Tottenham Hotspur Daily Links: The Hoddle Of Coffee

The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham news and links for Tuesday, May 24

What’s your overlooked moment of the season?

By Fitzie May 24, 2022, 7:30am BST

Norwich City v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League

Good morning and happy tuesday, hoddlers. How great is today’s cover image?

Is anyone still BUZZING after Sunday’s round of fixtures? Your hoddler-in-chief is. And why wouldn’t he? Tottenham clinched fourth, are playing in the Champions League next season and Sonny won the Golden Boot.

How many of us could have imagined this reality reality in October? So, with that, it’s time to take a look back at important moments from this season.

Of course, we have the marquee results: Arsenal, City, Leicester Burnley, Norwich - that entire run-in, really. And those efforts will get the plaudits they rightfully deserve.

But I want to know this: What are your overlooked moments from this season? What are some goals, results, selections or injury news that may not have made the back page of a broad sheet but played a key role in Tottenham’s route to the Champions League?

Fitzie’s pick: Ryan Sessegnon starts vs. Liverpool on December 19

It can be hard to believe this, but Sessegnon is only 22 years old. He brought Fulham up to the Premier League as a teenager. But then had a challenging first year at Spurs, an injury-ridden loan spell at Hoffenheim where he faced mental health battles, and came back to Spurs not 100 per cent and well below Serio Reguilon in Nuno Espiritu Santo’s pecking order.

There was quite a raucous on Sessegnon getting his start against Mura in the Conference League - he was even selected to speak to the press ahead of the fixture. But he was sent off after just 20 minutes.

It would have been easy for Antonio Conte (still early in his tenure) to drop Sessegnon to the bench thereafter, but he stuck by him. Of course, it was fortuitous for Sessegnon that Reguilon got injured, but Sess played in 17 of the games after Mura, including that start against Liverpool on December 19. And Sessegnon held his own defensively against Mo Salah in that 2-2 draw.

I think it took a couple months, but I found Sess eventually found a nice attacking/defending groove towards the end of the season. It’s part of the benefits of playing regularly and having a manager that backs you even after you get sent off. It’s wild to think how secure I felt seeing Sessegnon on the team sheet in March as opposed to September.

He also did his part to assist in that other 2-2 draw at Anfield, setting up Sonny perfectly for the opening goal.

It’s true Reguilon’s injury opened the door for Sessegnon, but he had to make the most of that opportunity. I think he did. Could Spurs improve on left wing back next season? Probably, but it would be to compete with Sessegnon - not Reguilon.

Fitzie’s track of the day: One of These Days, by Pink Floyd