Mateus Fernandes has said the Marbella training camp was “very important” for Tottenham, after the midfielder produced his best performance in a Spurs shirt in the 2-0 win at Chelsea.
The Portuguese played alongside Sandro Tonali at Stamford Bridge and dominated the midfield, finally announcing himself at the club after his big-money move. It was a result that has Spurs talking about a change of direction, with two league wins in a row.
Our report from Stamford Bridge has the full story of the game, but Fernandes was asked what lay behind the turnaround.
Why was Marbella so important for Mateus Fernandes and Tottenham?
Earlier this season, after a run of underwhelming results, Tottenham set off on a warm-weather training camp in Marbella. A lot was said about it at the time, but Fernandes believes the trip to Spain helped the players come together as a unit.
“Marbella was very important for us as a team,” Fernandes said after the Chelsea game. “I think it builds a very good relationship with everyone, with the staff, with the team, with the teammates.”
“Now we’re playing as a team. I think this is the change point for everybody. Now we keep going and we believe more than ever in our squad.”
Mateus Fernandes on Tottenham's 2-0 win against Chelsea…
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“Marbella was very important for us as a team. I think it builds a very good relationship with everyone, with the staff, with the team, with the team-mates. Now we're playing as a team. I think this is the change point… pic.twitter.com/Z0ZgcGhA9U
Mateus Fernandes on the Chelsea win and the fight for titles
Fernandes also spoke about what it meant to win in west London, a ground where Spurs have rarely won in the league. “It’s a battle, a derby so you need to fight for every ball, every minute. We know that Tottenham don’t have a lot of victories in this stadium.”
“So, we wanted to change this mentality around the club, around the fans. We want to fight for big things, for titles.”
The midfielder added: “This is our challenge, so we keep going, keep going, keep going, working hard, believing in everyone in the club and doing the right things.”
Mateus Fernandes and De Zerbi: a turning point?
The timing matters for Fernandes personally. Just days earlier, Roberto De Zerbi had urged him to keep a calm head after a slow start since leaving West Ham, and the head coach’s decision to pick him at Chelsea has now been vindicated.
He is not alone in speaking up either. Tonali said the Coventry win marked the conclusion of a slow start, and the dressing room now sounds like one that believes in the plan.
Author opinion
It is easy to be cynical about a training camp, but a midfield that finally clicks is hard to argue with. Fernandes and Tonali controlled the game at Chelsea, and if the Marbella bonding is part of the reason, Spurs will happily take it. Two wins on the bounce does not make a season, but for the first time in a while the Lilywhites look like a team.
