LONDON — It feels like the calm after the storm has finally arrived at Tottenham Hotspur.
Dejan Kulusevski look relieved, as did everyone connected with Spurs, after a much-needed 1-0 win against Manchester United on Sunday.
Everything seemed a little rosier at the north London club as fans and players strolled out of the stadium and into the chilly February air. They are finally welcoming back key players from injury (with others set to return very soon), new signings are settling in well and Ange Postecoglou’s side have secured back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since September.
“It gives confidence. Nothing is better than winning. It is the most important thing. It gives you energy, it gives you belief and in football you need a lot of that,” Kulusevski said of securing consecutive wins once again as Spurs are now within touching distance of the top 10 despite a horrid few months.
Rest leads to the return of energetic performances
It’s been a long, hard slog for the few Spurs players who’ve remained fit over the last few months, with Kulusevski being the main man trying to drag them through it. After a rare few days off during the week with no midweek game, Kulusevski revealed how important recovery and rest will be moving forward.
“It’s very important but especially for the long-term also,” Kulusevski said. “You want to be Superman, you can’t deny things! I really needed that week to get away two days with my family because we don’t spend a lot of time with our families when we play every day and sleep at hotels. You want to have a life too. It was very important and for the long run it will make a difference.”
“We needed this week of rest, it’s good that we can rest a little bit, start training, get back to our principles, get some players back. It was a good win, they [Manchester United] have some good players and I’m happy for the three points and we get another week to rest up.”
The extra energy Spurs had was apparent from the start. Kulusevski, fit-again James Maddison and youngster Lucas Bergvall were buzzing around in midfield and swarmed all over United as Spurs grabbed an early lead and could have been further ahead.
“That’s what you need. To play football you need energy. You need a lot of energy,” Kulusevski said. “Sometimes you just can’t find it but today we had to show it. That was the number one thing we talked about. Come out with energy, get some happiness, get the crowd involved. We started off good, wanted to score more of course, but great to have Maddison back also.”
Vicario’s return key as Europa League glory the main aim
And at the other end of the pitch it was reassuring for Spurs to have Guglielmo Vicario back from injury too.
The Italian international goalkeeper is somebody Kulusevski deeply admires and he made two fine stops, one in each half from Alejandro Garnacho at key moments, to preserve the shutout win in his first appearance since November.
“I’m a huge fan of Vicario. Huge, huge fan. I think his energy is unmatched. I think he’s fantastic,” Kulusevski said. “I told him ‘when you come back, the whole stadium needs to feel it and your presence’ that is what he does. He’s an unbelievable goalkeeper. Made a couple of saves today. With him back it’s a big player... He’s a professional. Every day in the gym, every day happy. He wants to get better. I really have a great bond with him. It was great to have him back. The last game he played it was [Manchester] City 4-0. We really missed him a lot.”
Asked simply if the goal for the rest of the season is for Spurs to win the Europa League, Kulusevski didn’t deny it. But he also wants to gain some momentum as it feels like normalcy is returning.
“Yeah. But also to go on a long streak. To show good football,” Kulusevski said. “The only thing I care about in this life is to never give up. Everything else can happen. I don’t care. The only thing I never want to see is playing football with your head down. Always do your best. Like you said, win the Europa League and then go on a winning streak in the Premier League. That’s my goal at least.”
It’s a goal everyone at Tottenham Hotspur shares and with injured players, confidence and wins all returning, the dark storm clouds which have been hanging over Spurs since November finally appear to be parting.
