Antonio Conte brands Tottenham players ‘too emotional’ after lacklustre Southampton defeat

It was a dramatic night in north London, which began in promising fashion when Jan Bednarek turned Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s cross into his own net.

Armando Broja equalised shortly after and Southampton should have gone into the break ahead, but missed several presentable opportunities, with Hugo Lloris on form and Romain Perraud striking the bar.

Son gave Tottenham the lead from Lucas Moura’s low cross, but the home side’s slack defending was punished late on.

James Ward-Prowse sent in two pinpoint crosses to the back post where Elyounoussi and Adams were on hand to bury headers.

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“I think this type of situation created a bit of instability, mental instability in my team, especially in the first half.

“In the second half we started to play, we started to press in the right way and I didn’t change anything compared to the first half.

“In the second half we created chances to score but also in the first half. Every time we played the ball in the right way we created a situation to go to score, but I repeat we made many mistakes in the first half, important mistakes.

“In the second half we did well, we scored and then you have to be more good to defend because I have seen the two goals and we conceded twice with the defensive line that stayed there.

“We have to be more accurate but I know very well this season and I repeat, we are going to struggle to get three points.

“I say this before and I continue to repeat. I think that we are improving in many aspects but then we are still too emotional.

“Against Leicester we won 3-2 and we were losing 2-1. Today we were winning 2-1 and we lost 3-2.

“I think on this aspect we have to improve because if we want to grow as a team and try to be competitive, the first thing that you have to improve is stability, not to be up and down, up and down, up and down.”

The result was Tottenham’s second successive defeat in the Premier League, after their 2-0 loss against Chelsea, and leaves them seventh, four points adrift of fourth-placed West Ham, albeit with three games in hand.