BURNLEY, England – Tottenham Hotspur avoided a third straight Premier League defeat, coming back from a Chris Wood goal to earn a 1-1 draw at Burnley on Saturday thanks to a 50th-minute Dele Alli penalty.
While the result did little to help Spurs’ attempt to qualify for the Champions League, Jose Mourinho was pleased with the way his team recovered from a poor first-half performance.
“Of course I’m really pleased with the reaction but I think we had the conditions to perform better in the first half. Of course it’s not the result we want and we showed that with the way we played in the second half,” said Mourinho, who singled out record signing Tanguy Ndombele for criticism.
The 60-million-euro signing from Lyon was substituted at halftime and Mourinho did not mince his words.
“I have to say he has had enough time to come to a different level. I know the Premier League is difficult, and some players take a long time to adapt to a different league, but a player with his potential has to give us more than he is giving us,” Mourinho said.
The result leaves Spurs in eighth place, four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea while the draw extends 10th-placed Burnley’s unbeaten run in the league to seven games.
Burnley started aggressively and grabbed the lead in the 13th minute when a headed clearance from Eric Dier was met with a fierce drive from Jay Rodriguez which Hugo Lloris could only parry out to Wood.
Tottenham were lacking fight as well as invention and needed a fine save from Lloris to keep out a dangerous, curling free-kick from the lively Dwight McNeil.
Mourinho made two changes at the interval, bringing on Lucas Moura and Giovani Lo Celso, and his side quickly posed a greater threat, pulling level when Ben Mee brought down Erik Lamela and Alli smartly converted the spot kick for his 50th Premier League goal.
There were chances at both ends with Burnley sub Matej Vydra denied from close range by Lloris, Lo Celso curling a shot just wide and Alli ending a sweeping move with a shot into the side-netting but the home side ended the stronger and will be disappointed to have ended with a single point.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche was upset that his side had not been given a penalty for a Davinson Sanchez challenge on Wood in the second half.
“It’s impossible that is not a foul on Wood and a penalty. Anywhere else on the pitch and that is a foul,” he said.
(Content and photos syndicated via Reuters)
