Salah-inspired Liverpool beat Spurs in 6-3 thriller
Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League with a dominant but chaotic 6-3 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Dec 22, 2024, 06:26 pm - Reuters
Tottenham Hotspur face Liverpool at home on Sunday in the marquee match of the Premier League weekend, with Arne Slot's visitors looking to maintain their lead atop the table.
Spurs will be hoping to capitalise on recent momentum after scoring nine goals in their last two games -- a 5-0 win against Southampton last Sunday and a chaotic 4-3 victory over Manchester United in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals on Thursday evening.
The two teams have also been drawn against each other in the semifinals of the Carabao Cup, meaning this will be the first of three fixtures between them before the first weekend of February.
Premier League table
Here's everything you need to know ahead of the game.
Key details:
Date: Sunday, Dec. 22 at 4.30 p.m. GMT (11.30 a.m. ET).
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London.
Referee: Sam Barrott.
VAR: Sian Massey-Ellis.
How to watch:
The match is available to watch on Sky Sports in the UK and on NBC in the United States. You can also follow live updates on ESPN.
Team news:
Tottenham
Rodrigo Bentancur, M, suspension, due back Dec. 26
Ben Davies, D, hamstring, OUT, estimated return Dec. 29
Richarlison, F, hamstring, DOUBT
Destiny Udogie, D, quadriceps, DOUBT
Mikey Moore, F/M, illness, OUT, estimated return Dec. 29
Wilson Odobert, F/M, hamstring, OUT, estimated return Feb. 15
Cristian Romero, D, quadriceps, OUT, estimated return Jan. 12
Micky van de Ven, D, hamstring, OUT, estimated return Jan. 12
Guglielmo Vicario, G, ankle, OUT, estimated return Feb. 25
Liverpool
Conor Bradley, D, hamstring, OUT, estimated return Dec. 29
Ibrahima Konaté, D, foot, OUT, estimated return Dec. 29
Kostas Tsimikas, D, ankle, DOUBT
Expected lineups:
Tottenham
GK Fraser Forster
LB Djed Spence | CB Radu Dragusin | CB Archie Gray | RB Pedro Porro
DM Yves Bissouma | DM Pape Matar Sarr
LW Son Heung-Min | AM James Maddison | RW Dejan Kulusevski
ST Dominic Solanke
Liverpool
GK Alisson Becker
LB Andrew Robertson | CB Joe Gomez | CB Virgil van Dijk | RB Trent Alexander-Arnold
DM Ryan Gravenberch | DM Alexis Mac Allister
LW Cody Gakpo | AM Dominik Szoboszlai | RW Mohamed Salah
ST Luis Díaz
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Under-pressure Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has said his team's lacklustre form means he is "in a fight" but the Australian backed himself to get the club out of their slump, adding he loves being in "the middle of a storm."
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has said football management is "the hardest job in the world" and claimed those in the role are being dehumanised by their treatment.
Russell Martin and Gary O'Neil were sacked in the past three days by Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively, the former beaten 5-0 by Spurs in his final match on Sunday.
Martin completed his post-match media commitments -- during which he vowed to fight on -- only to be informed he had lost his job around 20 minutes later.
Asked to reflect on the manner of Martin's sacking, Postecoglou said on Wednesday: "Is there a good way of doing it? I really don't know. We've lost all sort of modes of respect in our society where guys are in jobs and they are putting up names of who is going to replace him while they are still working.
"We've crossed that line now -- and you can do it any way you like and nobody is going to say anything about the fact that a man whom, whether it is Russell or Gary, I'm pretty sure 24/7 has done everything in their power to ... It is not for the want of trying.
"And their families ... We're just so, as a society, we're just so quick to throw people in the trash and move on really quickly with no thought or care around it.
"I don't know if there's a good way or best way of handling it. That's why I've left before its ever happened to me. I kind of jump out before that comes my way but we've crossed that line now and I think it's open slather.
"I get people saying 'managers have always been sacked' but I just think it has gone beyond that where we forget there is a human being involved. This job is the hardest job now in any walk of life.
"You say politics, this is harder than any job because like I said, the tenure and longevity of this role means you go into it, very few are going to come out of it with any scars."
Pushed on whether the job was tougher than being Prime Minister, Postecoglou replied: "Ah yeah, come on. He has an election every few years, I have one every weekend, mate. We have an election every weekend and I either get voted in or out."
Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has played down the prospects of a January move for wantaway Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford.
Rashford confirmed on Tuesday night that he was "ready for a new challenge and next steps," signalling his intent to leave the club after being dropped from United's squad for Sunday's derby win at Manchester City.
Prior to Postecoglou's arrival, Spurs have been credited with an interest in Rashford but speaking on Wednesday ahead of Tottenham's EFL Cup quarterfinal tie against United, he said: "If I looked at everyone we were linked to, I'd have no time for anything else. I've got other people to do that part of the process. For us, we've been pretty disciplined in terms of what we are trying to do here and we'll continue to be so."
Pushed on whether that meant no, Postecoglou replied: "That's not on my radar. You can ask me about Marcus but you can ask me about every Premier League footballer and I'm going to say the same thing.
"[I have] no interest [in what's he said], don't care. He's a Man Utd player, a very good player. They've got plenty of good players. But I manage my players and I guess other managers will manage their own players. In terms of Marcus' situation, I have got no real desire to examine it any further."
United boss Ruben Amorim told reporters on Wednesday that he wants to keep Rashford at Old Trafford, saying he "just wants to help" him.
Spurs will be without centre-backs Micky van de Ven (hamstring) and Cristian Romero (thigh) until the New Year due to injury while Destiny Udogie is a doubt to face United on Thursday due to fatigue.
South Korean winger Yang Min-Hyeok departed Seoul for London on Monday to join Tottenham Hotspur midseason, where he will link up with fellow international Son Heung-Min.
Spurs signed Yang from Gangwon FC in July on a contract valid through 2030. The 18-year-old was initially set to join Ange Postecoglou's side in January but is now arriving a month earlier than planned.
He will still be ineligible to play for the club before Jan. 1.
Yang conceded he felt anxious before his 14-hour flight but shared his anticipation at the chance to play alongside Tottenham captain Son, the most popular sports figure in his home country and 14 years his senior.
Struggling to sleep, he spent the early hours watching Spurs' dominant 5-0 Premier League victory over Southampton, which kicked off at 4 a.m. Monday in South Korea.
"I am excited to be joining the club. It would be an honour to play with Son and I would be grateful for that opportunity," Yang told reporters at Incheon International Airport in Seoul.
"I have pictured myself in that situation. I can't wait to get there and show people what I am capable of, and have a chance to play next to him in the same match."
Yang and Son have briefly crossed paths before. In July, Yang faced Tottenham in a friendly while representing a K League All-Star team. By September, he had joined Son on the South Korean national team after earning his senior call-up for World Cup qualifiers. However, he has yet to earn a cap.
Yang scored 12 goals and registered six assists in 38 matches for Gangwon this season. In March, he became the youngest-ever goalscorer in K League 1, just before his 18th birthday.
He will be a welcome addition to a Spurs side ravaged by injury.
"I'd like to get into a match before the season ends, and hopefully score a goal or get an assist," Yang said. "Because I am joining the team in midseason, I've been focusing on rest and recovery, so that I will stay healthy going forward.
"Personally, I feel that I am ready [for Premier League debut]. I'll put on a good performance there and I hope fans will continue to support me."
LONDON -- Under-pressure Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has said his team's lacklustre form means he is "in a fight" but the Australian backed himself to get the club out of their slump, adding he loves being in "the middle of a storm."
Postecoglou's future as Spurs boss has been called into question following a run of results that has seen the north London club record just one win in their last eight games.
Their struggles have caused a portion of fans to lose faith in Postecoglou's project and some of them were involved in a heated confrontation with the manager following Spurs' defeat at Bournemouth last week.
Spurs have won four away Premier League matches in 2024 and travel to face Southampton on Sunday in desperate need of a convincing victory over the division's bottom-placed club.
St. Mary's was the scene of former Spurs boss Antonio Conte's famous post-match rant in which he branded his players as "selfish" and accused them of not wanting to play under pressure after they let a two-goal lead slip to draw 3-3 with Southampton in March 2023.
Asked on Thursday if he would ever make similar comments about his own team in the way that Conte did, Postecoglou told a news conference: "Look, I don't think it's fair to comment. Antonio, like I said, is a world-class manager and has his own way of doing things, his own reasons for doing that.
"I am here, I am in for the fight. I am in a fight, for sure. For better or worse I am not going anywhere at the moment because everything is still in my power and my responsibility. I still have a real desire to get us through this stage so that people see what is on the other side. My resolve and determination hasn't wavered one little bit.
"I love a fight, I love a scrape, I love being in the middle of a storm when everyone doubts because I know what it is on the other side if you get through it. My job is to get through it."
Postecoglou's patience with some of the performance levels shown by some of the senior players within his injury-depleted squad has seemingly worn thin, with the 59-year-old saying Timo Werner's display in Thursday's 1-1 draw with Rangers "wasn't acceptable."
Earlier on Thursday, Postecoglou said he had no time for worrying about his players' "bruised egos" when he provides them with direct feedback on their performances and reiterated they need to make meaningful contributions on the pitch.
Asked whether those issues tie into the wider problems of Spurs' recent, trophy-less, past, Postecoglou said: "I'm sick of that. That's an excuse for me and that's why even with Cristian Romero's comments [about the Tottenham hierarchy], I just think that's an excuse.
"At the moment I'm here, I take responsibility. These players, we're here. If we think some mythical thing exists in this club that prevents success then change it. What's the point otherwise? Don't come here. I just don't buy into that.
"At the moment we're in a difficult situation because of kind of where we are squad-wise and team-wise. You either embrace this challenge. If you want excuses there are a million of them. There are a million excuses as to why we can't be successful but if that's what your crutch is, particularly in tough moments, then what's the point? Just move on then and go somewhere else."
GLASGOW, Scotland -- There is a certain irony to the fact that Ange Postecoglou's return to Scotland has coincided with the most testing days of his reign as Tottenham Hotspur boss.
In fairness, a match at Ibrox was never going to feel like a homecoming for a man who won five major trophies with Rangers' archrivals Celtic before making the move to north London 18 months ago.
Postecoglou still garners devotion from one half of this city; Celtic fans bought wholeheartedly into his "we never stop" mantra -- but the Rangers fans filtered through the turnstiles of their historic ground, braving the bitter cold, hoping to watch their team land a knockout blow to the 59-year-old's Spurs' tenure.
But for Postecoglou's use of his substitutes' bench in the second half, the home fans would have seen their wish fulfilled as the Premier League club was bested in large parts by the third-best team in Scotland that had one eye on an Old Firm clash on Sunday in the Scottish League Cup final.
Support for Postecoglou is also in short supply among Spurs' travelling fans, who offered a muted response to their team when the 1-1 draw was confirmed at full-time here. One week ago, some of them were involved in a heated exchange with the Australian coach after the defeat to Bournemouth.
"As expected, they're always difficult to play against here at Ibrox, particularly on European nights," Postecoglou said at a post-match news conference.
"Just the nature of the contest. The atmosphere. Not many teams come here and win. So you kind of expect it to be a tough game and we weren't anywhere near our best. That's fair to say.
"But at the same time, we're in a sort of period of games where we are kind of grinding through at the moment with obviously with a fairly depleted squad and we're asking players to sort of get up week in, week out. So in the context of that, in the end, I think it was a good outcome for us."
The draw leaves Spurs' hopes of finishing in the UEFA Europa League's top eight, and thereby avoiding the playoff round, in the balance. They remain in ninth, outside of the automatic qualification spots for the Round of 16.
This festive period was always going to be make or break for Postecoglou and Spurs' short-term future. They are in the middle of a crucial run of nine games in 30 days -- it's a sequence of fixtures that Postecoglou admitted in November would prove "pivotal" for his team.
"At the end of that period, we could be in a decent position for a strong second half of the year, so for us, it is an important period," Postecoglou said the day before the dramatic 4-0 win over Manchester City that started the nine-game run.
"You know there are no more international breaks, so the full focus is here, so you can build some momentum through that, or if things don't go well, you could get yourself into a bit of a grind. So, for us, it's going to be a really pivotal part of the season."
Six games into that nine-game run, there certainly has been plenty of grind.
Without Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke, who were named on the bench, Spurs carried little attacking threat in the first half.
The home side were the aggressors, snapping into tackles that brought screams of support from the relentless home crowd. Nedim Bajrami came closest to opening the scoring with a fierce effort that Fraser Forster tipped over the crossbar. The best Spurs opening came from a Rodrigo Bentancur cross that whistled through a Solanke-shaped hole on the edge of the six-yard box.
The second period brought Kulusevski's introduction, in place of the often-haphazard Timo Werner, whose performance Postecoglou later described as "unacceptable." Two minutes after the restart, though, Rangers took the lead after Hamza Igamane lashed in James Tavernier's cross.
Now, the Rangers fans had the moment they had been waiting for. They bounced, screamed and revelled in Postecoglou's misfortune. As soon as they had refilled their lungs, the home fans bellowed in unison: "You're getting sacked in the morning."
More chances for Rangers came and went, first Václav Černý wriggled through the Spurs backline but couldn't get his shot away, then Mohamed Diomande's deflected effort had Forster scrambling as the ball whistled past the post.
Four minutes later, Postecoglou had made three changes; on came Lucas Bergvall, Solanke and Pape Matar Sarr for Bentancur, Brennan Johnson and Yves Bissouma.
It proved the correct intervention at just the right time for Postecoglou to salvage the game, and maybe his job. Solanke and Kulusevski combined in the 75th minute to open up space on the edge of the penalty area for the Sweden international to roll a low shot past Jack Butland.
Bergvall has been criticised for the impact he has made in games since signing for Spurs in the summer, but the 18-year-old added the bite and guile the Spurs' midfield had been missing from the Bissouma-Bentancur axis.
Before their late turnaround, Postecoglou's assertion that he "wins things in his second year" certainly appeared misplaced. In truth, his teams have struggled in Europe.
Despite their domestic successes, his Celtic team never made it out of a UEFA Champions League or Europa League group or won a knockout-round game after dropping down into the UEFA Conference League playoffs.
The maelstrom of Thursday to Sunday games is perhaps too much for Postecoglou's high-energy philosophy. No team in the Premier League has pressed so high or made more off-the-ball sprints as Spurs this season, and Postecoglou's "never stop" ethos has had unintended consequences. He was unable to call upon eight first-team players for Thursday night's game, with five of them nursing muscular issues, including first-choice defensive pair Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.
His lack of options prompted Postecoglou to name 18-year-old Archie Gray in the centre of the Spurs' defence. Like his manager, Gray also has links to Scotland -- his father, Andy, grandfather Frank (European Cup winner with Nottingham Forest and Leeds United legend) and great uncle Eddie (legendary former Leeds player and manager) all represented Scotland -- Frank and Eddie were born in Glasgow, around seven miles from Ibrox.
"I thought he handled himself really well," Postecoglou said. "We're asking him to do something that as an 18-year-old in his first year at this level to play an unfamiliar position and in such big games. I think it's outstanding what he's doing.
"And I thought Lucas was excellent when he came on as well. He was due to start tonight but he wasn't feeling well today. He's a bit under the weather so we had to keep him on the bench, but that's mostly positive for us. I think those two as 18-year-olds to be already contributing and experiencing these things, I think will be an enormous benefit to us."
On a difficult night for the team, Spurs' two teenagers showed surprising maturity and perhaps offered a glimpse of a brighter future for this Tottenham team.
GLASGOW, Scotland -- Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou gave a scathing assessment of Timo Werner's performance in the team's 1-1 Europa League draw with Rangers on Thursday, saying the forward's performance "wasn't acceptable."
Werner, who is playing in his second season on loan at Spurs from RB Leipzig, was replaced by Dejan Kulusevski after enduring a difficult first half at Ibrox.
Asked if the substitution was made for purely tactical reasons, Postecoglou said: "Yeah, he wasn't paying anywhere near the level he should."
Spurs conceded within two minutes of Kulusevski's introduction, but the Sweden international went on to score his team's equaliser.
"I think Rangers played very well. We struggled a bit. 1-1, it is what it is. We didn't play well enough to win the game," Kulusevski said after the match. "It's always important to score, but we've got to start winning games.
"We haven't won in a couple of weeks. Everybody needs to do a little bit more than we're doing right now."
Postecoglou also referenced the performances of two Spurs 18-year-olds -- Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray.
In the injury-enforced absence of Spurs' senior defenders -- Cristain Romero, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies -- Gray filled in at centre-back in Glasgow and drew glowing praise from his manager who described him as "outstanding."
Bergvall was introduced as part of a 75th-minute triple substitution that proved pivotal in helping Spurs earn a vital point from their trip to Scotland.
Postecoglou, who has seen his role as Spurs head coach come under serious pressure after a succession of disappointing results in recent weeks, pointed to the impact made by the teenagers when asked if he needed Werner and other senior players to make a bigger contribution to the team.
"I think when you've got 18-year-olds, I think it's not acceptable to me. I said that to Timo, he's a senior international, a Germany international. In the moment we're in right now, it's not like we've got many, kind of, options.
"I need everyone to at least be going out there trying to give the best of themselves. His performance in the first half wasn't acceptable."
Asked what he put Werner's performance down to, Postecoglou said: "I don't really know. It's not really of great concern. Like I said, we just need everybody, including him, to be contributing because we don't have the depth to sort of leave people out if they're performing poorly, we need them to play their part.
"And like I said, especially the senior guys, when I'm asking younger guys to do massive jobs, I expect the level of performance from some of the senior guys and today wasn't that."
The draw at Ibrox saw Spurs remain ninth in the Europa League table, one place below Rangers, who occupy the last automatic qualification spot for the knockout rounds.
Tottenham Hotspur's ongoing trophy drought has arguably come to define the club's modern history. The pressure to deliver silverware has been the monkey on the back of all eight of Spurs' permanent managers since Juande Ramos masterminded the team's Carabao Cup triumph in 2008.
Despite the derision of rival fans, Spurs remain one of the most successful clubs in English football history. They were the dominant side in the country during the 1960s, winning first division titles and becoming the first English side to complete the 'double' (League title and FA Cup) in the 20th Century (1960-61).
In the succeeding decades, Spurs have often struggled to produce the consistent levels of performance required to construct eye-catching league campaigns, instead finding glory in knockout competitions. They have lifted eight FA Cups -- joint-third most (tied with Liverpool and Chelsea), four Carabao Cups and two Europa Leagues (then known as UEFA Cups).
However, in more recent years, Spurs have found silverware much harder to come by with several managers trying and failing to end their barren run.
Ange Postecoglou is hoping to be the man to get finally get Spurs back to winning ways with the style of football he successfully implemented during stints coaching in Australia, Japan and Scotland.
When did Tottenham last win a trophy?
Spurs last collected a piece of silverware 16 years ago when Ramos' side upset Avram Grant's Chelsea to lift the Carabao Cup in 2008.
With the scores level after Didier Drogba's first-half free kick and Dimitar Berbatov's equaliser from the penalty spot, Jonathan Woodgate's goal in extra-time proved enough to hand Spurs the 2-1 victory at Wembley.
The Carabao Cup triumph was undoubtedly the highlight of Ramos' one-year reign at White Hart Lane -- he was dismissed at the beginning of the 2008-09 season after overseeing Spurs' worst start to a league campaign, with the club placed bottom of the Premier League table after acquiring just two points from their opening eight matches.
Have Tottenham ever won a European trophy?
Spurs have won the Europa League on two occasions (under its previous guise as the UEFA Cup). Spurs beat Wolves 3-2 on aggregate in 1972 in the two-legged final to lift the trophy at the end of the competition's debut season. They won their second title in 1984, beating Belgian side Anderlecht 4-3 on penalties after the scores were tied at 2-2 after two legs.
It would be 35 years until Spurs made it to another European final. Mauricio Pochettino's side miraculously reached the Champions League final at the end of the 2018-19 season after a dramatic quarterfinal win over Manchester City and a late Lucas Moura-inspired triumph over Ajax in the semifinals. They were beaten 2-0 by Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool in the final at Atlético Madrid's newly-built Metropolitano Stadium.
Spurs also won the now discontinued UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1962-63 to become the first English team in history to lift a major European trophy.
Have Tottenham ever won the Premier League?
Spurs have never lifted the Premier League title. They came closest in 2016-17 when they finished nine points behind Antonio Conte's Chelsea. The Italian head coach later went on to take the reigns at Spurs between 2021 and 2023.
However, the north London club have won two First Division titles (the top division of English league football until the advent of the Premier League in 1992). They won their first back in 1952 and their second under legendary former manager Bill Nicholson. Spurs also lifted the FA Cup that same season to become the first club to win 'the double' in the 20th Century.
Tottenham's major trophies:
Leagues
First Division (2): 1950-51, 1960-61
Second Division / Championship (2): 1919-20, 1949-50
Cups
FA Cup (8): 1900-01, 1920-21, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1966-67, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1990-91
Carabao Cup (4): 1970-71, 1972-73, 1998-99, 2007-08
Community Shield (7): 1921, 1951, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1981, 1991
European
Ange Postecoglou's out-of-form Tottenham Hotspur side travel north to face Rangers on Thursday with the Australian head coach in desperate need of a convincing victory.
Ironically for Postecoglou, his return to Scotland -- where he won five major honours with Celtic -- comes with his popularity among Spurs fans at its lowest ebb in years. His position as Tottenham head coach has come under serious pressure following Chelsea's comeback 4-3 victory over his side on Sunday left the north London club languishing in 11th place in the Premier League table. Spurs have earned one point from their last three matches and Postecoglou's side have lost 19 of their previous 40 league matches.
Things had been going smoother for Spurs in the Europa League this season. It seemed as if they could start planning for the knockout rounds after winning their first three matches, but a madcap 3-2 loss at Galatasaray and a 2-2 home draw with Roma has seen them drop out of the top eight, one place below their opponents on matchday six.
UEFA Europa League table
Rangers have won three of their opening five Europa League games, including a 4-1 triumph over French side Nice in arguably their finest performance of the season. Saturday's Scottish Premiership victory at Ross County was their fourth win in a row and has seen them reduce the gap to second-placed Aberdeen to just two points. The match against Spurs does present some selection headaches for Rangers head coach Philippe Clement, though, as his side are set to face archrivals Celtic in the Scottish League Cup final on Sunday.
Despite their respective long histories in Europe, Thursday night's game is only the second competitive meeting between Rangers and Spurs. The north London club emerged victorious 8-4 on aggregate over a two-legged tie in the inaugural edition of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1962 which Spurs went on to win.
Key details:
The match is available to watch on TNT Sports in the UK and Paramount+ in the United States. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.
How to watch:
Date: Thursday, Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. GMT (3 p.m. ET).
Venue: Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow
Referee: Sandro Schärer
VAR: Fedayi San
Team news:
Rangers
Danilo, D, ineligible, OUT -- not included in Rangers' Europa League squad
Neraysho Kasanwirjo, F, knee, OUT -- estimated return date: May 2024
Rabbi Matondo, F, ineligible and hamstring, OUT -- not included in Rangers' Europa League squad and estimated return date: unknown
Ianis Hagi, F, ineligible, OUT -- not included in Rangers' Europa League squad
Tom Lawrence, F, knock, OUT -- estimated return date: unknown
Óscar Cortés, F, unspecified injury, OUT -- estimated return date: unknown
Tottenham
Guglielmo Vicario, GK, ankle, OUT -- estimated return date: unknown
Cristian Romero, D, quadriceps, OUT -- estimated return date: unknown
Micky van de Ven, D, hamstring, DOUBT
Ben Davies, D, hamstring, OUT -- estimated return date: unknown
Djed Spence, D, ineligible, OUT -- not included in Tottenham's Europa League squad
Wilson Odobert, F, hamstring, OUT -- estimated return date: unknown
Mikey Moore, F, illlness, DOUBT
Brennan Johnson, F, illness, DOUBT
Richarlison, ST, hamstring, OUT -- estimated return date: unknown
Stats:
Rangers have been outscored 14-1 in their last six matches against English clubs in UEFA competitions (3-2-2 overall). The Scottish club's last win against English opposition was against Leeds United in 1992-93
Tottenham are facing a Scottish club in UEFA competition for the first time since 2011-12 (5-0 win on aggregate against Hearts in Europa League play-off round
Spurs' 1-2-4 record in the last seven games in all competitions is the team's fewest wins in a seven-game span under Postecoglou
Rangers' Václav Černý has been directly involved in five goals this season in the Europa League, tied for most in the competition
Spurs are looking to avoid going winless in three straight matches in UEFA competition for the first time since their 2019-20 Champions League campaign
Stats provided by ESPN Research
Expected lineups:
Rangers
GK: Jack Butland
RB: James Tavernier | CB: John Souttar | CB: Robin Pröpper | LB: Jefté
DM: Connor Barron | DM: Nicolas Raskin
RW: Václav Černý | CAM: Mohamed Diomande | LW: Nedim Bajrami
ST: Cyriel Dessers
Tottenham
GK: Fraser Forster
RB: Pedro Porro | CB: Archie Gray | CB: Radu Dragusin | LB: Destiny Udogie
CM: Pape Matar Sarr | DM: Rodrigo Bentancur | CM: James Maddison
RW: Dejan Kulusevski | ST: Dominic Solanke | LW: Timo Werner
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