Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has admitted that Southampton were the better team in the FA Cup clash between the two sides on Wednesday.
Spurs came away with a 3-2 win, but Mourinho believes that Southampton created more chances and were the best team on the pitch.
However, he did also state that his team deserved to win because of the heart they showed to secure the result.
As quoted by the Independent, Mourinho said:
I have to be honest and say I think the best team lost on the pitch but my team were the ones with more heart and went to their limit. They were stronger than us, better physically than us. They pressed better than us and created more chances.
We suffered. We played against a very good team, we played against a team that was the best team on the pitch but we deserved to win because we were in our limits. They had their best players, they had one more day rest, they were fresh.
READ SOUTHAMPTON VERDICT
Southampton managed 15 shots, including seven on target, against Spurs but were only able to find the back of the net twice. Tottenham, meanwhile, scored from all three of their shots on target in the game. Whilst you can say it is unlucky from a Southampton perspective, you have to give credit to the finishing of Spurs’ attackers – with Lucas Moura and Heung-Min Son burying their chances.
The one big slice of fortune Spurs did receive, however, was early on in the game as Tanguy Ndombele’s strike deflected off Jack Stephens and into the bottom corner. Stephens was already on the floor after making an excellent recovery challenge when Ndombele’s drive flicked off the inside of his knee and past Angus Gunn. Regardless, Tottenham took their chances and Southampton failed to make the most of their opportunities, which ultimately is the reason they lost the game.
Taking into consideration the chances Southampton created, I do agree with Mourinho that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men put in the better all-round performance on the night. However, as Mourinho said, Tottenham fought hard at the end of the game and were deserving of the win due to the spirit they showed to come from behind with only 15 mintues left to play. This shows the heart and desire of the Spurs team to get the win, whilst Southampton allowed themselves to lose their grip on the game.
This is why Tottenham deserved to win the match, despite arguably being the second best team. If you fight to the end and never give up, you are always giving yourself a chance of getting back into a game.
