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Two first half goals from Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap secured a 2-1 victory for Ipswich Town over Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Tottenham Hotspur nearly cut into the two-goal deficit immediately after halftime when Dominic Solanke scored in the 49th minute.

The goal was overruled after a VAR check due to a handball from Solanke.

Rodrigo Bentancur opened the scoring for Spurs in the 69th minute, but the home side were unable to close the deficit.

Ipswich Town were able to secure their first victory in the Premier League and pull themselves out of the relegation zone.

We explored how each player performed at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Starting XI

Arijanet Muric - 8

Muric has been on a quality run of form over the last five matches. This match he definitely produced his best. He completed five saves, three from inside the box.

He helped protect Ipswich Town’s lead. Muric helped navigate the team through an early first half period where Tottenham Hotspur were pushing for a goal.

Leif Davis - 7

Another very strong performance from Leif Davis after he scored a stunning goal last weekend. He had six clearances and was a large part of the team securing their first victory.

Alongside his defensive contribution, Davis had two key passes and helped to influence play moving forward.

Cameron Burgess - 7

He assisted heavily with the defensive work for his side. He had nine clearances. He nearly scored from a header on the left hand side of the six-yard box in the 9th minute.

His effort hit the bar and he nearly opened the scoring for Ipswich Town early in the match.

Dara O’Shea - 7

Another defender who was valuable to Ipswich Town’s victory. He had nine clearances and three blocked shots. He had two tackles and won half of his duels in the match.

Axel Tuanzebe - 6

He had two interceptions and two tackles. A solid performance from Tuanzebe was needed for the result. He didn’t have much of an impact on the attacking side of proceedings.

Jens Cajuste - 6

He did well to get forward from his defensive midfielder position. He had three successful dribble attempts and played almost the full ninety minutes.

Sam Morsy - 7

Morsy completed 91% of his passes (30/33) and controlled the tempo of the match from midfield. He had three clearances and three interceptions.

Morsy has been influential in the last few matches with accurate passes from midfield.

Sammie Szmodics - 7

His overhead kick goal in the 31st minute opened the scoring for the match and stunned the hosts. This is the second time he scored against a traditional ‘Big Six’ side in the 2024/2025 season.

He scored against Manchester City at the the Etihad and opened the scoring there, too. Szmodics stepped up to the plate again today and helped his team once again.

Omari Hutchinson - 7

He completed 88% of his passes (23/26) and had a key pass in the match. Hutchinson helped defensively and had two tackles. He also had an interception.

The defensive side of proceedings is something Hutchinson will probably focus on developing as the season progresses.

Ben Johnson - 6

Johnson did not have much of an impact in the final third. A lot of his passes did not lead up to attacking chances. He completed one dribble attempt and had three tackles. He put forth a pretty good effort for Ipswich, but there wasn’t anything too extraordinary to speak about.

Liam Delap - 8

A goal and assist against Tottenham Hotspur have topped off some good performances over the last month. His hold up play was once again influential in a tough away battle.

He didn’t get many touches of the ball, 18, but did a lot when he did receive the ball. Another really good performance from Delap.

Substitutes

George Hirst - 6

He came on and contributed defensively, but did not provide much in an attacking sense. He won all four of his aerial duels and had a clearance.

Jack Clarke - 6

Clarke played 19 minutes and came onto the pitch for Sammie Szmodics. He got 15 touches, but did not pose much of an attacking threat.

He won a few duels and showed effort to protect the lead. This is the most important contribution someone can make for a team that has a one goal lead away from home.

Massimo Luongo - 6

He only came onto the pitch for eight minutes and did not have much of an impact. He only touched the ball one time and was subsequently fouled.

He won a ground duel and moved around the pitch. There wasn’t much to speak on his individual performance, and he was sent on to protect the lead.

Two first half goals from Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap secured a 2-1 victory for Ipswich Town over Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Tottenham Hotspur nearly cut into the two-goal deficit immediately after halftime when Dominic Solanke scored in the 49th minute.

The goal was overruled after a VAR check due to a handball from Solanke.

Rodrigo Bentancur opened the scoring for Spurs in the 69th minute, but the home side were unable to close the deficit.

Ipswich Town were able to secure their first victory in the Premier League and pull themselves out of the relegation zone.

We explored how each player performed at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Starting XI

Arijanet Muric - 8

Muric has been on a quality run of form over the last five matches. This match he definitely produced his best. He completed five saves, three from inside the box.

He helped protect Ipswich Town’s lead. Muric helped navigate the team through an early first half period where Tottenham Hotspur were pushing for a goal.

Leif Davis - 7

Another very strong performance from Leif Davis after he scored a stunning goal last weekend. He had six clearances and was a large part of the team securing their first victory.

Alongside his defensive contribution, Davis had two key passes and helped to influence play moving forward.

Cameron Burgess - 7

He assisted heavily with the defensive work for his side. He had nine clearances. He nearly scored from a header on the left hand side of the six-yard box in the 9th minute.

His effort hit the bar and he nearly opened the scoring for Ipswich Town early in the match.

Dara O’Shea - 7

Another defender who was valuable to Ipswich Town’s victory. He had nine clearances and three blocked shots. He had two tackles and won half of his duels in the match.

Axel Tuanzebe - 6

He had two interceptions and two tackles. A solid performance from Tuanzebe was needed for the result. He didn’t have much of an impact on the attacking side of proceedings.

Jens Cajuste - 6

He did well to get forward from his defensive midfielder position. He had three successful dribble attempts and played almost the full ninety minutes.

Sam Morsy - 7

Morsy completed 91% of his passes (30/33) and controlled the tempo of the match from midfield. He had three clearances and three interceptions.

Morsy has been influential in the last few matches with accurate passes from midfield.

Sammie Szmodics - 7

His overhead kick goal in the 31st minute opened the scoring for the match and stunned the hosts. This is the second time he scored against a traditional ‘Big Six’ side in the 2024/2025 season.

He scored against Manchester City at the the Etihad and opened the scoring there, too. Szmodics stepped up to the plate again today and helped his team once again.

Omari Hutchinson - 7

He completed 88% of his passes (23/26) and had a key pass in the match. Hutchinson helped defensively and had two tackles. He also had an interception.

The defensive side of proceedings is something Hutchinson will probably focus on developing as the season progresses.

Ben Johnson - 6

Johnson did not have much of an impact in the final third. A lot of his passes did not lead up to attacking chances. He completed one dribble attempt and had three tackles. He put forth a pretty good effort for Ipswich, but there wasn’t anything too extraordinary to speak about.

Liam Delap - 8

A goal and assist against Tottenham Hotspur have topped off some good performances over the last month. His hold up play was once again influential in a tough away battle.

He didn’t get many touches of the ball, 18, but did a lot when he did receive the ball. Another really good performance from Delap.

Substitutes

George Hirst - 6

He came on and contributed defensively, but did not provide much in an attacking sense. He won all four of his aerial duels and had a clearance.

Jack Clarke - 6

Clarke played 19 minutes and came onto the pitch for Sammie Szmodics. He got 15 touches, but did not pose much of an attacking threat.

He won a few duels and showed effort to protect the lead. This is the most important contribution someone can make for a team that has a one goal lead away from home.

Massimo Luongo - 6

He only came onto the pitch for eight minutes and did not have much of an impact. He only touched the ball one time and was subsequently fouled.

He won a ground duel and moved around the pitch. There wasn’t much to speak on his individual performance, and he was sent on to protect the lead.

Last five matches

Ipswich Town 1 - 1 Fulham (Premier League)

Brighton & Hove Albion 0 - 0 Ipswich Town (Premier League)

Southamton 1 - 1 Ipswich Town (Premier League)

Ipswich Town 2 - 2 Aston Villa (Premier League)

West Ham United 4 - 1 Ipswich Town (Premier League)

Last five matches

Bayern Munchen 2 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur (Friendly match)

Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 3 Bayern Munchen (Friendly match)

Leicester City 1 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)

Tottenham Hotspur 4 - 0 Everton (Premier League)

Newcastle 2 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)

Update

It was a good day at the office for Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon as they came from behind to decimate Unai Emery’s Aston Villa in a 4-1 battering.

After Morgan Rogers had put the visitors ahead in the first half, Ange Postecoglou’s words at the break rejuvenated his side who put in a completely different showing after the interval.

Brennan Johnson tapped home the equaliser from close range four minutes after the restart before Dominic Solanke netted a brace and James Maddison delicately curled in his 50th Premier League goal courtesy of a free-kick in stoppage time.

However, a concerning statistic has emerged as in this calendar year Spurs have played 14 matches at home in the Premier League and they have conceded first in 12 of them.

But as long as Spurs keep finding a way to win, Postecoglou and his coaching staff won't mind lulling their opponents into a false sense of security.

This performance showed some resilience and personality in this Tottenham side. Here are four other things we learnt.

Pape Matar Sarr is becoming indispensable

The Senegalese was once again a vital component in the system and he dominated a midfield pairing of Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana.

In recent weeks, Sarr has been one of the club’s top performers and he earned his place from the start against Villa after a sumptuous strike in their Carabao Cup tie with Manchester City on Wednesday night.

His presence did not go unnoticed on the weekend as he used his lanky frame and long strides to cover every blade of grass, intercept passes and dictate the tempo.

In fact, Tottenham’s third goal was created by Sarr as he cut out Pau Torres’ attempted pass before playing in Richarlison, who set up Solanke.

You would be forgiven if you had forgot that the former Metz man is still only 22, as the box-to-box midfielder is performing with maturity way beyond his years.

The simple truth of the matter is Spurs look way more comfortable when Sarr is on the pitch.

Spurs set piece woes continue

There is a narrative circulating around this team that they are vulnerable from set piece situations. Weak.

Guglielmo Vicario is a fantastic shot-stopper, who uses his quick reflexes and agility to make the most unlikeliest of saves.

But from corners or free-kicks, the Italian looks feeble and seems to get distracted too easily by opposition players.

On Sunday, Villa’s solitary goal stemmed from this exact description as Vicario looked way more interested in tussling with Rogers than commanding his box.

In Vicario’s defence, he reacted well to prevent Rodrigo Bentancur from diverting the ball into his own net, but he could only parry the ball into the path of Rogers who had the simple task of smashing the ball into the empty net.

However, the blame of this issue doesn’t just fall on the goalkeeper's shoulders but rather it is a tactical problem which concerns the whole team.

Too often this season Tottenham players have lost their concentration or have not shown enough physicality or adept positioning to adequately defend crosses.

The frustrating aspect of the loss of the clean sheet for Spurs was the fact that Emery’s team created very little.

To concede a goal that easily is inexcusable at this level, especially for a team aiming for silverware this term.

Not only are Spurs struggling to defend set-pieces, they also can’t seem to score from one.

The Lilywhites have had 90 corners this campaign - 25 more than Nottingham Forest, who have the third most, and only eight away from Manchester City’s tally at the top.

From these 90 corners, Spurs have only scored from two of them, which can be calculated to a percentage of a 2% success rate.

This is even more bizarre when you consider the height amongst the Spurs roster including 6’4 Micky van de Ven, 6’3 Radu Dragusin and 6’2 Solanke.

If you cast your mind back to Antonio Conte’s regime, Gianni Vio was employed as an offensive set-piece coach and corners were a fruitful avenue.

Having someone of Vio’s ilk as part of Postecoglou’s back room staff could be hugely beneficial and give Spurs that edge in pursuit of realising their ambitions of lifting trophies.

Postecoglou’s not afraid to make controversial substitutions

The Australian made a tough decision in the 55th minute as he opted to take off Spurs captain Heung-min Son.

Moments before he was replaced, the South Korean had just manufactured a way back into the contest for the hosts as he swung in an inviting ball into the path of Johnson to level the score.

Son was in a confident mood and he was orchestrating every Spurs attack by demanding the ball off his teammates and driving the team forward with his mazy runs.

So when the fourth official held up the number seven on his board, a sense of bemusement filtered around the stadium and no one was as surprised and angry as Son.

The 32-year-old begrudgingly exited the field of play before taking his seat on the substitutes bench with a frustrated slump and was seen remonstrating with his colleagues about how he disagreed with the alteration.

Ultimately, the change paid off as Son’s replacement Richarlison picked up an assist and the skipper managed to get a sizeable rest after being plagued with injuries over the last month.

In his post-match press conference, Postecoglou admitted that the decision to take Son off was pre-determined as he wanted to protect his star winger.

Still, considering the circumstances it was a brave action by the Australian manager and if the outcome of the match had been different, he would have been subjected to a lot of criticism.

Solanke is proving his value for Spurs

Much was made when Spurs parted ways with a club record £60 million to sign Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke in the summer.

But the Englishman has proved his value so far, with his all-encompassing displays spearheading the best attack in the division.

The former Chelsea and Liverpool striker is a tireless presser who works incredibly hard for the team, and his selfless actions mean he might not always receive the adulation he deserves.

But most importantly, he is a really intelligent footballer.

He has the innate ability to understand when the best time to trigger the press is, he uses his bulky frame adeptly to win fouls and his movement is exemplary.

For his first goal and Tottenham’s second, the striker tracked back roughly 30 yards to help regain possession before beating Villa’s offside trap with a perfectly timed run and having the elegance and composure to delicately dink the ball over the onrushing Martinez.

Solanke’s second was a pure poacher's goal as he used his instinct to evade his marker and tap home.

Postecoglou was very complementary of his striker after the match hailing the forward as "unbelievable" and stating that when Solanke is on the pitch it makes his side a lot better.

If Solanke can consistently deliver these type of displays, the £60 million fee will start to look like a bargain.

The first of two Premier League matches this Sunday saw Tottenham Hotspur host Aston Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a vital top four clash.

The first half started well for Spurs as they dominated early on, looking like the more threatening side in the match. In the opening 20 minutes the Lilywhites managed seven touches in the opposition box, compared to Villa’s one.

It was the visitors, however, that had the first big chance as the initial corner was cleared, Villa swung a second cross back in and Amadou Onana rose the highest to nod a header towards goal but Guglielmo Vicario got down quickly to stop the away team from going in front.

However, from the resulting corner Rodrigo Bentancur flicked the ball towards his own keeper, who saved it, but Morgan Rogers was in position to poke home the rebound. Spurs yet again concede from a set piece, an issue that arises doubt towards Vicario.

The second half was a different story, Spurs started quickly and in the 49th minute Heung-Min Son delivered a brilliant ball into the Aston Villa penalty area and Welshman Brennan Johnson arrived at the back post to level the game.

Tottenham took the lead with quarter of an hour left to play, Johnson set the ball for Dejan Kulusevski who played a teasing ball into the danger area and Dominic Solanke managed to stay just onside and the Englishman showed great composure as he chipped an oncoming Emiliano Martinez.

Just four minutes later Spurs found themselves 3-1 up as Solanke grabbed his second of the day. Pape Matar Sarr intercepted a loose ball from Pau Torres before playing a ball to Richarlison who unselfishly squares it to Solanke who slots it home and puts the game out of reach for Villa.

With the game all but finished in the 96th minute, Spurs found themselves with a free-kick in a dangerous area and substitute James Maddison bent it round the Aston Villa wall to make it 4-1 to Spurs and seal off an important victory.

After a convincing win for Ange Postecoglou’s side, here are the player ratings.

Tottenham Hotspur Player Ratings

Guglielmo Vicario– 7

The Italian didn’t have a whole lot to do, facing only two shots on target all game. He got down well to save Onana’s header in the first half and kept out Bentancur’s flick towards his own goal.

However, Spurs conceded yet another set piece goal which has been a big talking point recently with questions being raised over Vicario’s ability to defend them.

Pedro Porro – 7

Solid performance from Porro today but nothing too spectacular. He attempted 6 crosses and only found his target with half of them.

The Spaniard also found himself in the referee’s book with a sliding challenge that could’ve been avoided if he stayed on his feet.

Cristian Romero – 7

The centre back once again showed off his passing ability today, completing 37 of his 39 attempted passes.

However, a foot injury forced him off after 60 minutes as he was replaced by Ben Davies.

Radu Dragusin – 8

Another solid defensive performance by Dragusin today as he covered for the injured Micky van de Ven. The Romanian international looked very comfortable on the ball and played four passes into the final third.

He also made a very good block in the first half against Jacob Ramsey.

Destiny Udogie – 7

Udogie made two interceptions and three tackles in a solid performance. The Italian left-back also made himself a nuisance for Villa in an attacking sense, making three passes into the final third.

Rodrigo Bentancur – 7

Arguably Spurs’ best player in the first half, looked very sharp. However, in the second half he seemed to be chasing the game a bit.

The Uruguayan was also lucky to not pick up a yellow card as he committed three fouls before being replaced by Yves Bissouma in the 56th minute.

Pape Matar Sarr – 8

Very impressive performance from the young midfielder who seemed to get better as the game went on.

He was vital for Spurs’ third goal as he picked up a loose ball and slipped Richarlison through to set up Solanke.

Dejan Kulusevski – 8

Struggled in the first half but was on form in the second and played a lovely reverse ball to set up Solanke’s first.

Brennan Johnson – 8

Gave his all and ran his socks off all game, chasing plenty of loose balls. He was rewarded for his effort early in the second half as he netted his seventh of the season, finishing off Son’s cross.

Dominic Solanke – 9

Worked tirelessly as usual, didn’t have too many chances in the first half. He got more service in the second half which resulted in him bagging two goals, chipping the first one over Martinez and tapping home a second from Richarlison’s pass.

Also won the free-kick that Maddison scored.

Heung-Min Son – 7

Spurs’ captain returned to the starting line-up today and lit up the start of the second half with a great low cross that Johnson finished off.

Was taken off after just 56 minutes though as a precaution, much to his disappointment.

Substitutes

Richarlison – 7

Made a brief appearance and grabbed an assist for Solanke but injured what seemed to be his hamstring in the process and was subbed off subsequently.

Yves Bissouma – 7

Came on and livened up the Spurs midfield, a great change from Postecoglou to replace Bentancur with the Mali international.

Ben Davies – 8

Defended very well when he came on for Romero and made a very important block which set Spurs’ away for their second.

James Maddison – 8

Didn’t let the fact he started on the bench get to him as he curled a beautiful free-kick round the Villa wall to make it 4-1 to Spurs.

Archie Gray – 7

Came on for Udogie late in the game and didn’t put a foot wrong. Such a promising young prospect.

Tottenham edged past Manchester City, with two first half goals from Timo Werner and Pape Matar Sarr.

This win was much needed for Spurs, after yet another disappointing away performance against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

It was not just the result that provided promise for supporters, but multiple elements of the performance that showed the Lilywhites' season is far from over.

Kulusevski's quality shines through

Dejan Kulusevski is having an outstanding campaign thus far, picking up another two assists last night.

Creating chances was only one part of what Kulusevski brought to the table against City, with tireless running off the ball, deep understanding of how Ange Postecoglou wants him to play and immense composure on the ball.

This was proved by the Swede not being dispossessed once during the match, of which he played the duration.

Kulusevski has more often than not provided the answer for Tottenham, being the creative spark that continues to light up the pitch.

With impressive upper body strength, ball-carrying ability and willingness to do the under-appreciated running in hard-fought contests, the 24-year-old is without a doubt Tottenham's player of the season so far.

Werner is capable of delivering in the final third

Timo Werner has been the centre of attention, for the wrong reasons, surrounding many supporters' quibbles about their lack of ruthlessness in the final third.

A tidy finish, past compatriot Stefan Ortega, is the confidence boost the German has been looking for.

This is not to say he is the perfect winger and takes every chance he gets with ease, even Son Heung-min squanders opportunities from time to time.

The chances that fell to the 28-year-old early in the second half is more accustomed to what fans' expectations are of the former Chelsea man.

However, Timo Werner is very useful to Ange Postecoglou, with his pace capable of taking him to a crossing position, a core element of what the Australian manager looks for in his wide players.

To find a winger with electric pace, Champions League winning experience and ability to beat a man is rare. Therefore, Werner could be key for Spurs as they go deeper into cup competitions.

Richarlison's experience proves useful

With 20 minutes left to play, the north London side were holding a one goal lead when Postecoglou chose to bring on Brazilian forward Richarlison.

This may not seem like a conventional substitution when looking to see out a win, but two key factors made it exactly what Spurs needed.

Firstly, the 27-year-old has vast experience in holding up play and letting his side regain their shape, providing them with the best chance of defending their advantage.

The ball would fall to Richarlison on the left wing and he would wait for the perfect moment to beat a man in order to win a foul.

As well as this, the striker contributes to goals, which is how Ange Postecoglou wants his team to see out results, instead of opting for defensive rigidity.

The Brazilian created a chance for himself late on, but failed to capitalise on Josko Gvardiol's misplaced throw, with Richarlison firing it straight at the keeper.

This combination of game management and attacking threat could be just what Spurs have been missing this season, with Richarlison's return from injury being just what the Lilywhites need.

Winning mentality exists within Tottenham's ranks

With a disappointing defeat to Crystal Palace, among others, this season has been full of bumps in the road for Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham.

It has often been like a box of chocolates, to quote Forest Gump, you never know what you're going to get.

This victory against an albeit weakened Man City proved that Spurs do possess a determined winning mentality.

The issue for Postecoglou is making sure that is on show every week, keeping players' motivation high.

Despite similar issues coming to the fore, such as frailty from set pieces, the collective defensive effort demonstrated this positive mindset that exists within the ranks at N17.

From Dominic Solanke's endless running to Yves Bissouma's goal line clearance, the north London side deserved to progress in the Carabao Cup.

With the contrasting matches over the last week, the players within the squad will be developing mental qualities that are required for success.

Giving Postecoglou and his squad time for this development is what Spurs' most likely route to silverware in the near future will be.

Tottenham Hotspur haven't faced Manchester City in the Carabao Cup for over three years now, with the last clash between these two sides in this competition coming in the 2021 final at Wembley Stadium.

The Lilywhites were well in the game despite coming into the tie as heavy underdogs, and they were only pipped to the victory by an Aymeric Laporte header eight minutes from time.

Their squad looks awfully different nowadays from the one we saw take to the pitch at Wembley, with just two players still remaining at the club.

Manager - Ryan Mason

Ryan Mason led the team out at Wembley Stadium, in what was only his second game in a managerial role. He had taken over from Jose Mourinho less than a week before the final and had overseen a comeback victory against Southampton in the week leading up to the clash with Pep Guardiola.

The former Tottenham midfielder, who holds the record as the youngest manager to take charge of a Premier League side, remains at his boyhood club, and is apart of Ange Postecoglou's backroom staff in the role of Assistant Coach.

Starting XI

Hugo Lloris

Club now: LAFC

Captain on the day, Hugo Lloris left Spurs in December 2023 after falling out of favour when new boss Ange Postecoglou arrived. He left the club after making 447 appearances in twelve years, joining MLS outfit LAFC on a free transfer.

Serge Aurier

Club now: Free Agent

Serge Aurier only went on to play twice more for the club after the Carabao Cup final defeat. His contract was mutually terminated in August 2021 under Nuno Espirito Santo, and he is currently a free agent after he left Galatasaray in the summer.

Toby Alderweireld

Club now: Royal Antwerp

A cult hero, Toby Alderweireld also brought an end to his spell with The Lilywhites at the end of the 2020/21 season, making the switch to Qatar to play for Al-Duhail.

The Belgian currently plays his trade for boyhood club Royal Antwerp, whom he helped win their first league title in 66 years thanks to his 94th-minute equaliser on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign.

Eric Dier

Club now: Bayern Munich

Eric Dier was a regular in the side before Ange Postecoglou was appointed as Head Coach in the summer of 2023. After the Australian's appointment, he fell down the pecking order and subsequently joined Bayern Munich in January 2024 on an initial loan, which became permanent.

Sergio Reguilon

Club now: Tottenham Hotspur

The former Real Madrid left-back has had various loan spells since the Carabao Cup final defeat in 2021, but he is currently back at Hotspur Way and training with the first team after failing to secure a move away in the summer transfer window.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

Club now: Olympique Marseille

A leader and stalwart in the midfield during the run which saw Spurs reach the final, and for the many seasons after, the hard-battling Dane departed North London in the summer, swapping it for Southern France as he joined up with ex-Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi.

Harry Winks

Club now: Leicester City

A boyhood Tottenham fan, Harry Winks started in his second-ever major competition final at Wembley in 2021, but, unsurprisingly, tasted defeat as the trophy drought lived on. He was shipped out on loan less than a year later, before rejoining Leicester City and earning promotion to the Premier League with The Foxes in his first season in the Midlands.

Giovani Lo Celso

Club now: Real Betis

The Argentinian had a heavily disrupted time in England, with injuries and loan spells overwhelming the bulk of his Tottenham career. On his day, he was a quality addition to the midfield, but it never really worked out for him and he left for former side Real Betis in the summer of 2024, as part of a major clearout under Ange Postecoglou.

Lucas Moura

Club now: Sao Paulo

The Brazilian, who will be hailed as a club legend for generations after his heroics in Amsterdam, returned to his boyhood club Sao Paulo after five years in the English capital, and the 32-year-old is still turning out for them on a regular occurrence.

Harry Kane

Club now: Bayern Munich

Harry Kane, who became the club's all-time leading goalscorer in February 2023, hit staggering new heights as a Tottenham player, but he joined German giants Bayern Munich on the eve of the 2023/24 season, having failed to win a single trophy in a Spurs shirt.

Heung-Min Son

Club now: Tottenham Hotspur

One of just two players from the starting eleven who remain at the club to this day, Heung-Min Son was named club captain two years after the final defeat to City. The South Korean has scored 165 times in 416 appearances since joining in 2015.

Substitutes

Gareth Bale

Club now: Retired

The Welsh Wizard was in the form of his life during his second stint in N17, yet started the Carabao Cup final on the bench. He went back to Real Madrid at the culmination of his season-long loan before joining LAFC where he retired in 2023.

Dele Alli

Club now: Free Agent

Dele had just began to rediscover some form under Ryan Mason, but fell out of favour again under Antonio Conte, so left the club to join Everton in January of 2022. He struggled both physically and mentally whilst with The Toffees and left when his contract expired in 2024.

Although now a free agent, Everton are still allowing him to get back to speed and carry out his rehabilitation at their training base, in the hope that he reach those immense heights he did as a youngster.

Moussa Sissoko

Club now: Watford

The Frenchman, who was a fan-favourite during his time in North London, joined Watford in the summer of 2021, but after one season returned to his homeland to play for Nantes. After two seasons, he rejoined Watford and currently plays his trade for The Hornets in the Championship.

Stebven Bergwijn

Club: Al-Ittihad

Heung-Min Son, who has missed five of the last six matches, is once again set to be sidelined on Wednesday night when Tottenham Hotspur host Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.

Although he was only meant to miss last Thursday's UEFA Europa League fixture with AZ Alkmaar on precautionary measures, the South Korean captain, who has just been named as the AFC Asian International Player of the Year, also sat out of the lacklustre 1-0 loss against Crystal Palace on the weekend.

On the Spurs captain, Ange Postecoglou had this to say:

"Well he is almost fit but we will probably from our perspective aim him for the weekend. We're quite confident he will be right for the weekend."

Other team news

Aside from the winger missing out, there is one confirmed absentee for Postecglou to contend with.

It's bad news for summer signing Wilson Odobert, who returned from a hamstring injury when he came off the bench in the 87th minute against Alkmaar.

Postecoglou: "The only one missing out, which is a bit of a disappointment is Wilson. He's had a setback during the week and it seems like it's a serious one, so we're waiting for more information."

The Australian Head Coach also explained that the Frenchman's issue was "not exactly the same [injury] but same area."

Elsewhere, there is good news as Djed Spence has returned to training, and all of Sunday's squad came through the match unscathed.

Erik ten Hag sacked

Ange hints at more League Cup rotation

Respectively, Ange Postecoglou made nine and eight changes for the trips to Fulham and Coventry City in this competition over the last two seasons.

Last season at Craven Cottage in Round Two, the decision to heavily rotate cost The Lilywhites, as they crashed out on penalties, and it very nearly backfired again away at the Coventry Building Society Arena in September, with Spurs scoring 87th and 92nd-minute goals to turn the tie around in the nick of time.

This time, despite the stature of the opponents, he has still vowed to continue his Crabao Cup rotation policy.

"We'll do similarly to what we've done in all our mid-weeks games, Europe included, [which] is try to pick a team we think will win the game and take into account we did play Sunday."

"Obviously City played on Saturday so we've got to make sure the players we put out there tomorrow are able to compete physically with what's going to be on the other side of the pitch from us. The good thing is just about the whole squad's had some kind of football so that means whatever changes we make the players coming in are at a good physical level."

Players and staff understand significance of tie

With some supporters seeing this mouthwatering matchup as arguably one of the biggest of the season so far, the Australian was asked whether there had been any signs of players or staff not understanding the importance of the fixture.

"I'm not a supporter of this club, I'm the manager of this football club and I'd hate to think that any supporter of this football club thinks that I try harder in one game than another. Supporters can feel what they like, which is the most important game."

As he did in May - when Spurs lost 2-0 at home to the eventual champions, with many fans urging the team to throw the game on purpose so rivals Arsenal could not win the league - Postecoglou stated that he treats all games equally.

During the defeat, the Aussie angrily raged at a group of fans situated behind the dugout, with it emerging they were continuously telling him to lose. He wasn't a fan of the atmosphere in the ground that night either.

In his post-match press conference in May, he furiously stated that "the last 48 hours to me have revealed the foundations are pretty fragile."

And again, five months later, he has rectified that he poses the same outlook on all fixtures.

"It would be the biggest injustice for me as a manager if I said, 'We're going to try harder tomorrow than we do at the weekend or we did last weekend'.

It doesn't work that way. You need to separate supporters of a football club with people who have the responsibility of representing it. Our responsibility lies with trying to be the best we can be everyday for our supporters, for everyone who's part of this football club. It's not about trying to gain brownie points."

Reaction to Palace defeat

Once again, Ange Postecoglou has urged that his players must stick to the principles, rather than immediately chase a reaction following another poor showing.

"I don't think it is about a reaction. It's fairly understandable that the players and everyone was disappointed with the way things went for us at Palace, both performance and outcome, but we've got to get away from this reactions and trying to atone for something.

Part of the process for us is making sure every game we stick to our principles irrespective of what has happened in the past. If you wait for reactions for good performances, you're actually anticipating another challenge when you should just be trying to focus on consistency in performance and consistency in mentality of how we approach every game."

Erik ten Hag sacked

In the buildup to his side's match agans West Ham on Sunday, former Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag stated that he denies and ignores their 3-0 hammering by Tottenham "because the red card was overturned."

Just days later, the Dutchman was sacked and Spurs boss Postecoglou was quizzed on whether he was shocked by the former Ajax man's departure.

"Nah, not really shocked. Disappointing as it was, it was almost inevitable with the scrutiny he had. It is just the nature of football these days."

The former Celtic manager was also asked to describe the scrutiny that Premier League bosses face on a day-to-day basis.

"I have said in the past that it is becoming more and more difficult to do the role in any kind of processed way. It is just the nature of what we do these days.

It seems like, if you look at Erik he was there for two and a bit years. He won a trophy in each year, they finished third in his first year. I don’t know if he was here with that record would he have lost his job? I don’t know. Would he be under the same scrutiny? I don’t know."

Since arriving in N17, the Australian has stressed the importance that he is here to deliver silverware, and he may get a very good chance to do this season, with his side fighting on both the continental and domestic stage. A victory on Wednesday would see the favourites knocked out early, and would open up a very nice route to a first trophy in over sixteen years.

Tottenham’s troubles away from home continued as Jean-Philippe Mateta’s goal earned Crystal Palace their first Premier League victory of the season.

Ange Postecoglou’s side arrived at Selhurst Park having won seven of their last eight matches in all competitions yet were devoid of the type of confidence that such a run would usually spawn. It was the winless Palace who brought the swagger.

They needed only to strike once, Mateta dealing what proved to be the fatal blow on 31 minutes. Daniel Muñoz pounced on a Micky van de Ven error before delivering a cross which Eberechi Eze flicked expertly for the French forward to power home.

There was no riposte. Despite fielding - and replenishing - an offensive cast, Spurs failed to lay a glove on their hosts, who might have had a second had Eze timed a second-half run fractionally better.

Spurs have already accrued three away league defeats this season, a record Postecoglou must resolve if his side are to fulfil their potential.

Away hoodoo continues

Postecoglou’s first six away trips with Spurs in the league delivered four wins and two draws. His next 18 saw the team win four, draw five and - most worryingly - lose nine. This season, they sit 13th in the away league table having lost three in five.

For a club with pretensions to Champions League football and more, these are bona fide causes for concern. Speaking to the media post-match, Postecoglou pointed to his side’s inability to adjust to the stop-start nature of the game.

He said “We ended up doing some silly things, giving away silly fouls and just losing our composure, which just adds to that sort of [stop-start] game. And you just can’t get any traction.”

There is a school of thought that the midfield three of Yves Bissouma, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski is simply too offensive for attritional matches such as these. Whereas the set-up has worked at home against sides willing to absorb pressure, it has struggled to contain opponents’ preferring the gung ho approach.

Rewind a year and one day. There were emotional scenes as Rodrigo Bentancur made his return from an eight-month-long ACL injury in a 2-1 win at Selhurst Palace. The Uruguayan was introduced with three minutes remaining on Sunday but Spurs looked far more comfortable playing into midfield with him in the six position. Perhaps a more balanced starting 11 is required.

Frazzled full-backs

Oliver Glasner deployed the elusive Eze and Ismaila Sarr as inside forwards behind Mateta and the pair worked smartly to create overloads on the wings before drifting into central areas.

Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie were handed the unenviable task of curbing their influence and were pulled from pillar to post, with the additional threat of Tyrick Mitchell and Muñoz bombing forwards too much to handle. The Spurs full-backs were afforded precious little respite.

Advanced full-backs have, in fact, become something of a Postecoglou trademark during his time at Spurs but Porro and Udogie had their work cut out on this occasion. Their heat maps showed a far deeper average position while the pair, who had managed five shots in Spurs’ previous league outing against West Ham, fired goalwards just once.

It bears mentioning that Palace lost the impressive Michael Olise to Bayern Munich in the summer. Quite how Spurs would have fared against the Frenchman is a question best left unanswered.

Do Spurs have a difference maker?

Selhurst Park will have seldom seen better goals than Dele Alli’s mesmerising swivel and volley in 2016. And while Harry Kane’s late header to snatch three points two years later was rather less spectacular, it characterised a player who had made a habit of showing up when his team needed him most.

That is exactly what Spurs did not have recourse to on Sunday afternoon. With their front line stagnant and uninspired, there was little to suggest that anyone would deliver a timely moment of magic.

The absence of Son Heung-min certainly did not help. The club captain has scored 19 Spurs goals from outside the box - 11 using his right foot and eight with his left - and is capable of producing something out of nothing. At 16, his replacement Mikey Moore should not be expected to fill his boots. There are plenty of established forwards who should be stepping up.

Maddison has scored 15 direct free-kicks in his career, four of which were game-winning, but none for Spurs. Meanwhile the returning Richarlison appeared a shadow of the player who netted nine times in nine league games last winter.

Second and third phase struggles

Eagles centre-half Maxence Lacroix had an exceptional game but should have broken the deadlock when presented with a free header in the first-half. It came after Palace went short with a corner. Simple, yet enough to distract Brennan Johnson, who had initially been marshalling Lacroix.

The hosts had the ball in the net soon after the interval only for Eze to be correctly ruled offside. It was a fractional call, and came from Spurs not resetting after an attacking set-piece as Bissouma was exposed holding the defensive line. Van de Ven was a good 15 yards ahead of the ball. What of Cristian Romero? Nowhere to be seen.

Tottenham were dealt their fourth defeat of the Premier League season by a Crystal Palace team that out-fought the Lilywhites.

A fractured and cagey first half saw the game frequently pause due to injuries and that prevented proceedings from finding a flow.

This suited Palace a lot more than their opponents as they could disrupt Spurs from finding any rhythm.

The Eagles would reap the rewards for a positive first half as Jean-Phillipe Mateta crashed in the opener after indecisive defending had seen the ball land at the Frenchman’s feet.

Tempers were flaring over after the interval as Spurs grew frustrated by Palace’s solidity and wily gamesmanship and the Eagles held on for their first Premier League victory since the end of last campaign.

It was a performance that lacked grit and determination from a Spurs side who are struggling for consistency, here’s how the individuals got on.

Player Ratings

Guglielmo Vicario – 6

The Italian looked very shaky in possession and found it very hard to deal with the incessant press of the Palace front three.

He could not do anything about the goal as the strike flew past him before he had time to react.

However, Vicario kept his side in the contest with a string of saves to deny the likes of Eberechi Eze and Ismalia Sarr.

Pedro Porro – 5

Porro had a difficult afternoon in South London as he looked vulnerable defensively and could not contribute offensively to help his team find a way back into the game.

The former Sporting Lisbon man was not alert for the decisive goal as he could not intercept Munoz’s cross to deny Eze the chance to tee up Mateta.

Cristian Romero – 5

Tottenham’s captain on the day could not rally his troops to conjure up a response following the first half goal.

The World Cup winner played his part in losing possession for Jean-Phillipe Mateta’s goal on the stroke of the half hour mark.

Palace’s front three ran the Spurs backline ragged and Romero was often bypassed by Eze.

Micky van de Ven – 3

It was a woeful display from the 23-year-old who was consistently outmuscled by Mateta and outpaced by Sarr.

It was the Dutchman who would lose the ball leading up to the opening goal as Daniel Munoz closed down the angle and blocked van de Ven’s attempted clearance.

In defence of Tottenham’s number 37, the pass across the penalty area by central defensive partner Romero was overhit, but he could have dealt with the situation better.

The former Wolfsburg man was at Palace's peril for the entirety of the match and would have had his heart in his mouth after his force took Eze down inside the box put his claims were waved away.

Van de Ven was fortunate to not be shown a straight red card in the second half after hauling down Ismailia Sarr who was racing through, but referee Darren Bond adjudged that the Palace attacker was not on course to have a goal scoring opportunity.

Destiny Udogie – 5

Udogie looked much more like his old self in South London but still could not help unlock the Palace defence.

In a match that was rife with full-blooded challenges, Udogie did well not to pick up a booking.

Yves Bissouma – 5

The Malian had the responsibility of being the midfield metronome and dictating the play but was often overwhelmed by the opposition.

After the interval, Bissouma improved, but the midfield pairing of Adam Wharton and Will Hughes had tenacity in abundance to prevent Spurs from retaining possession.

James Maddison – 4

It was another disappointing display from Spurs' primary creative force as Palace restrained the Englishman from having any influence on the game.

The midfielder was substituted to a chorus of jeers from the home faithful on the hour and Maddison looked bitterly disheartened.

Dejan Kulusevski – 3

The Swede cut a frustrated figure in the first half as many of his passes failed to find their intended target.

He was taken off on the hour mark alongside Maddison, which was a sensible decision by Postecoglou, as Kulusevski looked in serious danger of receiving a second yellow card.

Brennan Johnson – 4

The Welshman was anonymous in the early stages as Postecoglou’s side struggled to retain possession.

He came the closest to netting the equaliser in the first half as his improvised effort came off the post, but he did not look like he knew too much about it.

Johnson could not fashion any clear-cut chances for his teammates in the second period.

Dominic Solanke - 6

Solanke worked tirelessly against the resolute back three but ultimately looked isolated in what was an exasperating afternoon.

Due to Spurs’ inability to keep hold of the ball, the Englishman was forced to drop back deeper to pick up the ball, but a by-product of that is the Lilywhites missed his presence in the box.

Mikey Moore - 3

Physically the teenager looked out of his depth as he was hounded by opposing full-back Daniel Munoz with the Colombian sensing vulnerability in the 17-year-old.

On the ball, Moore played several incisive passes to overlapping full-back Udogie, but after playing his first 90 minutes of senior football during midweek, he looked absolutely shattered by the time he was taken off as part of Postecoglou's triple alteration.

Substitutes

Pape Matar Sarr - 6

The Senegalese instilled some calm into a side that were shell-shocked by the intensity of their opponent.

Sarr will find hard done by that he is has not been chosen to start the last few matches, considering the impact he has had when he has been introduced into the fold.

Richarlison - 5

Richarlison was introduced to offer Solanke some help against the likes of Marc Guehi, Trevoh Chalobah and Maxcence Lacroix who were dominating Spurs' record signing.

As always, Richarlison caused issues but still looks short of match sharpness following a prolonged spell out injured.

Timo Werner – 6

The German has been short of confidence recently but his display at Selhurst Park will encourage Postecoglou.

He whipped in a plethora of searching crosses into dangerous areas, but neither Dominic Solanke nor Richarlison could connect.

Rodrigo Bentancur – N/A

The midfielder came on in the dying embers but his lack of urgency did not help Spurs in their pursuit of parity.