Making the trip to Carrow Road knowing that they needed just a single point to book their Champions League return, Tottenham signed off the 2021/22 campaign with a real flurry.
Eventually breezing their way to a 5-0 romp against an already-relegated Norwich on Sunday afternoon, Antonio Conte’s men will also be celebrating the fact that they managed to clinch a top-four finish at the expense of Arsenal.
Watching their free-scoring attacking trio all get themselves on the scoresheet at Carrow Road, Tottenham also underlined what has been another nightmare Premier League run for the Canaries.
Running rampant in east Anglia and with an exciting summer ahead in north London, we have taken a look at the main talking points from Sunday’s showdown.
Spurs find top gear at a crucial time
Shocking many across Europe as it was announced back in November that Antonio Conte would be taking over at Spurs, almost everyone across north London was wondering what kind of boost the 52-year-old could offer.
While the former Inter Milan boss might have struggled with his consistency during the early days of his tenure, there is no doubt that Tottenham managed to find their best form at a crucial time.
Although Sunday’s routine 5-0 romp in east Anglia might have been what officially clinched their Champions League return, it will be their derby day showdown from earlier in the month that everyone will look back on.
Simply in a two-horse race with their arch-rivals to clinch that lucrative fourth-spot, Spurs really laid down a stellar marker as they cruised their way to a 3-0 victory against their Gunners on May 12th.
Signing off their turbulent season with a real flurry here, Conte has certainly brought back a real belief to the Tottenham fan base after Nuno Espirito Santo’s miserable four-month reign at the start of the campaign.
Clinching a much-welcomed Champions League return at the expense of their bitter local rivals, Conte will now have his sights set on finally guiding Tottenham to their first piece of silverware since 2008 next time around.
Another Premier League nightmare for Norwich
While Norwich might have followed Tottenham’s lead by changing their manager back in November, Dean Smith really failed to offer the Canaries a similar boost to which Conte handed Spurs.
Enduring what quickly became another Premier League nightmare at Carrow Road, the former Aston Villa boss has seen his side limp their way over the finish line.
With their immediate relegation to the Championship confirmed after a 2-0 loss against Villa on April 30th, Sunday’s display on home soil almost epitomized what has been a woeful top-flight campaign for Norwich.
Blown away by Spurs and failing to ask any real questions once again, Smith’s men signed off the 2021/22 season by mustering just a single point from any of their last seven Premier League appearances.
Likewise, recording just a single victory from any of their final 17 straight outings, a run that stemmed all the way back to February 5th, there must be questions asked behind the scenes at Carrow Road.
Only cementing their spot as England’s ultimate yo-yo club, Norwich must look to make some fundamental changes if they’re to actually make a run at being a legitimate Premier League outfit.
Ending the season sat rock-bottom of the table and holding both the worst attacking and defensive records in the division, this year really couldn’t have come to an end quick enough for Smith’s side.
Kane-Son-Kulusevski – The Premier League’s best attacking trio?
While both Harry Kane and Son Heung-min might have already built their reputation as the Premier League’s deadly duo, the arrival of Dejan Kulusevski back in January has really added a new dimension to Tottenham’s attack.
Opening the scoring after just 16 minutes and topping off another wonderful solo display with a brilliant left-footed strike in the second-half, the 22-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable start to life in the Premier League.
Bagging eight top-flight strikes and eight assists following his move from Juventus, Kulusevski has certainly been a real catalyst in Tottenham’s Champions League finish this season.
Likewise, with Kane signing off his campaign with five Premier League goals in as many appearances following his first-half strike here, there is no doubt that Son will steal most of the headlines.
Enjoying what has been a career-best campaign in north London, the South Korean superstar put in another devastating display on Sunday afternoon.
Joining Kulusevski by bagging a brace at Carrow Road, Son racked up 23 Premier League strikes this season and will share the Golden Boot alongside Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
Now with an attacking trio that will be spoken about among Europe’s elite, it really appears that there will be an exciting summer for Conte’s squad over the coming months.
Match Report:
Norwich: Krul, Aarons, Byram, Hanley, Sorensen, Giannoulis, Rashica, Lees-Melou, Normann, Dowell, Pukki
Subs: Zimmermann, Springett, Rupp
Tottenham: Lloris, Sanchez, Dier, Davies, Emerson Royal, Hojberg, Bentancur, Sessegnon, Son, Kulusevski, Kane
Subs: Bergwijn, Winks, Moura
Goals: Kulusevski (16′, 64′), Kane (32′), Son Heung-Min (70′, 75′)
Yellow Cards: Norwich: Byram, Springett, Normann – Tottenham: Son
Red Cards: N/A
Referee: Chris Kavanagh
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