LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino admitted his emotions got the better of him after Tottenham’s Premier League title challenge suffered a crushing blow in a controversial 2-1 defeat against Burnley on Saturday.
A win at Turf Moor would have put Pochettino’s side within two points of joint-leaders Manchester City and Liverpool. But they squandered the chance to stay in the title race with a sloppy display that saw Chris Wood put Burnley ahead after half-time.
There was controversy about Wood’s goal as it came from a corner that Tottenham felt should not have been given.
But Pochettino’s men had a break of their own when Kane, back after missing seven games with an ankle injury, capitalized on a throw-in that was taken in the wrong place.
At that stage, Tottenham looked poised to push on for a fifth successive league victory.
However, they paid the price for sloppy defending as Barnes struck with seven minutes left to extend Burnley’s unbeaten league run to eight matches.
Pochettino was fuming at full-time, confronting referee Mike Dean and his assistants on the pitch in a lengthy rant that showed his frustration at both Burnley’s first goal and Tottenham’s missed opportunity.
Footage seemed to show Pochettino and his assistant Jesus Perez reacting to something said to him by Dean and the Argentine reportedly carried on his finger-pointing protest in the tunnel.
But Pochettino refused to elaborate on the row, instead admitting his out of character complaints were sparked by the tension of the title race.
“It was nothing. What happened on the pitch happened on the pitch. There is nothing to say. We don’t deserve the defeat but that’s football,” he said.
“I believe before the game that if you want to be a contender you need three points. The emotions, sometimes we find answers and excuses to try to justify the defeat.
“It’s not normal how I behave. Maybe it’s because I knew before the game and after the game that it is going to be difficult to be a contender without three points.”
Dean could be seen mouth “go away” as Pochettino stood inches from his face in an incident that is certain to be included in the referee’s report and may earn the Tottenham boss a touchline ban.
“It is a situation that everyone on the touchline will complain, complain and complain. Sometimes we see things differently and try to back our player,” Pochettino added.
“I will accept everything that happens (with a potential punishment). Hopefully it is not going further.”
It was a bitter blow for third placed Tottenham, who will be eight points off top spot if second placed Liverpool, currently level on points with City, win at Manchester United on Sunday.
“Obviously it is a big disappointment. Today was a good opportunity for us and we missed it. It was a tough game. We expected a battle,” Spurs captain Hugo Lloris said.
“We conceded the first goal and it makes things harder. Especially when you concede a corner that didn’t exist. It is part of the game.”
Burnley goalscorer Ashley Barnes was delighted to have got the three points, however, saying: “I thought we had it then we gave them a sloppy goal from a throw-in. We needed to be alive and we switched off but for us to keep going and get the result was massive.
“They are top-quality players so we just had to concentrate on ourselves. We made it hard for them and that was what the gameplan was.
“We are getting back to ourselves now. We need to keep being resilient and compact. That’s what we did.”
The win saw the Clarets notch up an eighth game in a row unbeaten, and it marked Burnley’s best top-flight run since 1966. It was also a victory that pleased boss Sean Dyche.
“It was a thorough performance and a good win. We know there’s a lot of work to be done but they’re certainly putting in the work.
“We’re not a side who can slick it around like Man City but we have very good players. We waned to get in behind them. I thought our front two were outstanding.”
Mauricio Pochettino left fuming with referee decisions as Spurs title bid dented by Burnley
Mauricio Pochettino left fuming with referee decisions as Spurs title bid dented by Burnley
Carlos Alcaraz wins third-round match but loses ‘drop-shot battle’ at Australian Open
- The left-handed Moutet mixed things up for Alcaraz in an almost festival Friday vibe
- “When you play someone like Corentin you don’t know what’s going to be next,” Alcaraz said
MELBOURNE: Carlos Alcaraz had to acknowledge that while he won the third-round match, he lost the battle of the drop shots against Corentin Moutet.
That could be a first for the 22-year-old Spaniard, who grew up relentlessly practicing his drop shots and is now at the Australian Open chasing a career Grand Slam.
The left-handed Moutet mixed things up for Alcaraz in an almost festival Friday vibe on Rod Laver Arena, his blend of drop shots, slice, lobs, tweeners, volleys and even an underarm serve keeping the world’s No. 1-ranked player on his toes.
“When you play someone like Corentin you don’t know what’s going to be next,” Alcaraz said after his 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 win over the No. 32 seed. “I had so much fun on the court. As you could see, we both pulled off great shots. Great points.”
Late in the first set, he said he was already fed up with tracking down drop shots and told his support team “I’m not going to run to get those.”
“I thought we were in a drop-shot competition,” Alcaraz added, laughing, “but he won!”
Ever the showman, Alcaraz chimed in with some of his own tricks and tweeners.
In the first round, Moutet was booed by the crowd for his underarm serve on match point. For his main arena debut, there was much more love from the crowd.
After a winning volley late in the match, he celebrated by extravagantly doffing his cap.
Alcaraz will next play Sunday against No. 19 Tommy Paul, who advanced when Alejandro Davidovich Fokina retired with an injury after dropping the first two sets 6-1, 6-1.
In night matches, No. 3 Alexander Zverev, the runner-up here last year, advanced 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 over Cameron Norrie and No. 6 Alex de Minaur ousted Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-4, 7-5. De Minuar next plays No. 10 Alexander Bublik.
Sabalenka, Coco Gauff advance
No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 3 Coco Gauff had tough routes through the third round.
Sabalenka said there were times she felt like her head, her hands and her racket were not connected but she still had just enough to squeeze past Anastasia Potapova 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7).
Gauff weathered early trouble against Hailey Baptiste before advancing 3-6, 6-0-6-3, cutting down her unforced errors and not serving any double-faults in the second set. She next plays No. 19 Karolina Muchova.
Sabalenka , chasing her third Australian Open title in four years, led 6-5 and 40-0 in her opening set but Potapova saved all three set points to send it to a tiebreaker.
In the second set, Potapova recovered two service breaks and again force a tiebreaker. She then had three set points but Sabalenka rallied when the pressure was on.
“She played incredible tennis,” Sabalenka said. “I was always on the back foot. There are days where you just have to fight — it was such a fight.”
Sabalenka won the Australian Open title in 2023 and 2024 and was the runner-up a year ago to Madison Keys.
She next faces 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, who was one of three teenagers advancing on Day 6.
Great’s advice
The 18-year-old Iva Jovic beat No. 7 Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 7-6 (3), after getting some advice from 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic.
“He gave me some very attentive tips for my game,” the American said. “That was one of the things in the forefront of my mind, because I think when Novak gives you some advice, you follow it.”
She’ll next play Yulia Putintseva, who shrugged off a vocal crowd to end Turkish player Zeynep Sonmez ‘s run, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3.
No. 8 Mirra Andreeva, who at 18 is into the fourth round in Australia for the third straight year, will next play No. 12 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, who beat Diana Shnaider of Russia 7-6 (4), 6-3.
Tien-Medvedev revisited
Daniil Medvedev rallied for a 6-7 (5), 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, 6-3 victory over Fabian Marozsan, the fifth time he’s rallied from two-sets down to win a Grand Slam match.
The 2021 US Open champion next has a rematch with Learner Tien, who upset him here last year.
Heating up
Play will begin an hour earlier than initially scheduled Saturday because of high temperatures expected at Melbourne Park. The forecast is for a high of 40 degrees Celsius (104 F).
