James Maddison has reflected on Tottenham’s 2-1 loss to Chelsea and admitted what he felt about only being introduced in the 68th minute.
While Tottenham had control of the clash at Stamford Bridge for large parts and ended the game very strongly, they lacked a cutting edge in the final third.
In the end, Spurs will feel aggrieved that they walked away with a loss, as they had a penalty shout turned down in controversial circumstances when Micky van de Ven was brought down in the box.
The result means that the race for survival in the Premier League goes into the final game of the season, with just two points separating Spurs and West Ham.
Tottenham star James Maddison admits he wanted to come on sooner against Chelsea
The Lilywhites will certainly look back with regret on a couple of key moments in Tuesday’s London derby, especially with the home side seemingly there for the taking in the second period.
Maddison felt that the contest was fairly even, pointing out that Chelsea did not create too many clear-cut chances, and the attacking midfielder also confessed that he wanted to come on at 1-0 rather than when his side were 2-0 down.
Speaking after his side’s 2-1 loss, the attacking midfielder told Sky Sports: “We knew any sort of result would be very beneficial for us in the battle. It wasn’t to be. We pushed hard in the last 20 minutes. It was probably a pretty even game. I don’t remember them having many chances.”
When asked about coming on at 2-0, Maddison said: “It’s an awful time. You want to get on the pitch at 1-0 and affect it. It’s a lot more difficult at 2-0. It was a bit of a dagger as I was coming on.”
Maddison admits he is not at his best yet
Tottenham fans will be hoping to see the 29-year-old start on Sunday, but De Zerbi has made it clear that the medical department has not given a clearance for Maddison to start.
The England international has now acknowledged that he cannot afford to take too many risks, given how serious an injury he suffered last year.
Maddison added: “I’ve been out for a long time, so I’m not going to be at my fluid best. I’ve had a massive injury and you have to respect the injury a bit. I’m going to do what I can on Sunday.”