"Why on earth?" Tottenham, how did they achieve a perfect revival without Son Heung-min? "Overwhelming performance writes new EPL history"... "Astonishingly," first three-game winning streak in 21 months

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

It is a turnaround. After Son Heung-min (34, LAFC) departed, Tottenham Hotspur had been stuck in an endless dark period, finishing 17th for two consecutive seasons. However, the club has successfully achieved a perfect revival by running up a three-game winning streak in the league after more than 600 days.

The British media outlet "BBC" highlighted on the 1st (Korean time), "Has Tottenham under Roberto De Zerbi finally found the consistency they had been searching for so desperately?" and "Tottenham crushed Crystal Palace 2-0 to achieve a three-game winning streak in the Premier League after about 21 months. The long, long wait has finally ended."

It is the first major record since Son Heung-min wore the captain's armband. The outlet reported, "It has been more than 600 days since February 2025 that Tottenham last won three consecutive league matches," and "This three-game winning streak equals the number of wins (3 wins, 10 draws, 13 losses) recorded in the previous 26 matches. They also achieved their first home two-game winning streak in two years, instantly sweeping away their severe slump."

On the 1st, Tottenham crushed Palace 2-0 in the 9th round of the 2026~2027 English Premier League (EPL) held at their home ground, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, UK.

With this, Tottenham, who recorded 3 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses (12 points), rose vertically to 8th place after consecutively defeating Palace, following their first win of the season against Coventry City and a scoreless victory on their away trip to Chelsea, which was their first in 40 years.

The match was a one-sided offensive by Tottenham. In the 13th minute of the first half, Palace attacker Jean-Philippe Mateta made an excessive tackle toward Micky van de Ven, and after video assistant referee (VAR) review, a red card was issued, giving Tottenham a numerical advantage. Gaining momentum, Tottenham took the lead in the 25th minute of the first half when Archie Gray headed in Mohamed Kudus's cross from a corner kick to score the opening goal. Then, in the 28th minute of the second half, Jan Paul van Hecke, who had joined the attack, cleanly finished a cross delivered by Matheus Fernandes at the goal line to seal the victory.

The records themselves were astonishing. Tottenham recorded a ball possession rate of 79.4% on this day. This is the second-highest possession rate in club history, following the 80.2% against Newcastle in August 2019. In terms of shots, Tottenham unleashed 34 shots, while allowing only 2 to Palace. The shot difference of 32 is the highest record in Tottenham's club history since Opta began compiling official statistics in 2003~2004, and it is also the largest gap across the entire EPL since Liverpool (36-4 against Wolverhampton) in May 2024.

The true worth of the big signings who poured in 300 million pounds (approximately 535 billion won) this summer also exploded. Sandro Tonali, the man worth 100 million pounds, dominated the midfield with his powerful activity level and physicality, while Fernandes, worth 85 million pounds, also shone throughout the match, including an assist for the winning goal. Dejan Kulusevski, returning from injury, came on as a substitute to show a threatening presence, adding weight to the squad.

"BBC" evaluated, "If it were the era when they were steeped in a defeatist mentality in the past, a match against a weak team like Palace would have been not an opportunity but a trap like a banana peel," and "However, today's Tottenham was completely different. After breaking the psychological barrier of their first win against Coventry, the atmosphere inside the stadium changed completely, and the fruits of the massive rebuilding that poured in 300 million pounds last summer are finally appearing."

Manager De Zerbi also cheered rarely after the match. He stated his impressions, "The passion we showed, the unbelievable reaction speed when we lost the ball, and our concentration shone. We need to be colder on chances at the end of the game, but I am happy to have won a difficult contest."

He continued, "We are Tottenham. We must be hungry for victory and continue winning streaks to make fans happy. At the same time, we must not forget that just two weeks ago we were in the relegation zone at the bottom," and emphasized, "After an honest meeting with the squad, the atmosphere, mental strength, and relationships among players have completely changed. We will not be satisfied with a three-game winning streak and will continue to maintain this attitude."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original