'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Tottenham Hotspur recorded a 2-1 win over Southampton in their first Premier League fixture game under Ryan Mason on Wednesday.
Danny Ings opened the scoring in the 30th minute from James Ward-Prowse's corner, while Spurs scored twice in the second half via Gareth Bale and Son Heung-min.
While Spurs players struggled to find rhythm throughout the game, they cannot be completely blamed, considering the series of events that have unfolded at the club in the last few days.
Despite all the chaos involving the European Super League and the sacking of Jose Mourinho, they ensured that Ryan Mason, a former Spurs midfielder, had a winning start to his managerial career at the club.
Here, we take a look at the five talking points as Tottenham Hotspur move into sixth place in the Premier League standings.
#5 Gareth Bale relishing his second spell with Tottenham Hotspur
Gareth Bale stepped up when Tottenham Hotspur needed him the most on Wednesday.
In the absence of Harry Kane, the goalscoring responsibility largely fell on Son Heung-Min. While the South Korean star managed to score the winning goal, it was Bale's equalizer that proved to be the turning point in the game.
The Welshman was in the right place at the right time, as the ball fell to him after Lucas Moura's shot was blocked by Salisu in the box.
The winger took a touch to bring the ball to his preferred left foot and curled an exquisite shot into the top left corner of the goal.
Bale is certainly enjoying his second spell at Tottenham Hotspur and has been involved in 11 goals in his last 11 starts for the club.
#4 Southampton's first-half brilliance faded away after the break
Southampton were in the driving seat for the first 45 minutes of the game. Having capitalized on Tottenham Hotspur's lackluster defending, they managed to score from a routine corner.
The goalscorer was none other than Danny Ings, who now has 10 goals to his name this season. His goal gave the Saints a much-needed boost. However, when he was taken off in the second half, the visitors just couldn't find their groove.
Ralph Hasenhüttl will now need to rework his strategy, given that Ings is once again out with an injury.
Also See: Top 10 football players with the most fans in the world
#3 VAR debate continues with two game-changing decisions
VAR once again took center stage in Wednesday's game as two crucial calls that impacted both Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton were made.
The first one was in the 76th minute when Spurs thought they had completed a comeback, having scored their second goal of the night via Son. Upon closer observation, Lucas Moura was caught standing in an offside position, blocking McCarthy's view. The goal was subsequently disallowed.
Before the hosts could even express their unhappiness with the decision, VAR came to their rescue and awarded them a penalty in the final minutes of the game.
The events leading up to the decision were interesting. First, Spurs claimed a handball after a corner, but their calls were turned down. At the same time, Djenepo’s foul on Reguilon on the edge of the box was deemed to have taken place inside the box.
#2 Son Heung-Min reaches highest-ever personal tally of Premier League goals
Son Heung-Min has been a crucial member of Tottenham Hotspur's squad for quite some time. He has formed a deadly partnership with Harry Kane but has proven time and again that he is a very capable individual player.
Son has scored 15 goals in the Premier League this term. With the EFL Cup final clash against Manchester City scheduled for the weekend, Mason will be hoping that the forward will produce another match-winning performance.
#1 Ryan Mason gets his managerial career underway with a win
Ryan Mason became the youngest manager in Premier League history on Wednesday. He took charge of Tottenham Hotspur aged 29 years and 312 days and marked his managerial debut with a win.
Mason has only been hired as interim manager for the rest of the season. However, if he can oversee a turnaround in the club's fortunes and secure European qualification, he could just stick around next season.
It is impossible to judge a manager based on just one game. However, the fact that the game ended in a win tells us that the morale at the club is up for now.
Also See: 10 highest-paid players in La Liga this season (2020/21)
