Tottenham Hotspur crashed out of the Carabao Cup after losing 4-0 against Liverpool at Anfield.
Ange Postecoglou’s side went into the game on Thursday night with a 1-0 lead from the first leg. That was a big advantage, but the players barely showed any desire to win the second leg.
Tottenham looked nothing like their usual attacking selves. They sat back for large parts and invited continuous pressure from the hosts, who took complete advantage.
Spurs are out of the cup now, but their fans at least got to see new signing Mathys Tel on the pitch.
Mathys Tel sends a message after Tottenham’s 4-0 defeat to Liverpool
Tottenham worked really hard to sign Tel from Bayern Munich on deadline day.
The saga involving the French attacker was a big one, but Postecoglou managed to convince Tel to make the move to Spurs.
At Anfield on Thursday night, Tel started the game on the bench and everyone expected to see him come on in the second half.
But, Richarlison suffered a calf injury before the break, and the Frenchman got to make his Tottenham debut earlier than he would’ve expected.
Tel impressed Spurs fans with his urgency, but he was often an isolated figure up top. Spurs didn’t do enough to get the ball up to him.
A 4-0 defeat is a terrible way to start your new chapter, but Tel is already looking ahead.
After the game, the Bayern Munich loanee took to Instagram and posted a couple of pictures of himself with the caption: “Head up!”
Mathys Tel has suddenly become even more important for Tottenham
Tottenham were convinced that Tel was going to be a key player for them, so they went above and beyond to get the deal over the line.
The attacker, however, is still only 19, so Postecoglou would’ve ideally wanted to give him some time to settle in and adapt to the English game.
But, the Australian no longer has that luxury. Dominic Solanke has been injured for a few weeks now, and Richarlison has joined him following his calf issue last night.
With Timo Werner also out, Tel will likely have to start Tottenham’s next game against Villa, and the pressure will be on him to deliver.
It remains to be seen how the 19-year-old will fare against Unai Emery’s side on Sunday.