their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are therefore diminishing and Conte’s future at the club remains uncertain.
Despite the disappointment of the draw, Kulusevski remains optimistic about Spurs’ future prospects. “We have to keep going,” he said. “We have a lot of games left and we have to keep fighting until the end. We have to stick together and keep working hard.”
Spurs’ next match is against Watford on January 22nd, where they will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing result against Southampton. With just over half of the Premier League season remaining, there is still plenty of time for Spurs to turn their fortunes around and secure a top-four finish. However, they will need to improve their performances if they are to achieve their goals for the season.