Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur defeats Brentford 2-0 in Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur ended their previous four-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory over Brentford in the Premier League, greatly relieving the pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou. This win was crucial for the team, allowing them to regain their confidence.

The first half was tense but lacked quality. In the 29th minute, Tottenham captain Son Heung-min took a corner kick, and the ball deflected into the goal off Vitaly Janelt, who was tangled with Yves Bissouma, breaking the deadlock. Although Brentford tried to counterattack, their numerous crosses and ten corner kicks failed to result in a goal.

Previously, Tottenham had dropped a league-high 21 points from winning positions and had never won a game by a single goal this season. However, in this match, they showed resilience in defense under pressure. In the 87th minute, substitute Pape Sarr sealed the victory with a beautiful nutmeg shot past goalkeeper Hákon Valdimarsson.

This victory is only Tottenham's second in their last 12 league games, and it has lifted them to 14th place with 27 points, 10 points clear of the relegation zone. After the match, Postecoglou stated, "The boys were excellent, and I still think we have the capacity to hurt teams with our football, and our second goal was outstanding."

Postecoglou had repeatedly mentioned the team's growing injury list when the team's performance was poor, and he became increasingly annoyed by reporters' questions about Tottenham's performance. When asked if the team's defensive counter-attacking tactics against Brentford deviated from his usual attacking "Ange-ball" approach, he wryly said, "How can I say it without repeating myself and sounding like I'm making excuses?"

Postecoglou further explained, "For a group of players, it's incredibly difficult to play on Thursdays and Sundays and maintain energy and levels. They are doing their best, and doing their best in a game like today means you can't be sharp and vibrant both with and without the ball; it's just not possible. They are human beings, not robots. People want to ignore that, they want to talk about excuses, but that's the reality. I understand the reality."

Tottenham's hopes of turning their season around now largely rest on their League Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool at Anfield this week, and then their FA Cup fourth-round match against Aston Villa. Whether the team can seize these opportunities remains to be seen.