“Tottenham’s Familiar Ghosts: A Second-Half Collapse Highlights the ‘Spursiness’ of the Team”

The ‘Spursiness’ of this Tottenham team is a phenomenon that should never be overlooked. Ange Postecoglou appeared visibly stunned as the ghosts of past performances resurfaced during a second-half collapse. At halftime, Tottenham was comfortably leading 2-0 and looked completely in control of the match. Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson were tearing through Brighton’s defense down the right flank, showcasing a dominant display. Such a commanding position naturally led to reminiscing about previous infamous collapses in Spurs history—like the time they were 3-0 up against Manchester United in 2001, or the 3-0 lead against 10-man Manchester City in 2004. There were also the two notorious 5-2 defeats to Arsenal in 2012, the 2-0 advantage lost against Chelsea in the Battle of the Bridge in 2016, and the shocking 3-0 lead squandered against West Ham in 2020. Given their strong performance, it seemed improbable that history would repeat itself. Yet, the inherent ‘Spursiness’ of Tottenham is a force that should never be underestimated.