Tottenham Still Feeling Hangover of Last Season’s Dramatic Draw with Chelsea

Chelsea vs. Tottenham Hotspur in May still stands untouched as the biggest Premier League match of 2016.

It had everything a great football drama needs. There were well-worked goals and compelling tactical elements, fierce individual battles and thrilling shifts in momentum. The already considerable London derby stakes were all intensified by the knowledge the soon-to-be deposed champions Chelsea would hand former manager Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester City side the title by denying Tottenham a win.

They did just that, coming back from two goals down to draw 2-2. Manager Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs side have arguably not yet fully recovered from the disappointment and ramifications of that night.

The two capital clubs meet again at Stamford Bridge this weekend. We may find out whether last season’s meeting has taken their rivalry to an even more fractious level, or if the vehemence of the springtime scrap was just a product of the circumstances.

What is certain is Tottenham are still figuring out how to recapture the confidence and conviction in their beliefs they entered with.

Looking back via the performances of three of their starters—attacker Heung-Min Son, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and defensive midfielder Eric Dier—it is fascinating to see again what did and did not work for Spurs in one of their most important games in recent times. Even more so in the context of what has followed since in the opening months of 2016-17.

Those three players were not the only ones on their team significantly involved that night. Indeed, Son was replaced shortly after the hour mark and Lloris went unoccupied for long stretches of the contest.

But in their distinct involvements, each well represents different aspects of Tottenham’s play as they were suddenly transitioning back to a place where they have plenty to prove again.

Overshadowed

Son’s bright start to the new campaign was greeted by surprise in some quarters. The general, incorrect perception of the South Korea international’s first season was that he had completely flattered to deceive.

While he had issues with consistency, there were plenty of examples backing Tottenham’s judgement signing him. The Chelsea game was one such piece of evidence.

The nuanced take that would more accurately represent Son’s maiden Premier League efforts could also apply to the night at Stamford Bridge.

In its immediate aftermath, Spurs losing their lead and their emotional, somewhat violent engagement of Chelsea at various stages were the big takeaways. Since then, the latter especially have become the defining memories of the night their title dreams truly ended.

Yet, for the first half especially, Pochettino’s men played rather well.

With Dele Alli suspended after a clash with West Bromwich Albion’s Claudia Jacob a week earlier (a sign of things to come), Son joined Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela in supporting Harry Kane. He impressed as much as anyone.

The attacking midfielder joined his team-mates in looking to harass Chelsea right from the first minute. He did not shirk defensive responsibilities either, getting back to tackle Nemanja Matic at one point and later on helping to recover an intercepted pass of his own.

Son offering himself as an option across the breadth of the Blues’ defence was as key as anything in Spurs’ eventual scoring. He served as a distraction in the build-up to Kane’s opener and, when left relatively alone in …

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