‘A surprise for me’: Sky Sports pundit baffled by what Conte did in the 78th minute against Manchester United

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Tottenham fell to a narrow defeat at Old Trafford yesterday as a Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Manchester United team won out 3-2 in the end.

Ronaldo’s heroics were the big talking point on the night as the Portuguese star rolled back the years to show just why he’s considered one of the best ever. For Tottenham, it was a night of frustration really. Conte’s side arguably had the better of the play but couldn’t quite create enough clear-cut chances to win the game.

One of the key players in terms of creating and scoring chances is Heung-Min Son. The South Korean has been integral for years now but last night, was quiet by his own high standards. And according to Sky Sports pundit Michael Dawson, Antonio Conte got it wrong in leaving Son on last night.

“Bring him (Kulusevski) off was a surprise for me. I’ve talked about Son, and we all know how much the fans love him but in recent weeks he hasn’t been to the level and today was the same,” Dawson said on Sky Sports.

“Leave Kulusevski on. Bring Lucas on. But he took Kulusevski off, I think he’s a real creative player.”

TBR’s View: Dawson Has A Point But Son Can Win The Game Out Of Nothing

The biggest difference between Son and Kulusevski is that Conte knows that Son is proven over time at winning games and producing big moments. This was probably his thought process last night.

Of course, Kulusevski has been excellent since he arrived. But Conte probably felt if a chance came then Son was more trusted to slot it away as he has done so many times.