James Maddison insists Tottenham are leaving their ‘Spursy’ tag behind after ‘fighting until the end’ against Arsenal and Sheffield United, dismissing ‘rubbish’ claims they’re ‘soft and weak’

• James Maddison believes Tottenham are shedding ‘Spursy’ tag under new boss 
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James Maddison believes Tottenham are losing their infamous ‘Spursy’ tag following their performance in Sunday’s north London derby. 

Spurs twice came from behind to draw level at the Emirates to draw 2-2 against Arsenal, with Maddison playing an instrumental part in both goals by teeing them up for Son Heung-min. 

The draw came a week after Spurs clawed back a win over Sheffield United by scoring two goals in added time.  

And the 26-year-old believes the displays show that the club are now shedding the tag of ‘bottlers’ after their impressive start to the campaign under boss Ange Postecoglou. 

‘Fans and neutrals talk about Tottenham, they often say ‘soft, weak, bottle it, Spursy, all that rubbish’. Maddison said after the pulsating capital clash. 

James Maddison believes you can now longer throw the ‘Spursy’ tag at the club following their performances so far this season 

Maddison played a big hand in Spurs’ fightback setting up both goals for Son Heung-min 

Angle Postecoglou remains unbeaten as Spurs boss and the side sit in fourth place in the table

‘I think the last couple of weeks shows we might be going in a slightly different direction.

‘We scored in the 98th and 101st minutes against Sheffield United to win late on when it looked like it was going to be one of them days and today we go behind twice at arguably one of the best teams in the world, we pull it back and we’re still fighting to the end.’

The point means Spurs remain unbeaten in the Premier League this season and sit in fourth place in the table, ahead of the Gunners on goal difference. 

Maddison was one of a number of Spurs players who were playing in the first north London derby, with only Son and Cristian Romero remaining from the startling line-up that lost comfortably to Arsenal 3-1 in the same fixture a year ago. 

The former Leicester man now has four assists in his first six games for Tottenham and enjoyed supplying his captain for his brace on Sunday, especially after seeing England team-mate Bukayo Saka copy Maddison’s celebration after Arsenal’s opener. 

It was Saka’s shot that deflected off Romero to give the Gunners the lead and the 21-year-old celebrated by pretending to throw a dart, just like Maddison has done this season. 

Yet, his celebrations were short lived as Maddison was on hand to set-up Spurs’ equaliser and then roasted the Arsenal man when asked about the celebration after the match. 

‘Me and Bukayo had a bit of banter, a bit of trash talking on international duty,’ he said.

Maddison (left) hilariously hit back at Saka (right) claiming that he ‘must have still been doing it when I turned him for the first goal’ 

Bukayo Saka stole James Maddison’s celebration during the North London derby on Sunday 

‘And I got told he did the darts celebration – he must have still been doing it when I turned him for the first goal.’

In a another video posted on social media, the Spurs forward can be seen walking away from the changing rooms while being asked by a reporter: ‘A quick 501 at Ally Pally against Bukayo Saka?’

With Maddison responding and laughing by saying: ‘His action was terrible though wasn’t it!’

Tottenham face another tough test of their early season promise next weekend when they host another unbeaten side in Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before an away trip to Kenilworth Road to face Luton. 

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