Ajax narrowly defeated Tottenham Hotspur 4–3 at home, once again leaving the whole world stunned.
Though Tottenham Hotspur had lost all three of their opening Champions League Group Stage matches, making them seem weak, no one in European Football would dare think that way. Pochettino's team had never been an easy opponent.
Over the past three seasons, Tottenham Hotspur had finished third, second, and third in the Premier League. Their overall strength was remarkably consistent, placing them among the Premier League's elite. Although Tottenham Hotspur sat only fifth in the Premier League this season, their 3–0 away victory over Manchester United had been a classic battle.
There was no doubt that Pochettino's team was strong. They had simply encountered teams like Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in the Champions League Group Stage, so their losses were relatively understandable.
Originally, everyone had believed Tottenham Hotspur would have no trouble against Ajax. No one had expected the two teams to produce such a high-scoring 4–3 match. More importantly, it had been an end-to-end battle played at a relentless pace and with fierce physicality for the full ninety minutes, leaving the spectators utterly exhilarated.
The 4–3 scoreline gave a clear picture of both teams, especially Ajax.
Yang Yang had been the best player of the match. With two assists and a goal, he had once again astonished everyone. Yet even more surprising was the Young Guards he had molded. After going toe-to-toe with Tottenham Hotspur in that attacking battle, Ajax had actually emerged victorious. It truly had been unexpected.
The Times reported Pochettino's comments at the post-match press conference. He believed Ajax was nothing like the weak team people had portrayed them as.
"This is a team full of fighting spirit, and that deserves respect. At the same time, all of their players