Jose Mourinho scoffs at style critics after Tottenham reach 100 goals in 2020/21
By Tom Gott
Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has laughed off accusations that his side play negative football after they became just the second team in Europe to hit the 100-goal mark for the season.
Spurs roared to a comfortable 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday, with Gareth Bale scoring the first two and Harry Kane following suit with a double of his own later in the game.
Bale's second goal was actually Spurs' 100th in all competitions this season, making them the second club in Europe's top-five leagues to hit that mark, behind only reigning European champions Bayern Munich.
After the game, Mourinho was quite happy to take aim at his critics once again, insisting that those who believe he plays anti-football might have to think again after seeing the numbers.
"If the stats I was given are correct - 100 goals scored in the season, which for a very defensive team, a very negative team, is not bad," Mourinho joked (via Sky Sports News) after the game.
"It was a good week for us. Three matches, nine points, and for next week when we play a crucial match in the Europa, and against Arsenal, nothing could be better for us than to win nine points this week."
Spurs' second wasn't the only record-setting goal. The fourth goal on the evening was also special as it was the 14th goal which has involved the combination of Kane and Son Heung-min this season, and no other duo has ever managed such a feat.
The previous record stood at the 13 shared between Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton during Blackburn Rovers' title-winning 1994/95 season.
?????? ????????! ?
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 7, 2021
??????? ?? @HKane and Heung-Min Son have now combined for more goals in a single season than any other duo in @premierleague history!
#THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/WmyA7i8W6i
"We have very good attacking players and they allow me to do what I did today which was Dele Alli, who played really well against Fulham, to leave him out for Lucas (Moura) this time," Mourinho continued (via the Daily Mail).
"Sonny, Gareth, Kane and then (Erik) Lamela comes and comes well and (Steven) Bergwijn didn't even come. Tanguy (Ndombele) stayed on the bench. We are a team with a lot of talent in this area, but this Gareth is an extra for us and a plus."