Antonio Conte hits out after Tottenham let victory slip from their grasp

Antonio Conte’s future as Tottenham coach was again in the spotlight after his side surrendered a 3-1 lead to draw at struggling Southampton and miss the chance to go third.

Spurs looked set to move above Manchester United in the race for the Champions League spots as goals from Pedro Porro, Harry Kane and Ivan Perisic left them in control heading into the final stages at St Mary’s.

But Southampton, who had earlier levelled through Che Adams, pulled a goal back through Theo Walcott in the 77th minute before James Ward-Prowse salvaged a dramatic 3-3 draw with a last-minute penalty.

The result means Spurs have now won just one of their last five competitive matches – against Nottingham Forest last weekend – and the under-pressure Conte hit out at both his players and the club in an astonishing 10-minute rant after the game.

For Southampton, they remain bottom but are now only a point behind Bournemouth after the Cherries crashed to a 3-0 defeat at Aston Villa.

Douglas Luiz, Jacob Ramsey and Emiliano Buendia secured a third win in four games for Unai Emery’s men, who will now be looking to break into the top 10 after all-but ending their relegation concerns.

During the game, both sets of fans warmly greeted David Brooks onto the Villa Park pitch in the 79th minute as the Bournemouth substitute made his first appearance since being diagnosed with cancer in October 2021.

What a special moment ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Y7q5jMB4W3

— AFC Bournemouth