Tottenham Hotspur scored a huge and potentially season-altering win on Sunday. In the first home Premier League match for new manager Antonio Conte, Tottenham overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit to beat Leads United 2-1. But there was one stat in the game that was arguably more important than the final score or any soccer odds attached to the match.
Over the course of 90 minutes, Tottenham players outran Leeds players 112 KM to 108 KM, according to The Athletic. This is noteworthy because it was only the second time this season that a team ran more kilometers in a game than the Peacocks. The fact that it happened early in the tenure of Tottenham’s new manager speaks volumes about how Conte is poised to get Spurs moving in the right direction again.
Running Towards Champions League Position
It’s no secret that since gaining promotion, Marcelo Bielsa has turned Leeds into one of the hardest-working teams in the Premier League. Their training sessions are known league-wide for being intense, which typically translates to matches when the Peacocks out-work their opponents to balance out any discrepancy in talent. That means Tottenham being able to run more kilometers than Leeds over 90 minutes is no small feat.
It’s even more impressive when considering how sluggish Spurs looked in the first half and how badly they were outplayed during long stretches of the first 45 minutes. But whatever Conte said at halftime to motivate his team turned the tables in a big way.
Not only was Tottenham’s performance in the second half much better and enough to turn a deficit into a win, but Spurs players were also able to out-work Leeds players, which isn’t easy.
“In the second half we changed the plan tactically and we started to put pressure [on Leeds]. We created chances, we could have scored more goals. It’s an important win,” Conte said after the game. “I’m pleased for the players because I changed the plan and they played with personality. To win in this way is good.”
It’s undoubtedly a positive that Conte was able to spark such a positive response from Tottenham in the second half. Keep in mind that the club’s two goals weren’t amazing finishes scored by the club’s world-class strikers. They were goals that were scored by Tottenham outworking Leeds and wanting it more.
What’s Up Next?
If Spurs are capable of out-running and outworking a team like Leeds, there are no excuses for not being able to do so against the rest of the Premier League. Clearly, the new manager was able to tap into something that motivated the Tottenham players to play with energy and enthusiasm.
“We want to make our fans proud,” Conte added. “They were disappointed — it was the same for me and the players,” said the skipper. “To have this reaction shows we have character, heart, passion. Now we have to continue to improve. The most important word is work, and to make our fans proud.”
Sunday’s win over Leeds coming out of the international break kicks off a rather manageable stretch of Premier League games for Tottenham. The following weeks will see Spurs face Burnley, Brentford, Norwich City, and Brighton & Hove Albion.
On paper, Tottenham is more talented than all of those teams. If Conte can also get Tottenham to continue to outwork opposing teams, there is a golden opportunity for Spurs to start stringing wins together and become a top-four contender sooner rather than later.
