Spurs ease pressure on Postecoglou after snapping Premier League losing streak

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Tottenham Hotspur has eased the pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou after bouncing back from a four-match losing streak in the Premier League with a 2-0 win at Brentford.

The first half was frantic at times but low on quality, with the deadlock broken when Spurs captain Son Heung-min’s whipped corner bounced in off Vitaly Janelt as he was grappling with Yves Bissouma in the 29th minute.

But Brentford never really threatened an equaliser, with a succession of crosses and 10 corners coming to nothing.

Spurs had dropped a league-high 21 points from winning positions and not won a league match by a single goal this season, but they defended doggedly under pressure.

Substitute Pape Sarr nutmegged goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson with a lovely finish in the 87th minute to secure the three points.

The victory was only Spurs’ second win in 12 league matches and moved them up to 14th place on the standings with 27 points, 10 clear of the relegation zone.

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“The lads were brilliant and I still felt we had the quality of our football to hurt them the other way and our second goal was outstanding,” Postecoglou told reporters.

Postecoglou has repeatedly cited his squad’s mounting injury list in the face of poor results, growing increasingly exasperated at reporters’ questions about Spurs’ performances.

And he let out a rueful laugh when asked if his side’s defensive resilience and low block against Brentford late on were a tactical shift away from his usual attacking “Angeball”.

“How do I say this without sort of repeating myself and not sounding like an excuse?” Postecoglou said.

“It’s very difficult for a group of players to play Thursday and Sunday and maintain energy and levels.

“What they’re doing is giving maximum effort and maximum effort in a game like today means that you can’t be sharp and really dynamic with and without the ball, it’s just impossible.

“They’re human beings and not robots. People want to dismiss it, they want to talk about excuses, but that’s the reality. I know the reality.”

Spurs’ hopes of turning around their season now rest largely on this week’s trip to Anfield for the second leg of their League Cup semifinal against Liverpool followed by a FA Cup fourth-round tie at Aston Villa.

Reuters