Irish Examiner

Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham side worked to the very last second of Wednesday night to send Manchester City packing from this season's Carabao Cup. Their reward? A date with the red half of Manchester in the next round.

Spurs will host United, who blitzed Leicester City 5-2 in Ruud van Nistelrooy's first game in interim charge at Old Trafford. While United seem almost certain to appoint Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim as their new permanent manager it remains unclear how soon that deal can be done. They will surely hope to have him at the helm for the cup quarter-final trip to Tottenham which comes in mid-December.

On Sunday Tottenham lost to relegation-threatened Crystal Palace, sending their fans into meltdown, but supporters were singing loud and long after beating Manchester City, inflicting their first defeat since last May's FA Cup final.

Early goals from Timo Werner and Pape Matar Sarr put Spurs in control against an understrength City, who got one goal back in first-half stoppage time through Matheus Nunes, but could not find an equaliser.

Pep Guardiola had promised to rest some of his stars and the main omission was Erling Haaland, kept on the substitutes bench at the start. Reuben Dias should have been with him but was drafted into the starting line-up after an injury in the warm-up.

It was still a youthful line-up, with James McAtee and Nico O'Reilly given further chances to impress, which they did, and more teenagers introduced as substitutes.

Ange Postecoglou made changes too, and it was Tottenham who made a flying start, scoring after five minutes with a rare goal from Werner. The German has been short of form and confidence this season, but he finished emphatically from 15 yards after Spurs broke swiftly from defence to attack. Archie Gray combined with Brennan Johnson to send Dejan Kulusevski away on the right, and when the Swede curled a low cross to the far side of the penalty area, Werner beat Rico Lewis to the ball to sweep it powerfully past Stefan Ortega.

Spurs started like a steam train, determined to make up for their lacklustre loss at Palace, but their rhythm was disrupted when Micky Van de Ven limped off with a hamstring injury in the 13th minute. The big Dutchman looked close to tears, suggesting he knows he faces a lengthy lay-off.

But Tottenham extended their lead in the 25th minute with a well-worked goal. Werner and Kulusevski exchanged passes from a short corner before the Swede laid the ball into the path of Sarr, who curled home an exquisite shot from 25 yards.

The Tottenham Hotspur stadium was rocking, with home fans sensing an upset, especially as City had failed to force a save from Guglielmo Vicario during the opening 45 minutes, with Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden both putting free-kicks wastefully over the bar.

But in the fourth minute of stoppage time, they got a goal back through a combination of their wingers Savinho and Nunes, their best two players up to that point. Savinho wriggled free down the right, chipped a cross beyond the far post, and Nunes struck a volley into the turf and up past Vicario.

It had been an enthralling first-half, both sides zipping the ball about at pace, playing smart, passing football with clever movement, and it did not let up after the break. Spurs could have scored three goals on the counter-attack in the opening ten minutes, as Werner shot wide after running free from the half-way line, and then blazing high over the bar in the 55th minute. In between those attacks, Kulusevski, again Tottenham's best player, led another break and forced a fine low save from Ortega.

City suffered an injury blow of their own in the 62nd minute when Savinho was carried off on a stretcher after injuring an ankle. His replacement was another youngster, Jacob Wright, whose first involvement was to shoot just wide of the post.

Werner led yet another break without success before he, too, went off injured, this time to a rousing reception from home supporters, who had been critical of his performances in recent weeks.

The number of injuries will only fuel the fire of those critics who say too much is being asked of players, even when squad rotation is in effect as it was with both sides last night.

Tottenham have an important game against Aston Villa this weekend that could make or break their chances of qualifying for the Champions League, while City make the long trip to Bournemouth, who beat Arsenal last week.

The high-octane action did not let up, though. Richarlison, on as a substitute, was given a golden chance to make it 3-1 when Josko Gvardiol's throw-in landed at his feet 15 yards from goal, but the Brazilian shot straight at Ortega.

Vicario then flew across his area to clear a cross from the right, and from the ensuing corner, Yves Bissouma stuck out a foot to clear O'Reilly's goalbound volley off the line.

When six minutes of extra time was announced, home supporters feared the worst, having seen their side lose to a last-gasp winner by City in the FA Cup at this ground last January. This time Tottenham held on to move into the quarter finals of the Carabao Cup.

TOTTENHAM (4-3-3): Vicario 6 ; Gray 7, Romero 6 (Davies 52), Dragusin 7, Van de Ven 6 (Udogie 13); Bentancur 7, Sarr 7 (Bissouma 46), Kulusevski 8; Johnson 7 (Richarlison 68), Solanke 7, Werner 7 (Moore 68).

MAN CITY (4-3-3): Ortega 6; Lewis 7, Stones 6, Dias 6 (Gvardiol 46), Ake 6 (Simpson-Pusey 74); O'Reilly 7, Gundogan 6 (Kovacic 46), McAtee 6; Savinho 7 (Wright 62), Foden 6 (Silva 58), Nunes 7.

Ref: Robert Jones 7

Mateta scored the only goal of a scrappy game on the half-hour mark to ease the pressure on manager Oliver Glasner and lift them out of the relegation zone.

The Eagles thoroughly deserved their victory, working tirelessly to close down Tottenham, who looked strangely muted and never showed the sort of form that had taken them to seven wins in their previous eight game. Ange Postecoglou cut a forlorn figure on the sidelines as he saw another disappointing display from his side, who have slipped down to eighth place.

Tottenham struggled to get their passing game going for the opening hour, in part because of their own sloppiness but mainly because Palace closed down the supply lines so well, pressing all over the pitch and not allowing Spurs to play out from the back as they like to do.

The press was led from the front by Mateta, back in the side and back among the goals after half an hour. The move began when Tottenham were unable to play out from defence, with Micky Van de Ven losing possession to Daniel Munoz, whose cross arrived at the feet of Mateta via Eberechi Eze. The big striker, unmarked on the left of the penalty area, had time to measure his shot and drove the ball low and powerfully through the legs of Pedro Porro and Guglielmo Vicario.

Palce deserved their lead, having shown more energy and determination to win 50-50 challenges in what was a scrappy and bad-tempered first-half. Three players required treatment for head injuries, and Jefferson Lerma limped off with what looked like a hamstring problem.

His replacement Will Hughes brought even more energy, however, and also chipped in a clever cross that Maxence Lacrois managed to head over from close range. His fellow centre-back Marc Guehi also had a good chance later in the half, but headed tamely at Vicario.

Dean Henderson, in the opposite goal, was not unduly troubled until the closing stages of the half, when he tipped away a James Maddison shot. Dejan Kulusesvski had a shot deflected on to the post before the break and was denied by Henderson saving at his feet shortly after the restart.

But Vicario was busy too, using his feet to save Ismaila Sarr's deflected shot and than grateful to see an offside flag rule out an effort from Eze that crept past him.

Ange Postecoglou had given a full league debut to Mikey Moore, the teenage tyro who had impressed on his full European debut against AZ Alkmaar. Timo Werner made way, but later replaced Moore, who struggled to get into the game.

Postecoglou also hooked Maddison and Kulusevski, sending on Pape Matar Sarr and Richarlison as well. But the Brazilian looked rusty after a long injury lay-off and spurned two half-chances as Tottenham chased an equaliser.

Palace almost increased their lead ten minutes from the end whenAdam Wharton hit a piledriver from 25 yards that forced Vicario to save at full stretch.

It mattered little when referee Darren Bond, who was roundly booed by both sets of supporters for some strange decisions, blew the final whistle, allowing Palace celebrations to begin.

C Palace (5-4-1): Henderson 7; Munoz 7, Lacroix 8, Chalobah 8, Guehi 8, Mitchell 7; Sarr 7 (Nketiah 67), Wharton 7 (Kamada 87), Lerma 6 (Hughes 22), Eze 7; Mateta 7.

Tottenham (4-3-3): Vicario 7; Porro 6, Romero 6, van de Ven 6, Udogie 6; Kulusevski 6 (Richarlison 62), Bissouma 6 (Bentancur 87), Maddison 6 (Sarr 62); Johnson 6, Solanke 7, Moore 6 (Werner 62).

Referee: Darren Bond 5/10

Arteta took time to build a side that could compete with the best in the country, and during his early struggles, there were plenty of doubts about why he could not bring quick success.

Postecoglou's methods have been questioned recently by the more sceptical Spurs supporters, especially after Tottenham's costly capitulation at Brighton in their previous outing a fortnight ago, when a 2-0 lead became a 3-2 defeat after a disastrous period at the start of the second half.

Postecoglou explained on Friday that performance data backed up what his eyes told him – the players dropped their running levels by 20 to 30 per cent after half-time, and their intensity drop-off allowed the opposition to seize control.

So he was especially pleased that Tottenham's players had learned their lesson, and stepped up their intensity after the break to see off a stubborn but limited West Ham side who had gone ahead through an early Mohammed Kudus goal.

With the mood music around the club far from harmonious following the Brighton defeat, that setback could have set alarm bells ringing among supporters, but they and their team were instead spurred on, Dejan Kulusevski equalised before the break.

After half-time, Tottenham increased their intensity and three goals in eight minutes secured victory.

“That's part of the evolution of the team and where we want to get to,” said Postecoglou.

“I made it pretty clear after the Brighton game, there's certain principles underpinning our football which allows us to be the expansive and creative team we are. There's some real emphasis on hard work, organisation and discipline and we had to show both today.

“I don't think we would've been as dominant in the second half if we'd not had that underpinning of a strong foundation there. They're a big, physical team and you have to match them in certain areas.I t was a bit of an arm wrestle at the start but I thought we maintained our intensity and eventually broke them.”

Yves Bissouma put Spurs ahead in the 52nd minute, the returning Heung Min Son forced an own goal from Alphonse Areola, and then the Korean made it 4-1 on the hour mark.

“Second half we went up a gear and again I thought our football was excellent,” added Postecoglou.

“Part of the momentum we built came through the edge the supporters gave us, especially after the second goal; you could really feel the atmosphere inside the stadium lift and that pushed us along.

“We had a 15 to 20 minute spell where we were outstanding. It goes hand in hand. We need the supporters especially at home to provide a lift, but we need to give them something in return. Today is hopefully a little bit of a reward for our fans.”

Postecoglou showed good in-game management, too, showing the flexibility needed to take Tottenham to victory when he replaced playmaker James Maddison with the more physical Pape Matar Sarr at half-time.

“West Ham ask you certain questions in midfield and I just felt Pape's running power would help us in the second half, give us some real energy. I thought he did really well and he gave us a platform to really threatening every time we want forward and clinical in our football.”

Spurs could and should have had more as West Ham showed the sort of collapse Spurs had suffered two weeks earlier. Son hit the post, his replacement Timo Werner missed two chances, and Dominic Solanke went close after a mazy dribble from his own half.

The Hammers have only won twice under Julen Lopategui, against strugglers Ipswich and Crystal Palace, and have conceded 20 goals in their ten games in all competitions.

Questions are being asked about the former Real Madrid and – briefly – Spain manager, who admits his communication with his players needs improving, particularly with Kudus, who is set for a three-match ban after being sent off in the closing stages for pushing Micky Van de Ven in the face.

The Ghana international was again West Ham's best player, prompting two good saves from Guglielmo Vicario as well as scoring, but his relationship with Lopetegui is said to be strained.

“I am not going to say here what I am going to talk to him about, but for sure we are going to talk,” said the manager.

“We are going to have time and I am sure he will be aware that he can improve his answer in this moment because it’s not good for him, for the club and not good for the team.”

Kudus will miss the visit of Manchester United next weekend, a game West Ham need to win if they are to avoid getting drawn into a relegation battle, sitting in 15th place just five points above the drop zone.

Spurs, meanwhile, are back on track for a tilt at a Champions League place, just four points off the top four and with games against Palace and Ipswich to come in the league. Having learned a harsh lesson at Brighton, now could be the time for Tottenham to kick on – and for their supporters to trust Postecoglou's process.

TOTTENHAM: Vicario 7; Porro 7, Romero 7, Van de Ven 7, Udogie 6 (Gray 87); Kulusevski 8, Bissouma 8 (Bentancur 80), Maddison 7 (Sarr 46); Johnson 6, Solanke 8 (Richarlison 80), Son 7 (Werner 70).

WEST HAM: Areola 7; Wan-Bissaka 6, Todibo 5, Kilman 6, Emerson 6; Paqueta 6 (Alvarez 65), Soucek 6 (Soler 65), Rodriguez 5 (Mavropanos 70); Bowen 6, Antonio 5 (Summerville 65), Kudus 6.

Referee: Andrew Madley 8/10.

Tottenham got back to winning ways, to the delight of Ange Postecoglou, who had declared their defeat at Brighton before the international break the worst of his tenure here.

Although West Ham took the lead through Mohammed Kudus, who was later sent off, they were no match for their London rivals, who dominated from start to finish and should have won by a bigger margin.

Most pleasing for Postecoglou was the fact that his team took control of the game in the 15 minutes after half-time, which was when they had capitulated to Brighton last time out.

Yet the early signs were worrying for Spurs, as West Ham took the lead in the 18th minute, against the run of play. Kudus had earlier brought a fine save from Guglielmo Vicario, who tipped the Ghanaian's volley over the bar.

But when Kudus had another chance, from Jarrod Bowen's low cross, he placed his shot with power and precision past the Tottenham goalkeeper.

Tottenham dominated in terms of possession and chances, but had struggled to break down West Ham's packed defence in the opening half-hour, testing Alphonse Areola only once when Pedro Porro shot from 25 yards.

Previous shots were either blocked or just wide, and even Dejan Kulusevski's equaliser in the 36th minute had a touch of good fortune. James Maddison led a break out from Tottenham's half to play in Kulusevski on the right.

The Swede cut inside, shot with his favoured left foot and the ball rebounded off the inside of the near post, cut along the goal-line and bounced in off the far post.

Tottenham had collapsed memorably in the second half against Brighton in their previous game two weeks ago, throwing away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2, and Ange Postecoglou was determined there should be no repeat.

Indeed Spurs were fired up after the break here, and took the game away from West Ham with three goals in an eight-minute spell. Destiny Udogie had been at fault when Kudus scored, allowing Bowen room to cross, but the Italian full-back made amends with a run of his own to the byline before cutting the ball back for Yves Bissouma to steer a low shot through a crowded penalty area.

Three minutes later Kulusevski set up Heung Min Son for a shot, and though Areola got a foot to block it, the ball rebounded off Jean-Clair Todibo and the keeper before trickling over the line.

To compound Todibo's misery, he was turned this way and that as Son ran on to Pape Matat Sarr's incisive through ball and shot left-footed past Areola to make it 4-1.

Spurs threatened to run riot, with Son shooting against the post, his replacement Timo Werner missing two good chances, Dominic Solanke being denied and Kulusevski curling a shot just wide of the far post.

Vicario had only one more save to make, tipping away a curling shot from Kudus, who was then sent off in the closing minutes after shoving Micky Van de Ven in the face, having kicked out at the Spurs defender when he was lying prone.

Referee Andy Madley initially booked both players, but VAR prompted him to review the pitchside monitor. He spotted Kudus raising his hands twice during an unseemly melee involving most of the outfield players, and showed a red card to the Ghanian.

The result moved Tottenham temporarily up to sixth in the table and back on course for a tilt at a top four finish.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (4-3-3): Vicario 7; Porro 7, Romero 7, Van de Ven 7, Udogie 6 (Gray 87); Kulusevski 7, Bissouma 8 (Bentancur 80), Maddison 7 (Sarr 46); Johnson 6, Solanke 8 (Richarlison 80), Son 7 (Werner 70).

WEST HAM (4-3-3): Areola 7; Wan-Bissaka 6, Todibo 5, Kilman 6, Emerson 6; Paqueta 6 (Alvarez 65), Soucek 6 (Soler 65), Rodriguez 5 (Mavropanos 70); Bowen 7, Antonio 5 (Summerville 65), Kudus 6.

Referee: Andrew Madley 8.

Ange Postecoglou’s side looked completely in control at the Amex and ready to move into the top six when they built a 2-0 lead through goals from Brennan Johnson and James Maddison in a completely dominant first half on the south coast.

But Brighton, who had looked down and out, turned the game around after the break with Danny Welbeck heading the winner after Yankuba Minteh and Georginio Rutter had also found the net – leaving Postecoglou shaking his head in disbelief.

It was a terrific response from Albion, who hadn’t won in the Premier League since August, and another big moment for Welbeck, 33, who is enjoying a renaissance this season, with his fourth goal of the campaign.

It was breathless stuff, but once Brighton were ahead in the 66th minute, Tottenham simply didn’t have the mental or physical energy to respond. They now drop to ninth, with Brighton in the top six in their place.

That’s remarkable because Spurs had dominated the opening 45 minutes, not only scoring goals from Johnson and Maddison but also running the show in imperious and energetic fashion.

So, Postecoglou could be excused for looking completely bemused as his players lost the plot in the second half, just as reporters were preparing headlines that the north London club look like being serious top-four challengers this season.

That’s how good the first half performance was, but Brighton bettered it with their attacking energy after their break.

Spurs should have gone ahead early on, especially when Maddison was clean through but saw his shot blocked and then when Timo Werner had a headed effort ruled out for offside.

But the goal came eventually when Maddison won the ball back in midfield and Dominic Solanke put Brennan Johnson through for his sixth goal in the last six games in all competitions after 23 minutes.

Remarkable when you consider at the start of the season, Spurs fans were split on whether the former Nottingham Forest winger deserved his place in the side.

He certainly isn’t polarising opinions anymore. Only one Tottenham player has ever scored in seven games in a row – legendary striker Clive Allen back in 1987 when he finished with 49 goals - and despite this result Johnson still has an opportunity to join the club when Tottenham face West Ham after the international break All in all it was a frustrating start for Brighton, who lost defender Adam Webster to injury after only nine minutes and never really got a grip on the game early on.

It was 2-0 after 37 minutes when Maddison, left unmarked on the edge of the area, stroked home a shot that goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen will feel disappointed to let through his grasp. It was, however, no more than Spurs deserved as the Amex was stunned into silence.

Albion, however, changed the narrative after that. Having looked dead and buried they started the second half quickly and found a wayinto the match when the outstanding Kaoru Mitoma swung over a low cross which Destiny Udogie inexplicably missed, leaving Minteh to sweep home.

Then, with Mitoma running the show, they snatched an equaliser when Rutter ran on to Mitoma’s pass and finished efficiently with his left foot.

Welbeck’s header, after the Spurs defence gifted Rutter a chance to reach a ball he had no right to get to, completed the turnaround by the 66th minute, with young Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler taking the plaudits for inspiring his team’s remarkable response.

Spurs, by contrast, looked completely shot, unable to muster any kind of fightback as Brighton cruised through the final 20 minutes in impressive style.

Postecoglou, just when he thought he had cracked it, has a lot of thinking to do.

BRIGHTON: Verbruggen 5; Veltman 5, Webster 5 (Igor 9), Dunk 6, Kadioglu 5 (Estupinan 46; 6); Baleba 6 (Wieffer, 74; 6), Hinshelwood 6; Minteh 7, Mitoma 8, Rutter 7 (Enciso, 73; 6); Welbeck 7.

TOTTENHAM: Vicario 6; Udogie 5, Van de Ven 6, Romero 6, Porro 7; Kulusevski 7, Bentancur 6 (Bissouma 79; 6), Maddison 8 (Moore 85; 6); Johnson 8, Solanke 7, Werner 6 (Sarr 79; 6)

Referee: David Coote

A midweek defeat after Sunday's painful loss to Arsenal would have increased the scrutiny on Postecoglou, who has repeatedly expressed his desire to win a trophy this season.

Tottenham are 13th in the Premier League ahead of Brentford's visit on Saturday, but the 58-year-old is no stranger to difficult times before silverware follows.

“You need to embrace the struggle. You don’t get success just by everything rolling out perfectly. There’s times when you’ve just got to roll your sleeves up and keep going," Postecoglou insisted.

“What’s the best process for me is to stay steely-eyed focused on what I think I need to do to get us to where we want to.

"I don’t think I’m in a unique space. I keep saying to people, show me a success story and I’ll show you a struggle. People forget the struggle and look at the end bit.

"You need to go through that. That’s the time that tests your resolve, tests your belief, tests everything you want to do"

Postecoglou flipped discourse about a potential crisis if they had lost to Coventry with a claim that he would be asked about the title if they had won at Leicester.

Johnson produced a 92nd-minute winner in the Carabao Cup after a difficult few days where social media abuse following the Arsenal defeat saw him deactivate his Instagram account.

Postecoglou said: “I haven’t spoken to Brennan about it. The lads know what I’m about and my beliefs.

"I keep telling them the same thing that the most important people in your life, they’re the ones you’ve got to worry about and their opinion.

“He won a game of football for us the other night with a really good finish at the critical moment. I reckon you put any of his critics in that situation and they would be looking for a change of pants pretty quickly."

It was not a spectacular goal, a crunching tackle, or a goal-line clearance that got the place buzzing, but a surging 80m run from Micky Van de Ven that took him from one penalty area to the other in barely nine seconds.

Even once Jordan Pickford came into range, the big Dutch defender never thought about shooting but slipped the ball wide for his captain Heung Min Son to score the final goal of a 4-0 thrashing that restored Tottenham’s confidence and kept Everton pointless at the bottom of the table.

The fastest man in football’s Olympic-style sprint with the ball at his feet had the crowd buzzing long after the final whistle, and brought a glowing reference from Ange Postecoglou: “He was outstanding, a pretty special footballer.”

No wonder. Van de Ven was schooled in the Netherlands, where Johan Cruyff and Co created ‘Total Football’ in the 1970s, and it is the same fluid, inventive, and versatile style that Postecoglou is trying to imbue in his Tottenham team.

His first season in England proved he was the Premier League’s fastest player, a commanding defender, clever reader of the game, and smart finisher, with a couple of spectacular goals under his belt.

He also has a selfless team ethic that kicked in when he decided to pass to Son, the club’s leading scorer and a deadly finisher. Asked what was going on in his mind when he set off from the edge of his own penalty area, the 23-year-old said: “I was thinking ‘I’ll keep running, hopefully nobody can stop me’ and nothing happened. I knew Sonny was on my left so I kept driving and driving until I got to the centre back and then at the right moment I played it for Sonny to finish.”

Was he tempted to shoot? “No. Sonny was there and I knew he would finish it off.”

It was Van de Ven’s name the crowd sang in celebration though.

“They loved that moment, yes. When I was dribbling with the ball you could sense everyone in the stadium was getting really hyped and I was like ‘nah, now I’m going through’ and then it all went off.”

All four goals had different origins. Yves Bissouma scored the first goal after excellent teamwork, Son’s first came from relentless pressing to pounce on a Pickford error, and Cristian Romero headed home a James Maddison corner to make it 3-0. Then Van de Ven stepped up.

Postecoglou wants his team to be more flexible and multi-dimensional.

“It’s what we want to evolve into,” he said. “We had Kulusevski playing in midfield today, Sonny scored a goal through the middle, and another when he went out wide. We looked a threat from varied areas and even set pieces.

“If we’re going to turn compelling performances into consistent results, you need to have more than one avenue of attack. I thought we showed that today.”

Sean Dyche, meanwhile, has a huge task if he is to save Everton from another season battling relegation. This thrashing followed last week’s 3-0 home defeat by Brighton, and they have been hit badly by suspension and injuries but Dyche insisted: “Our fans don’t want to hear excuses.”

TOTTENHAM (4-3-3): Vicario 7; Porro 7, Romero 7, Van de Ven 8, Udogie 7 (Spence 73); Kulusevski 7 (Sarr 67), Bissouma 9 (Gray 73), Maddison 8; Johnson 6, Son 7, Odobert 7 (Richarlison 66).

EVERTON (4-5-1): Pickford 5: Dixon 6, Keane 6, Tarkowski 5, Mykolenko 6; Iroegbunam 5, Gueye 5 (Armstrong 90), Doucoure 5 (Ndiaye 57), Harrison 5 (Lindstrom 57), McNeil 6; Calvert-Lewin 6 (Beto 72).

Ref: Anthony Taylor 9/10

Spirits were further dampened when Kane was sold to Bayern Munich on the eve of the season and it was clear Daniel Levy was not going to reinvest the €110 million fee immediately in a replacement.

Ange Postecoglou soldiered on, however, stuck to his bold attacking system and blooded players such as Micky Van de Ven, Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario. The results were remarkable, as Tottenham topped the league by November on a run of eight wins from their first ten games and those previously little-known players caught the eye.

Kane's scoring prowess was replaced by goals from defenders, midfielders and forwards, although no-one replicated his role as a powerful number nine, able to hold up the ball, bring others into play, set up chances and score with his head and both feet. Heung Min Son stood in for long spells, and scored goals, but the Korean is best coming in from the flanks. Richarlison wore the number nine shirt in an injury-hit season, and although he had a remarkable run of nine goals in ten games either side of Christmas, he only scored two other goals all season, as Spurs tailed off and finished in fifth, outside the Champions League qualification that had looked inevitable for most of the season.

Postecoglou's squad was never deep enough to cope with the injuries and suspensions that started to pile up after their first defeat of the season, 4-1 at home to Chelsea in November when Udogie and Cristian Romero were sent off. It began a run of four defeats in five games, and Spurs hardly managed to put two successive wins together for the rest of the season. They were not helped by Son's mid-season absence at the Asian Cup with South Korea, returning after five weeks with a broken thumb after a ding-dong playing ping-pong with a team-mate. He'd scored 12 goals by Christmas, but only five more thereafter.

At the same time, midfielder pairing Pape Mata Sarr and Yves Bissouma spent a month at the African Cup of Nations, where the latter contracted malaria, and neither recaptured their previously sparkling form. By May, the early-season optimism at Tottenham had disappeared and Postecoglou and his players looked jaded.

Now, though, there is genuine belief around the club with the arrival of Solanke and two exciting young players in Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray. The latter, one of the most highly-rated teenagers in England, arrived from Leeds for €40m, and Bergvall turned down Barcelona to join Spurs from Djurgaden in his native Sweden. Both may make the sort of instant impact Van de Ven and Udogie did last year.

Most importantly, though, Solanke will fill a Kane-sized hole in attack. The former Chelsea trainee, who struggled at Liverpool before rediscovering his form at Bournemouth, cost Spurs a fee that could rise to a club record €75m. It will be money well spent if he can help them into the top four, and his style and statistics suggest he is perfect fit for Postecoglou's team, which is based on high pressing, fast-paced, front-foot play. The number of chances they create is among the highest in the league, but their conversion rate is poor by comparison.

Postecoglou likes his full-backs to go infield while attacking, creating space for his wingers to beat their markers and fire in crosses. That requires a penalty-box predator, someone with good movement who is powerful in the air, can finish with both feet and whose presence can be relied on in that narrow corridor between the width of the goalposts, from six to 18 yards away from goal. That is what Kane used to do for Tottenham – it was another story with England, who operated without traditional wingers – and it is exactly what Solanke thrives on.

While Postecoglou dismisses the idea Solanke is the final piece in his 'jigsaw', and even suggested last week that there are more signings to come, he is full of praise for a player he identified some time ago as the perfect fit for his team.

“He was obviously one I was very keen to get in,” said the Australian coach last week. “It took a while to get it over the line but I think he will be a great fit for us in terms of the player he is and the point of his career where he is at.

“We are a bit light in that front third in terms of adding quality not just to the squad but also to our team. He certainly does that. I'm pleased to get him on board.

“We identified him because he has the attributes we are looking for in terms of that position. He gives us some things we probably have been missing in the last 12 months, particularly when Richarlison was out last year. When Richy played he was very effective for us, it was quite evident when he was out we didn’t really have a player who can make the impact Dom can in the final third and just with his general play. So I think he will be a good fit for us.”

Solanke's stats for closing down defenders and goalkeepers were among the highest in the Premier League last season, a fact that can be attributed to his development under Andoni Ireola at Bournemouth.

He also had a good record of headed clearances when defending set-pieces, another thing Tottenham have missed since Kane's departure. Without the big England captain's presence at the near post, Spurs conceded a disproportionately high number of goals from corners and free-kicks last season. Solanke can help in that respect, and goalkeeper Vicario has said he had a steep learning curve after arriving from Empoli last summer.

“There are some situations you have to face where maybe it takes a bit more time for you to adapt,” Vicario said. “I can say the set pieces, maybe also the strength of the players and the speed of some of the attacking play.

“You have to remain confident in yourself, believe in your process, and then train hard to get better and better. With a lot of work, not just from me but with the team, we can overcome these problems.”

It will not be a stroll in the park for Tottenham, of course. One area still to address is in central midfield, where Postecoglou wanted Conor Gallagher to replace the departed Pierre Emile Hjojberg. The England player's move to Atletico Madrid is still in doubt, but whether Chelsea would sell to Spurs is another question.

And unlike last season, they will have the added demands of European competition in the Europa League, which will be taken seriously as an alternative route to Champions League qualification, especially now that there will no longer be third-placed sides dropping in from the group stages of the senior competition after Christmas.

But Postecoglou now has more depth, he and his players have had a full year getting to grips with his system, and there is a younger, more energetic profile to this squad. Barring major injuries to key players, top four and a trophy should be their ambition.

And Solanke could be the key.

The Tottenham Hotspur manager was asked the question ahead of their clash with West Ham on Tuesday evening.