Saturday’s trip to Southampton started in such promising fashion for Tottenham - albeit following a couple of enforced injury substitutions. It was a particularly pleasing moment for Pedro Porro who gave Spurs the lead before half-time at St Mary’s.
This was the right wing-back’s first goal for the club since arriving on loan in January. However, things began to collapse in the second-half as, having built a 3-1 lead, the side capitulated and only left St Mary’s with a point after James Ward-Prowse’s injury-time penalty made it 3-3.
This slip-up appeared to enrage Antonio Conte, as he unleashed an extraordinary 10-minute rant in his post-match press conference. The Italian claimed there was a rotten culture at Tottenham, while he took a swipe at all levels of the club.
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Following this furious outburst, Porro, who was one of Tottenham’s shining lights on the south coast, issued his response on social media. The Spaniard urged the side to stick together amid an uncertain time above the playing staff.
"Happy for my first goal in the @premierleague, but sad for the result, it was not the result we wanted," he posted. "We have to stay together @spursofficial."
Pushing on regularly and finding himself in some excellent positions in the final third in the first 45 minutes, it seemed only a matter of time before Porro opened his Tottenham account. His maiden Spurs strike duly arrived in first-half stoppage time after he crashed the ball home past Saints stopper Gavin Bazunu.
Registering three goals and 11 assists for Sporting CP this season, goal involvements were always going to come Porro's way at Tottenham and he has showcased just what he can bring to the attack in the past two games. That being said, Conte was seen to fume at the 23-year-old at one point during the match.
Midway through the first-half, there was a moment when Tottenham had Porro operating at left-wing-back and Ben Davies on the opposite flank after defending a corner. With the ball not going out of play for a good few minutes, the players carried on in unnatural roles as they waited for a break in play to swap.
That never came and it resulted in Conte furiously shouting at the pair to swap over. Davies didn't seem keen on doing so at first with the ball in play and Spurs in possession, yet he soon shot across to the left flank once the head coach demanded them to immediately change.
The pair were involved in the resulting Tottenham attack as the ball was worked over to Porro, who blazed over from just inside the area after Son had picked him out. It was in fact the Spaniard's second chance of the first half as he hit an earlier shot over after Dejan Kulusevski had teed him up.
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