31 December 2023 , 18:58
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Ange Postecoglou claimed the Tottenham and Bournemouth benches were “wishing each other Happy New Year” after a late touchline melee.
Spurs were leading 3-1 in second-half injury time when sub Alejo Veliz was ordered to go down with a knee injury. Simmering tension between the benches then exploded and the furious Aussie coach, Giovani Lo Celso and Cherries coach Shaun Cooper were all booked.
But after his team - who ended the match with 10 men as they'd used all their substitutes before Veliz went off - moved within a point of Arsenal and three off leaders Liverpool, a smiling Postecoglou insisted: “I was fine. We were just wishing each other ‘Happy New Year’. It's alright. Just a little bit of emotion in the game. I was more concerned with Alejo because we were kind of trying to get him off the field, and apart from my physically going on the pitch and dragging him off he wasn't really going to go down.
“So we were just shouting at him and I think the Bournemouth staff thought that we were trying to make a substitution but we knew we had none. It was just about getting him off.”
Cherries boss Andoni Iraola accused Veliz of trying to waste time but admitted: “Sometimes you manage the game like this - it is normal - and you have to accept it. When you are winning the game, you want to play as little as possible. We would have done the same.”
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Argentine Veliz and Senegal’s Pape Matar Sarr, who could miss the African Nations Cup with a hamstring strain, added to Tottenham ’s injury problems. But Postecoglou said: "We're three points off the top so if that is the difference between having a great season and where we are I'll take it. When you're trying to build something you will undoubtedly come up against some challenges. I am seeing progress.”
Both benches clashes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Tottenham manager Ange Postecgolou was involved before walking awayHAVE YOUR SAY! Are Tottenham still in the title race? Comment below.
Postecoglou watched Sarr open the scoring after being set-up by Rodrigo Bentancur, before skipper Son Heung-min doubled his side's lead with a sublime left-footed strike. Richarlison swept home late on to wrap up the points for his side.
Alex Scott did grab consolation goal for the Cherries, but in truth Iraola's side were left ruing a series of missed chances. For Spurs though, the result was the perfect response to Thursday's 4-2 loss at Brighton.
And with Arsenal losing at Fulham, the gap between the two north London rivals stands at just a solitary point. But although Postecoglou's side are just three behind leaders Liverpool, the Reds can extend that gap when they host Newcastle on New Year's Day.