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Tottenham failed to expand on their impressive record against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, losing to the champions at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for just the third time in nine matches.

Ange Postecoglou's decision to leave out key players, such as the rejuvenated Djed Spence, along with Son Heung-Min and Dejan Kulusevski - who have caused Man City so many problems in recent encounters, caused mixed reactions from the Tottenham faithful.

It was a chaotic opening 20 minutes, as Ange Postecoglou's renowned high-pressing style, led to his side being dispossessed multiple times, allowing Man City to create a surplus of chances.

Tottenham were punished in the 12th minute, when Erling Haaland connected with Jeremy Doku's deflected cross from the left wing. And the Norwegian nearly doubled his side's lead shortly after, but his close range effort was saved excellently by Guglielmo Vicario.

Tottenham hunted an equaliser in the second half, looking more assured defensively, and creating a surplus of late opportunities, as they came agonisingly close to finding a leveller.

However, Postecoglou's side failed to be clinical with their late flurry of chances, unlike in their emphatic 4-0 victory at the Etihad in November.

The result leaves Tottenham 13th in the Premier league table, but with Postecoglou encouraged by his side's "Aggressive football".

Increased player availability vital for final stages of the season

Postecoglou has frequently drawn attention to the fact that his team has suffered a great deal with the vast array of injuries they have suffered.

The Australian highlighted the benefit of having a greater selection of players to bring on off the bench, which influenced their improved second half performance.

"I think you see the benefit of us going into a game well prepared.

"That level of performance in the second half, if we can begin to get consistent with that then we'll be able to push on."

This will be vital for Tottenham, as they approach a busy schedule, involving key Europa League fixtures, many of whom feel will dictate the future of Postecoglou as Tottenham manager.

"We're going to have some real options which we're going to need.

"We've got Europa and league back to back now and we need as many bodies available for that as possible."

Postecoglou explains why he left out Spence, Son and Kulusevski

Some fans respected the decision to leave out the trio, given that Tottenham have very little to play for in the Premier League.

It therefore made sense to give some players much needed rest, as the Europa League takes a higher priority.

On the other hand, some fans thought it was unwise to leave out players who have haunted Man City so often in the past.

"Deki, Sonny and Djed have played an enormous amount of time, so having them have a little bit of recovery and a breather, I thought was going to be helpful for us.

"We needed Destiny, Brennan and Wilson to play today and get some minutes."

Tottenham rue squandered chances in the second half

"We had a few of those moments in the second half where it just either flashed across the box, or Ederson's made a save, or they've made a block.

"Obviously you're flattened by the defeat but in terms of the way we played and the way we went about it, it was much more like the team we want to be.

"It's a lesson in there for us. I certainly feel the second half we dominated the game and territory and we were pretty relentless and much better with ball, more calm, but just missing a goal and ultimately fell short."

A crucial time period awaits Tottenham. It seems as though the three-game winning streak prior to last night's game, gave them the breathing space they needed over the relegation zone.

Tottenham Hotspur fell to a narrow home defeat to Manchester City last night as they were repeatedly undone by the reigning Premier League champions.

The hosts were fortunate that their net had only been breached once going into the interval. A disjointed outfit was being picked apart by a City team hungry to make amends after their recent poor form.

Jeremy Doku frequently breezed past the opposition defenders at will and created the only goal of the contest. The Belgian trickster found the returning Erling Haaland unmarked in the middle and the Norwegian clinically tapped past Guglielmo Vicario.

In the second period, Ange Postecoglou’s players were much improved and the introduction of Dejan Kulusevski, Heung-min Son and Djed Spence contributed to the upheaval.

However, their dominant spell didn’t yield an equaliser and the visitors reassumed control of proceedings. In stoppage-time, Haaland thought he had doubled his tally for the evening with a delicate chip.

In a confusing turn of events, a lengthy VAR check eventually confirmed Jarred Gillet’s on-field decision of no goal for a handball offence.

There was still time in the match for a last-gasp chance for Pape Matar Sarr, but the Senegalese international couldn’t readjust in the dying embers to restore parity. The referee then blew the full-time whistle which sealed Tottenham’s fate; a 14th league defeat of a miserable campaign.

With a crucial Europa League knockout tie against AZ Alkmaar looming, Postecoglou will be determined to make sure any issues that arose tonight are quickly ironed out. Here’s what we learnt from tonight.

Djed Spence has become indispensable

For the sake of freshness and squad rotation, the Spurs manager opted to name Spence amongst the substitutes. It was a logical decision to make – Pedro Porro had been rested on the weekend against Ipswich and Destiny Udogie needed to build up his match fitness after a period out injured. But sometimes logic doesn’t always point you in the correct direction.

Spence has emphatically proven his value over the last few weeks. In all three of Spurs’ successive wins over Brentford, Manchester United and Ipswich Town, the full-back was named Player of the Match. That is an incredible feat for any individual, let alone a right-back playing on his weaker side.

His attributes make him a formidable opponent for even the most talented of forwards and he was sorely missed tonight for Tottenham. Porro was run ragged by the speed and directness of Jeremy Doku while Udogie looked vulnerable at times. Spence’s introduction midway through the second period lifted the mood around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the home faithful cheering his entrance. The Englishman’s recent performances have made him a fan favourite in N17 and may caught the attention of newly appointed England manager Thomas Tuchel.

The truth is Spence has become indispensable. His qualities are integral to the way Spurs approach matches. The full-back’s athleticism is crucial when defending transitions and his ability to protect the ball helps retain possession. Tonight indicated what can happen when Spence isn’t in the starting eleven. During the remainder of the campaign, Postecoglou isn’t likely to make that same mistake in an important game again.

Sarr is a shadow of his former self

Last year, Pape Matar Sarr was being lauded as one of the Premier League’s brightest young starlets. He was described as industrious, imposing and a classic throwback to the all-encompassing midfielders of a previous generation.

But this term, you can’t help but feel he’s regressed. Sarr is one of a select few in the squad that hasn’t been blighted by injuries recently, yet still looks compromised. You could argue that he’s simply fatigued from the constant demand of the schedule, but that isn’t the reality.

The 22-year-old started the first six games of the calendar year, but in the following six games he hasn’t started one.

Sarr entered the fray with 20 minutes remaining last night and stood out for all the wrong reasons. In his brief appearance, the Senegalese picked up a needless booking for a petulant foul and missed a glorious opportunity to equalise with virtually the last touch of the evening.

Heung-min Son flicked Porro’s cross into Sarr’s direction, but the former Metz man somehow couldn’t direct the ball goalward from a few yards out. In fairness, he had very little time to react, but fine margins like that separate the good players from the great.

A guaranteed starter before, Sarr has noticeably fallen down the pecking order. He’ll have to improve to win that place back.

Mathys Tel is yet to acclimatise to English football

The loan capture of highly-rated Mathys Tel on deadline day of the January window was considered a serious coup for Tottenham Hotspur.

Tel had several suitors and after initially dismissing the offer to move to North London, the teenager eventually chose to make the switch.

The Bayern Munich loanee was thrown into the deep end and made his debut at Anfield in a 4-0 loss to Liverpool.

Spurs were also defeated by Aston Villa a few days later. However, there was a glimmer of positivity to take from the display as Tel grabbed a late consolation to get off the mark for his new club.

Since that goal, the Frenchman has been largely ineffective. His performances against Manchester United, Ipswich and Manchester City have all merged into one amalgamation of anonymity. Tel was chasing shadows for the majority of those contests and, putting it harshly, Tottenham simply looked better when he wasn’t on the pitch.

Now, this isn’t writing off the 19-year-old. Far from it. There’s clearly potential just waiting to be unlocked.

But, it’s pertinent to mention that his acclimatisation to English football hasn’t gone smoothly.

The silver lining of Tottenham’s disastrous league position is that Postecoglou can continue to offer Tel minutes with no real jeopardy attached. The sole focus should now purely be on winning the Europa League. Not only would it put an end to Tottenham’s trophy drought, but it would also see the club qualify for the Champions League. And at this rate, the Lilywhites will be lucky to scrape Conference League qualification through their league positioning.

Lucas Bergvall is growing in confidence

Bergvall’s development is fascinating to watch with the teenager growing from a boy into a man right before our eyes. The Swede’s last two performances, against Ipswich and City have been his best in a Spurs shirt since he joined from boyhood club Djurgarden.

Last night he took the responsibility of driving his side up the pitch with purposeful darting forays forward. With every passing minute, his confidence increases, which is personified by his elegant feints and inventive footwork. The most exciting thing is that he is still only 19 and is far from the finished product. If he fulfils his potential and continues on this upward trajectory, we could be looking at one of the sport’s finest midfielders.

As part of his journey towards complete maturity, Bergvall must become more disciplined. Far too often this season he has given away a cheap free-kick or received a silly booking. Time will undoubtedly eradicate these minor issues.

Tottenham Hotspur fell to a narrow home defeat to Manchester City last night as they were repeatedly undone by the reigning Premier League champions.

The hosts were fortunate that their net had only been breached once going into the interval. A disjointed outfit was being picked apart by a City team hungry to make amends after their recent poor form.

Jeremy Doku frequently breezed past the opposition defenders at will and created the only goal of the contest. The Belgian trickster found the returning Erling Haaland unmarked in the middle and the Norwegian clinically tapped past Guglielmo Vicario.

In the second period, Ange Postecoglou’s players were much improved and the introduction of Dejan Kulusevski, Heung-min Son and Djed Spence contributed to the upheaval.

However, their dominant spell didn’t yield an equaliser and the visitors reassumed control of proceedings. In stoppage-time, Haaland thought he had doubled his tally for the evening with a delicate chip.

In a confusing turn of events, a lengthy VAR check eventually confirmed Jarred Gillet’s on-field decision of no goal for a handball offence.

There was still time in the match for a last-gasp chance for Pape Matar Sarr, but the Senegalese international couldn’t readjust in the dying embers to restore parity. The referee then blew the full-time whistle which sealed Tottenham’s fate; a 14th league defeat of a miserable campaign.

With a crucial Europa League knockout tie against AZ Alkmaar looming, Postecoglou will be determined to make sure any issues that arose tonight are quickly ironed out. Here’s what we learnt from tonight.

Djed Spence has become indispensable

For the sake of freshness and squad rotation, the Spurs manager opted to name Spence amongst the substitutes. It was a logical decision to make – Pedro Porro had been rested on the weekend against Ipswich and Destiny Udogie needed to build up his match fitness after a period out injured. But sometimes logic doesn’t always point you in the correct direction.

Spence has emphatically proven his value over the last few weeks. In all three of Spurs’ successive wins over Brentford, Manchester United and Ipswich Town, the full-back was named Player of the Match. That is an incredible feat for any individual, let alone a right-back playing on his weaker side.

His attributes make him a formidable opponent for even the most talented of forwards and he was sorely missed tonight for Tottenham. Porro was run ragged by the speed and directness of Jeremy Doku while Udogie looked vulnerable at times. Spence’s introduction midway through the second period lifted the mood around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the home faithful cheering his entrance. The Englishman’s recent performances have made him a fan favourite in N17 and may caught the attention of newly appointed England manager Thomas Tuchel.

The truth is Spence has become indispensable. His qualities are integral to the way Spurs approach matches. The full-back’s athleticism is crucial when defending transitions and his ability to protect the ball helps retain possession. Tonight indicated what can happen when Spence isn’t in the starting eleven. During the remainder of the campaign, Postecoglou isn’t likely to make that same mistake in an important game again.

Sarr is a shadow of his former self

Last year, Pape Matar Sarr was being lauded as one of the Premier League’s brightest young starlets. He was described as industrious, imposing and a classic throwback to the all-encompassing midfielders of a previous generation.

But this term, you can’t help but feel he’s regressed. Sarr is one of a select few in the squad that hasn’t been blighted by injuries recently, yet still looks compromised. You could argue that he’s simply fatigued from the constant demand of the schedule, but that isn’t the reality.

The 22-year-old started the first six games of the calendar year, but in the following six games he hasn’t started one.

Sarr entered the fray with 20 minutes remaining last night and stood out for all the wrong reasons. In his brief appearance, the Senegalese picked up a needless booking for a petulant foul and missed a glorious opportunity to equalise with virtually the last touch of the evening.

Heung-min Son flicked Porro’s cross into Sarr’s direction, but the former Metz man somehow couldn’t direct the ball goalward from a few yards out. In fairness, he had very little time to react, but fine margins like that separate the good players from the great.

A guaranteed starter before, Sarr has noticeably fallen down the pecking order. He’ll have to improve to win that place back.

Mathys Tel is yet to acclimatise to English football

The loan capture of highly-rated Mathys Tel on deadline day of the January window was considered a serious coup for Tottenham Hotspur.

Tel had several suitors and after initially dismissing the offer to move to North London, the teenager eventually chose to make the switch.

The Bayern Munich loanee was thrown into the deep end and made his debut at Anfield in a 4-0 loss to Liverpool.

Spurs were also defeated by Aston Villa a few days later. However, there was a glimmer of positivity to take from the display as Tel grabbed a late consolation to get off the mark for his new club.

Since that goal, the Frenchman has been largely ineffective. His performances against Manchester United, Ipswich and Manchester City have all merged into one amalgamation of anonymity. Tel was chasing shadows for the majority of those contests and, putting it harshly, Tottenham simply looked better when he wasn’t on the pitch.

Now, this isn’t writing off the 19-year-old. Far from it. There’s clearly potential just waiting to be unlocked.

But, it’s pertinent to mention that his acclimatisation to English football hasn’t gone smoothly.

The silver lining of Tottenham’s disastrous league position is that Postecoglou can continue to offer Tel minutes with no real jeopardy attached. The sole focus should now purely be on winning the Europa League. Not only would it put an end to Tottenham’s trophy drought, but it would also see the club qualify for the Champions League. And at this rate, the Lilywhites will be lucky to scrape Conference League qualification through their league positioning.

Lucas Bergvall is growing in confidence

Bergvall’s development is fascinating to watch with the teenager growing from a boy into a man right before our eyes. The Swede’s last two performances, against Ipswich and City have been his best in a Spurs shirt since he joined from boyhood club Djurgarden.

Last night he took the responsibility of driving his side up the pitch with purposeful darting forays forward. With every passing minute, his confidence increases, which is personified by his elegant feints and inventive footwork. The most exciting thing is that he is still only 19 and is far from the finished product. If he fulfils his potential and continues on this upward trajectory, we could be looking at one of the sport’s finest midfielders.

As part of his journey towards complete maturity, Bergvall must become more disciplined. Far too often this season he has given away a cheap free-kick or received a silly booking. Time will undoubtedly eradicate these minor issues.

Tottenham have the chance to win three consecutive Premier League games for the first time season, if they beat Ipswich in their first visit to Portman Road since 2002.

Though if they are to do this, they will have to break a streak of four consecutive losses against an Ipswich side who know that completing the double over Tottenham may give them the chance to escape the relegation zone.

When the sides met in November, Ipswich inflicted a shock defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which, at the time, was their first victory since their return to the Premier League. This was during an extremely inconsistent time for Ange Postecoglou's side, who, in their next game, went on to thrash champions Manchester City 4-0 at the Etihad.

Since then, Tottenham's inconsistency worsened into consistent defeats, as they plummeted down the table, suffering one of the worst injury crisis' in the club's history.

After a 2-1 loss at home to Leicester, it really seemed a shocking reality that Tottenham may have been in a relegation fight. But over the past few weeks, it seems as though Postecoglou has managed to steady the ship, with back to back victories against Brentford and Manchester United. Meaning his side are now 13 points clear of Ipswich, who sit 18th, two points adrift of safety.

Postecoglou's relief of absentees returning

The renaissance in Tottenham's fortunes is heavily down to the array of players returning from injury, which has given Postecoglou a significant boost when it comes to squad selection. Not only does it improve squad quality, as highlighted by James Maddison, who scored on his return to play last week, but it also allows him to rotate players, such as Archie Gray, who was finally able to rest last week having started every game prior since mid-December.

Wilson Odobert received an extremely warming ovation from the Tottenham fans when he was subbed on against Manchester United to make his first appearance since a Carabao Cup tie against Coventry in September.

Odobert will be eager to prove his worth, having only made four appearances for Tottenham since signing last summer. The Frenchman also helped persuade the signature of his compatriot Mathys Tel, who has impressed in his first three games for the Lilywhites, adding pace and versatility to the attack.

Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario were also welcome returns for Tottenham. The Italian duo add much needed depth to the Tottenham defence. Although Udogie will have fierce competition, due to the impressive form of Djed Spence, who has earned consecutive man of the match performances to emphasise his revitalised season after multiple loan spells.

Added squad depth allows for Postecoglou to utilise Dejan Kulusevski

Kulusevski has undoubtedly been Tottenham's best player this season and despite success in the right wing position, the Swede clearly flourishes in the number eight role.

With squad rotation necessary, due to the match against Manchester City just four days later, Postecoglou may opt to switch up the attacking line-ups he fields against both teams. This will allow him to drop Kulusevski into the midfield and act as the catalyst in Tottenham's attacking transitions, as he did so very well earlier in the season.

A win critical for momentum and gaining confidence for Europa League round of 16

Tottenham have been drawn against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League round of 16. Having recently been knocked out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, the Europa League will be Tottenham's last chance of silverware this season.

A win against Ipswich will therefore be vital for Tottenham, so they can continue to increase their confidence before they travel to the Netherlands on 6th March.

Despite beating Tottenham the last time the teams met, it will be the visitors who approach the game with more confidence, as Ipswich haven't won since beating Chelsea 2-0 in late December. In the six games since, they have conceded 17 goals.

Further still, Tottenham have scored the fourth most goals of any team in the Premier League this season and have a monumental goal difference advantage over any team in the bottom 10.

Postecoglou's side will therefore be looking to exploit these defensive vulnerabilities and completely put to bed any lingering thoughts they that may be at threat of relegation.

Injuries. They’ve always been at the forefront of football. The absence of a star player through a broken leg or even a common cold are so often the deciding factors in a sport based on fine details and small margins. Sometimes, these margins decide the fate of a manager. Ange Postecoglou may be the next man to suffer the injustice of that misfortune.

Earlier this season, the former Celtic manager controversially stated that being a football manager was the "hardest job in any walk of life"- even trumping the stress of being the Prime Minister. When you consider the scrutiny he has faced, that statement doesn't seem so far-fetched.

Tottenham’s squad has been immensely depleted over the last few months. Most recently, up to 11 first team players have been unavailable for selection. Naturally, this has dramatically affected the Lilywhites’ performances - leading to disappointing exits in cup competitions and their worst league position at this point of the season this century.

That has resulted in a crippling amount of pressure being piled onto the Tottenham manager. The general consensus in the media and the objective football community is that the 59-year-old isn’t doing as well as he should, even considering the circumstances he has had to operate with. It’s his fault for being too stubborn to adapt and persisting with a system that isn't fit for purpose.

But is that fair? Shouldn’t the Australian be shown sympathy rather than criticism?

Postecoglou's injuries against Mourinho and Conte's

Injuries haven’t been the only thing weighing him down. Fan unrest is at an all-time high with the Spurs faithful gathering in their thousands to reprimand long-serving chairman Daniel Levy. They believe the 63-year-old billionaire is largely responsible for the well-documented trophy drought that has lasted 17 years. Admittedly, Levy is the common denominator. He has held the position of power in N17 since 2001 and in that duration, Tottenham have lifted only one trophy, the League Cup.

So maybe it’s more reasonable to compare Postecoglou’s performances to former managers that have had to work under similar parameters rather than other gaffers who have more funds at their disposal and a more positive atmosphere around the organisation.

Comparing the Australian’s fortune in terms of absences to his predecessors, namely Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho, it’s clear Postecoglou has had to deal with the most adverse circumstances. In fact, it could be argued that Tottenham’s injury crisis this season has been one of the worst instances in Premier League history.

Mourinho had to contend with serious injuries to influential figures Hugo Lloris, Harry Kane and Moussa Sissoko in his first season in charge. However, there was less pressure on the ‘Special One’ to perform as he came in mid-season to succeed Mauricio Pochettino.

Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic offered a reprieve to Mourinho in terms of the time it gave to the unavailable players to recover. Kane’s hamstring injury sustained against Southampton in January was initially thought to be season-ending. But after the pandemic stopped football in March, by the time it recommenced in June, Kane was available again and managed to play the last portion of the campaign.

Under the reign of Conte, Spurs didn’t have a significant injury crisis. Rodrigo Bentancur was arguably the best-performing player when his season ended prematurely due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury away to Leicester in February. But those sort of things can, and will, happen. Any objective fan can’t logically argue that Conte’s tenure at Tottenham didn’t go according to plan due to injuries. Anyways, that’s a story for another day.

Of course, it can be contested that both Mourinho and Conte’s pragmatic and hard-nosed style of play didn’t test the bodies of the players, particularly their delicate muscles, the way Postecoglou’s system does. But the two legendary disciplinarians still put their squad through their paces. You only have to cast your mind back to Conte’s gruelling fitness drill in his first pre-season in South Korea to find proof of that notion.

Under 'Big Ange', Tottenham have revolutionised their footballing philosophy. A throwback to the glory days of yesteryear and a way of playing that lends itself to the club motto - 'To Dare is to Do'. Every player is required to travel all over the pitch, interchange positions and run until the last whistle.

But without de-glamorising the beauty of that description, ultimately that is the requirement of the modern footballer regardless of who you play for.

So, if not the style of play, perhaps the training methods are causing the casualties?

That seems the simple, lazy and uninformed argument to make. It has also been disproved by the likes Pedro Porro and Eric Dier, who have gone on record by explaining how the approach to training is more considered and measured.

Everyone wants to point the finger of blame towards something. It’s a natural human response. But maybe it’s possible that the number of injuries are simply down to bad luck. Radu Dragusin suffered a significant knee injury after only being on the pitch for 16 minutes against Elfsborg. Goalkeeper Guglilemo Vicario fractured his ankle and continued to battle through it for the entire second half in the 4-0 victory over Manchester City.

It’s also very important not to disregard the consequences that the absences have on the players that are fit enough to play. Porro has been the only recognised senior defender at the club not to have sustained any sort of knock, injury or ailment this campaign.

As a result of his impeccable bill of health, the Spaniard has played more minutes than any outfield player in Europe’s top five leagues and is understandably showing signs of fatigue. 18-year-old Archie Gray has been omnipresent despite his body not even being fully developed yet, while even the eternally energetic Dejan Kulusevski looks shattered.

The amount of stress on the body and muscles eventually takes it’s toll and it's evident that the sheer amount of games has hindered what they are truly capable of. And that’s without exploring the mental impact of a relentless schedule that demands constant focus.

Last week was damning for Tottenham Hotspur as they were pitifully knocked out of both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup with a forlorn whimper. In both matches against Aston Villa and Liverpool respectively, the players in Lilywhite just couldn’t match the intensity and tenacity of their opposition.

The two poor results had an air of inevitability about them. But, if you look at the squad Postecoglou had at his disposal, it’s unsurprising they couldn’t perform against the best team in the continent and a Villa outfit that are in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Antonin Kinsky was denounced on social media for making a couple of errors that lead to goals in those aforementioned games. Antonin Kinsky – a 21-year-old goalkeeper making his seventh and eighth appearance for his new club in a country he had never competed in previously. A stopper that was hailed as the new Pat Jennings after a Man of the Match performance on his debut against Liverpool in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso made their debut in that Liverpool hammering after only signing for Spurs a few days prior. Gray - a teenage midfielder with bags loads of potential – seemed to be deployed in every position except his natural one against Arne Slot's Reds.

Lucas Bergvall only made 60 senior appearances in Sweden before joining up with the club in the summer after signing last January. He has already played 31 times for Tottenham. He’s also only 18.

In fact, out of all the Premier League clubs, Tottenham have comfortably given the most minutes to players aged 18 or younger. Postecoglou has handed 45 starts to those youth prospects over the course of the season, totalling to over 4000 minutes. The next closest side is North London rivals Arsenal, but their players aged 18 or younger have featured in virtually half of those minutes.

And that’s without even mentioning the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison and Ben Davies that have all been plagued with injury woes in recent times and clearly haven’t returned to full match sharpness or have reinjured themselves.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. And this time it may not be an oncoming train, that the manager has jokingly alluded to in past press conferences.

This Sunday, Spurs face mid-table rivals Manchester United in North London after having a full week to prepare. Their first proper clear week without interruption since November. Not only have the fit players been given a chance to recuperate, but finally a few of the individuals nursing injuries have a chance of reappearing.

As we possibly enter a state of normality let's reflect on just how bad the injury crisis got.

The injury crisis

Here's a debrief of the absentees Postecoglou wasn't able to call upon over the last fortnight. Top scorer Brennan Johnson, second top scorer and record signing Dominic Solanke. Prime creative force James Maddison. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, Spurs’ first choice centre-back pairing who possess attributes that are crucial to the system, and Italian's Destiny Udogie and Vicario.

It’s easy to forget Wilson Odobert who looked bright in his first few outings after his £35 million move from Burnley before getting injured and then injured again. Timo Werner, Radu Dragsuin, Richarlison may not be the first names on the teamsheet but are still incredibly valuable for squad rotation especially when competing in four competitions and playing every three or so days.

Take the corresponding players out of any rival clubs and they will undoubtedly be experiencing a similar fate. For example, imagine Liverpool without Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Andrew Robertson, Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, Luis Diaz, Federico Chiesa, Dominik Szoboszlai and a few others. The hypothesis would indicate they’d probably struggle.

That became a reality last Sunday. Arne Slot made eight changes with many of the above left out. They lost 1-0 to Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle. And that’s probably the best team in the world.

Now imagine that happening to a squad in a cathartic rebuild, full of fledgling and inexperienced young talent. The instability that situation causes is unfathomable. It’s credit to the players and staff that Spurs haven’t performed much worse. Yes, the medical team have to take some responsibility, but it’s football, injuries happen, and sometimes all at once.

To conclude, Postecoglou is working miracles to navigate an injury ravaged squad through a gruelling schedule. The Australian has been treated as the scapegoat for the appalling league position. And overall, he has faced the pressure with grace and decorum while defending his group of players that he insists are giving their all.

Yes, he isn’t perfect, but considering the hand he has been dealt, he’s somehow guiding an exhausted team through the adversity. The season isn’t over. Tottenham still have a trophy to fight for and with players finally retuning, Postecoglou will be confident he can prove his critics wrong.

His form continued into the 2017/18 campaign, where he scored 14 and assisted 15 across all competitions. However, arguably his best moments came at Wembley Stadium, with the first taking place in November. Just under a year on from scoring his first Champions League goal on his debut in the competition, he scored a brace and powered The Lilywhites to a terrific 3-1 win against reigning European champions Real Madrid - a side which included the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema and Marcelo.

In April of that season, he scored another crucial goal at Wembley, this time in the FA Cup semi-final as he put Spurs 1-0 up against Manchester United, however, a fightback from The Red Devils saw Pochettino's side crash out.

Beginning of the end

The 2018/19 season is when it all started to crumble for Dele. Once a teenage sensation, the now 22-year-old was facing the first setback of his Tottenham career and had to figure out a successful way of dealing with this.

After an incredible FIFA World Cup tournament, he was expected to return to North London and deliver the goods once again, but he missed a large portion of the season with hamstring issues and only scored eight times, assisting seven goals in the process.

A rather inconsistent year led him into the palms of Jose Mourinho, who in his first few days at the club told Dele: "I understood already that you are a f*****g lazy guy in training," in front of the rest of the squad, as seen in the 'All or Nothing' documentary published by Amazon Prime Video.

However, at the start of the Mourinho era, the attacking midfielder scored four and assisted three in the first seven games, seemingly not letting his new boss' comments affect him. But, with a suspension and injury during 'Project Restart' after the COVID-19 pandemic, he found himself falling down the pecking order and out of favour.

That carried over the next two seasons, even once Mourinho was sacked towards the end of the 2020/21 campaign and under Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte when they took over in July 2021 and November 2021, respectively.

Despite being given chances in both the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League, his chances in domestic competitions were limited. He appeared just 25 times in the Premier League for Tottenham between September 2020 and January 2022, before he moved to Everton on a free transfer, bringing his time in North London to an emotional end.

Where did it go wrong

When Dele sat down for a heartbreaking interview with Gary Neville on Sky Sports' 'The Overlap' podcast, he spoke about the harrowing stories from his childhood and the personal struggles he faced when at Tottenham.

In the interview, which was released in July 2023, the Englishman fought back tears as he revealed that he had just come out of an American rehabilitation centre a month prior due to a sleeping pill addiction, as well as struggles regarding his mental health.

The former Spurs midfielder also discussed his traumatic childhood, which saw him adopted by the Hickford family - Harry Hickford eventually became Dele's agent, showing just how much of an impact the family had on his life.

During the conversation about his childhood, which left both Dele and Neville in tears, he revealed to the world that he was 'molested' by his mum's friend and was "sent to Africa to learn discipline, and then I was sent back." He also stated that he was smoking and dealing drugs by the age of just seven and at eleven he came inches from death when he was hung off a bridge by a man.

Recapping his time in N17, the former MK Dons youngster said that the toughest moment for him came when Mourinho stopped playing him.

"I remember I was in a bad place and I just looked in the mirror asking if I could retire now at 24 doing the thing I love. That was heartbreaking for me, to even have that thought, that hurt me a lot and was another thing I had to carry."

Whilst he said he doesn't blame anyone but himself for the downfall of his Tottenham career, there is no doubt that these huge personal issues would have taken a toll on his life, both away from football and at the club.

"I don't blame Mourinho, I don't blame anyone. My reaction to that wasn't right, but it wasn't something I had control over."

Attempting a return

Whilst things never worked out for him with The Toffees, nor on his loan with Turkish Super Lig giants Besiktas, Dele has now found his feet as he attempts what would be a spirited and sensational comeback to the very best of his game.

He joined Italian side Como in the 2025 January transfer window, a side managed by former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas and includes ex-stars such as Pepe Reina and Sergi Roberto.

If he can get back to his old levels, there will be a new monster unlocked.

It's not the first time we've seen Tottenham Hotspur adopt a different style in the last month, but their trip to the Gtech Community Stadium saw Ange Postecoglou set his side up in a different manner compared to normal.

With Spurs playing every midweek in between their conventional Premier League or Emirates FA Cup weekend slot, as they have done in all but two weeks since the international break in November, it became quite apparent that their normal high press, possession-based football approach would be simply untenable at some stages, especially with the squad on its last legs.

Brentford produced wave after wave of attacks, with 37 crosses towards Antonin Kinsky's penalty area. Nevertheless, the defence, marshalled by the ever-reliable Ben Davies and 18-year-old midfielder Archie Gray, stood firm and kept a clean sheet to spur the side onto victory.

"Look... how do I say this without repeating myself and it not sounding like an excuse... It's very difficult for a group of players to play Thursday and Sunday and maintain energy and levels. What they're doing is giving maximum effort. And maximum effort in a game like today means you can't be sharp and really dynamic with and without the ball. It's just impossible. They're human beings, they're not robots. People want to dismiss it, they want to talk about excuses. But that's the reality. I know the reality. These guys are giving everything.

"We knew today it wasn't going to be a game where we could go out there and dominate. Because Brentford had a week to prepare for this. We had 50-something hours. With the same group of players. I think with that context, the performance was outstanding."

When posed a direct question regarding the number of crosses the hosts delivered on Sunday afternoon, the former Celtic head coach was complimentary of his makeshift backline, which includes Djed Spence, a right-back who is playing at left-back and a midfielder in his first top-flight season playing at central defence.

"Yeah, difficult place to come, difficult place to win at, but also a difficult place to keep them out because the way they play and the way they set up, you have to defend your box it doesn't matter how you play. They're getting throw-ins into the box, set pieces, crosses, you're just going to have to do that irrespective of how you want to tactically approach it, and I just thought the lads handled that awfully well.

"We knew we had to. It was going to be key for us, nullifying their threats, and the lads were brilliant and I still felt we had the quality of our football to hurt them the other way."

Nothing to sweat on with Dutchman

Speaking after the 2-0 victory against Brentford, Postecoglou confirmed that centre-back Micky van de Ven is fine and his absence from the squad at the Gtech​​​​​​ was planned,

The Dutch defender made a return to action during Thursday night's win at home to IF Elfsborg in the UEFA Europa League after 7 weeks out with a hamstring injury, however, he was not included in the squad for the trip to West London on Sunday.

The news sparked a reaction from Tottenham fans, with a huge Carabao Cup semi-final second leg on the horizon against Liverpool on Thursday.

"The plan was maybe to play him 45 again today. But then we had a think about it, spoke to Micky as well. And I thought, I'd rather he has another full week of training, get ready for Thursday night, that's a big game for us as well.

"We had Djed back today, which gave me some comfort that we could cover him. He was never going to play more than 45 minutes today.

"I just felt, after discussing it with the medical team and with Micky as well, as desperate as he is to play, I just think we've got to be really smart about how we integrate him back into the team. And obviously Thursday night's a big game for us. And again, having a week of training, hopefully we'll get him ready for that."

Outfield reinforcements at last

Just a few hours before kick-off against Brentford, Tottenham confirmed the signing of Austrian centre-back Kevin Danso from Ligue 1 side RC Lens, on an initial loan with an obligation to buy.

The defender, formerly of both MK Dons' and Reading's academy, will be a welcome and timely addition to the side, who have been on barebones since November, and Postecoglou offered his thoughts on the 26-year-old after the game with The Bees.

"Great to get Kevin in. We desperately need a defender, but getting him is great because he's a great fit for us. He's had a strong career, but he's at an age now where he really wants to kick on.

"He's got all the attributes we look for, he's really strong one-on-one, he's quick, he's dynamic, he wants to play on the ball, so, and like I said he's just at a stage of his career where he's really determined to kick on now and make an impact. So really pleased, I think it'll be a lift for the whole group."

During the victory over Elfsborg in the week, Spurs' defensive injury crisis took yet another bad turn. Despite welcoming back van de Ven, Radu Dragusin was the latest to hit a blockade, with the Romanian looking to hyper-extend his knee and subsequently being subbed off just 20 minutes after coming on.

The signing of Danso means that The Lilywhites will instantly replace their only fully-fit out and out centre back, but with speculation that his season could be over, it was crucial to secure the services of the Austrian.

"With Radu, we'll probably have more information tomorrow. It doesn't look good, but I think he's seeing specialists tomorrow and we'll have more information then."

Ange Postecoglou has stated that he will not “dictate what people should or should not do” as a section of Tottenham Hotspur fans continue to chant against owner and chairman Daniel Levy.

At the last two home matches, a supporter’s group, Change For Tottenham, revealed a banner that says '24 Years, 16 Managers, 1 Trophy. Time For Change'. Fans, both home and away, have also been heard chanting 'we want Levy out' and 'I don’t care about Levy'.

Pressure on the 62-year-old owner comes due to Spurs performing at their worst level under his 24-year leadership. They currently sit 15th in the Premier League and defeat to Brentford on Sunday would keep them perilously close to the relegation zone.

While Postecoglou has called for unity to “create something special”, he has continued to showcase that he will lets fans think, and do, what they want.

“I have always felt that when you are trying to build something successful, you need to be united. I have probably failed in unifying the club in that way, part of that is because of our league form, which allows people's minds to go away from the here and now,” he said.

“We’re going to need support in this last phase of the season to hopefully create something special. I can't sit here and dictate what people should or should not do. My role is to create an environment where we're unified — and we have to be unified; the last thing you want is splintering in our mindset and focus.”

Spurs have made just one signing in the January transfer window so far, goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky. Ahead of Monday’s deadline, they are linked with moves for AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori and Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel, although it is understood the latter has rejected a move to N17; Levy’s and Johan Lange’s failure to bring in an outfield player immediately has therefore angered sections of the fanbase.

When questioned on the perception by fans that Levy does not back managers and go the extra mile, Postecoglou continued to call for unity and insisted those in the background are working hard.

“What I deal with is reality. I have said since the start of the window that we are short; the club is doing all it can to try and rectify that. I can’t delve too deeply into that, because again I would be going into that world of looking for blame or looking to portion responsibility to other people,” the Australian answered.

“We have to be unified through this, otherwise, when you're going through a tough period, you will never get out of it. I will always take things at face value.

“You trust everyone in the group that they are doing all they can to try and help. They are not helping me; they are helping the club. Managers come and go, it's about what's best for the football club. It's got to be the primary motive for everyone involved.”

Levy has been under pressure before by Spurs fans, most recently due to their attempts to enter the Super League and the chaos at the end of Antonio Conte’s reign. Postecoglou admitted that the relationship between fans and the Chairman does make it more “difficult” to build unity, but performances on the pitch can “get everyone aligned again”.

“It makes it more difficult, but it's not an unusual situation for me. Usually, when you get things right on the field, it gets everyone aligned again,” the under-pressure manager outlined.

“They would much rather come to the game and cheer the side on. They want to feel good about their football team — and obviously, they don't at the moment because of our form and position, which is understandable.

“But again, all I can do is try to get the team back on track in the league and hopefully give our supporters pride of enjoying their football team.”

Postecoglou still has “energy” for Spurs challenge

Brentford away was Postecoglou’s first match in charge. Over 19 months later, the former Celtic manager is under more pressure than ever, with Spurs sat 15th in the table and any hopes of European football now dependent on winning a trophy.

Since his first match, he has had to deal with two titanic injury crises, pressure on the board and calls for him to leave the club. Some managers would flounder under that, but the Australian admits he still has the “energy” to fight, especially when he thinks the future can be successful.

“I still love it. I love the challenge of it. I'm under the pump and have been for a while now. It feels like it hasn't been plain sailing from the moment I started, but I love the unknowns and possibilities of it,” he answered.

“I am still really optimistic and bullish about what we are doing and where we're heading. That's not reflected in our objectives so far, but I still feel really excited.”

After finishing fifth last season, there is a natural sense of disappointment around Hotspur Way. Postecoglou admits the players are the same, and he insists they are not disheartened or losing faith.

“Dejan [Kulusevski] is a good example. He's as disappointed as anyone and really wants to not accept the position we're in and believes we can be better. That's important,” he said.

“I have never felt that the players are saying: 'We're just on a bad run. We've got injuries.'

“They are genuinely disappointed with how we're going in the league, as am I. We can’t accept it. It isn't good enough. My role in that is to make sure I try and support the players and steer us out of the predicament we're in. I have not felt like the players have been disheartened.”

In 2014, Dutch goalkeeper Michel Vorm made the switch from South Wales to London to join Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham Hotspur for £3.5m.

The former Swansea City shot-stopper went on to make 48 appearances for The Lilywhites across two separate spells - the first lasting until the culmination of that memorable 2018/19 season, with the second lasting from October 2019 to July 2020.

Vorm, who was a reliable understudy to captain and legend Hugo Lloris, kept 17 clean sheets under the guidance of both Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho, was well-respected by fans, who acknowledged his commitment to the club as he returned for the second spell after leaving as a free agent the previous season. He joined as an emergency backup after Hugo Lloris dislocated his elbow in a 3-0 defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion.

His final appearance representing The Lilywhites came in March 2020 as he started an Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round tie against Norwich City, in which Mourinho's side suffered the agony of a penalty shootout defeat, which followed a 1-1 draw after extra time.

A runner-up in both the Carabao Cup and UEFA Champions League as a Spurs player, however, he never tasted silverware in his six-and-a-half-year stint with the club. Despite this, the goalkeeper was fond of his memories and offered VAVEL the chance to dive deeper to unlock those in an exclusive interview.

Favourite memory in N17

Vorm's stay in North London was during one of, if not the most successful time that Tottenham have had since the turn of the millennia, mainly down to the brilliance of Head Coach Pochettino to work under difficult circumstances.

“It’s a great football club, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the club," said the Dutchman.

He touched on the togetherness of their young group, which fielded the youngest average starting eleven the club has seen in the Premier League during the 2016/17 season, rather than focusing on things on the pitch. Despite reaching the last four, or going further, on five occasions, they tripped at the final hurdle.

"For me we had a top squad of players. Walker, Rose, Vertonghen, Toby [Alderweireld], Harry [Kane], Dele, Eriksen, Son joined as well. We are a great tight group and in terms of memory it was just being part of a very good team and winning games and the journey to the Champions League Final was great.”

That night in Amsterdam

The now 41-year-old was part of that magical night in his homeland in May 2019, as Tottenham did the impossible to come from 3-0 to beat Erik ten Hag's young stars of Ajax in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tie.

Trailing 1-0 from the opening leg in N17, Spurs were stunned as the Dutch giants raced into an early three-goal aggregate lead at the Johan Cruyff ArenA. With the absence of Harry Kane, the visitors looked down and out, but for a heroic Lucas Moura hat-trick, including a 96th-minute winner, to send them to Madrid.

Vorm did play a part in the road to the final. He started the opening group game against Inter Milan as The Lilywhites lost 2-1 despite leading, with the Dutchman also replacing Heung-Min Son in the 81st minute after Hugo Lloris had been sent off against PSV Eindhoven.

He offered his thoughts on that miraculous night.

“That really summed it up for me. It was a pleasure and I was so proud to be part of that squad.

"We had a really good team and a group of players that were all in sync with each other. We communicated well as a team and had so much talent and quality. Not only the first XI, but most importantly, all the squad played a big part in that season and we had huge confidence in each other.”

Build up to the final

Having seen off de Godenzonen in the last four, Liverpool awaited Tottenham at the final hurdle. An almighty challenge was up ahead, but Pochettino's men were looking to become the first Spurs side to win the Champions League and the first side for the club to win a European trophy since 1984.

In recent months, former goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris revealed that Chairman Daniel Levy gifted the group luxury watches with 'Champions League Finalist 2019' engraved on the timepiece, just days before the Madrid showdown. The Frenchman fumed at the lack of ambition from Levy, stating that he "still hasn't got over it."

However, Vorm offered a very different explanation of the build-up to that special night.

“Not nerve-wracking, it was full of enjoyment and anticipation. We knew we had a good team, we had a lot of leaders, courage and fight and were never going to give up. We fought to the end, but Liverpool just had enough.”