The New York Times

Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester City to advance to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, but both teams were left to rue multiple injuries during the game.

Timo Werner swept a fine goal past Stefan Ortega to give Tottenham an early lead and Pape Matar Sarr curled a brilliant shot home from long range to make it 2-0.

Just before the break Savinho set up Matheus Nunes to pull a goal back for City but Pep Guardiola’s side failed to level after the break.

City lost Manuel Akanji to injury in the warm-up, and Savinho was taken off on a stretcher in the second half, to add to their considerable injury list.

For Tottenham, Werner went off due to what Ange Postecoglou described as “fatigue” and, more worryingly for the club’s fans, Micky van de Ven, had to be replaced because of a hamstring injury.

Jack Pitt-Brooke, Thom Harris and Jay Harris (no relation) analyse the key talking points…

Should Spurs focus on the cups?

There was something familiar about this Spurs performance, if only because in recent years they have been very good at winning big games against Manchester City, especially here. This was their sixth win over City in eight attempts here, and it felt like some of those big nights under previous managers.

You might argue that, if Spurs are going to be a serious team this season, they need to play like this every week, to show up and compete in games like Crystal Palace away, or Brighton away, both of which they have painfully lost in recent weeks.

But there is still a lot to be said for being a cup team, one that can reach their top level when they need to, especially against top sides. Realistically, Spurs are not going to win the Premier League this season. Even top-four qualification will be difficult, given the teams ahead of them.

They are now down to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup though, and very well set in the Europa League too. The FA Cup is still to come. If they can just string a few more big performances like this together, and win a trophy, or even get close to one, this season can be a stirring success.

Even if they do not have in them to do it every week in the league.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Guardiola asked for no injuries. Instead he got two

Guardiola might have tempted fate with a request for the footballing gods at his pre-match press conference yesterday. “No injuries, please!” he smiled.

Instead, City lost a player before the game had even begun, Akanji dropping out of the starting line-up at the last minute, replaced by Ruben Dias after a suspected knock in the warm-up. An even darker twist came as Savinho passed Guardiola on a stretcher on his way down the tunnel early in the second half.

That now leaves eight of his players absent with injuries, including all three natural wingers: Savinho, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, Akanji, Kyle Walker, Rodri and Oscar Bobb.

While they have coped well with the season-ending blow to Rodri, tonight’s developments — especially with the young Brazilian winger hitting his best form for the club — will leave a bitter taste in the mouth for City fans, particularly if news surrounding Akanji is worse than initially thought.

Thom Harris

Spurs are half the team without Van de Ven

It was the sight that no Tottenham fan wanted to see: Van de Ven leaving the pitch in tears just 14 minutes into the game after sustaining what appeared to be a hamstring injury. He had just put in a thumping slide-tackle on Savinho, one that had lit up the whole crowd, part of Spurs’ ferocious start to this game. But when he stood up afterwards, he clutched his muscle in pain.

Everyone here thought back to last season and the damage done to Spurs’ campaign by a Van de Ven hamstring injury. He pulled up during Spurs’ calamitous 4-1 defeat to Chelsea, one year ago next week. The Dutch centre-back missed the next two months and Spurs’ season collapsed.

It is no secret now how important Van de Ven is to Spurs. His pace allows them to be as aggressive as they want to be. His skill on the ball helps them to build out from the back. He is a unique player and Spurs are half the team without him.

No wonder, then, that Ange Postecoglou withdrew Cristian Romero, seemingly to protect him, early on in the second half. Tottenham cannot afford the same centre-back crisis this autumn that they had last year.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

City will miss Savinho’s inventiveness from out wide

Guardiola singled out this fixture as one his team would not “waste energy” on well over a month in advance, and their first-half showing did little to suggest that he had gained any more enthusiasm to win it. Their build-up was routinely smothered by an aggressive Spurs press, and there was a worrying catalogue of mis-hit passes from Ilkay Gundogan and Nico O’Reilly in particular, even in instances when City had more time and space.

Instead, the zip to City’s play was provided by the wide players. While Matheus Nunes was again deputising on the left — notably racing past Archie Gray and squaring agonisingly ahead of Phil Foden late in the first half — Savinho was back making the right side his own, offering the kind of dynamism and freestyle dribbling that took La Liga by storm last campaign.

Aside from three outrageous nutmegs, Savio’s forward thrust has caught the eye in recent weeks — he carried the ball into the penalty area 10 times against Southampton last weekend, more than any player in a single game in Europe’s top five leagues this season. He managed four tonight before being taken off by a stretcher, providing the assist for City’s only goal with a perfectly stood-up cross to the back-post.

That was his party trick for Girona — bursting to the byline before clipping the ball to the far side — only he routinely did it from the left. That the 20-year-old is continuing to make that move look easy on the opposite flank is Savinho’s unpredictability in a nutshell.

Even when City return to full strength on the weekend, they will desperately miss his inventiveness from the flanks.

Thom Harris

Werner gives a reminder of his quality

When Werner was substituted at half-time in Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar last week, it felt like Ange Postecoglou was finally losing faith in him. Mikey Moore’s thrilling second-half performance, and flashes of brilliance on his first Premier League start against Crystal Palace at the weekend, seemed to confirm a changing of the guard.

With Son Heung-min and Wilson Odobert both injured, Werner was given another opportunity against Manchester City and it only took him six minutes to remind everybody of his quality.

Tottenham played out from the back and when Brennan Johnson flicked the ball into Dejan Kulusevski’s path, Man City were left wide open. Kulusevski crossed the ball into the box for Werner, whose first-time shot beat Ortega with a slight deflection from Rico Lewis. It was the 28-year-old’s first goal since March and only his third in 26 appearances for Spurs since he joined them in January from RB Leipzig on loan.

Tottenham supporters responded by chanting Werner’s name and that moment clearly filled him with confidence, as he was their biggest attacking threat throughout the first half. He kept driving past Lewis and drilling crosses into the box, and he helped Kulusevski set up Sarr’s stunning long-distance strike.

It was Werner’s best performance for a long time but there were still a few occasions where he was guilty of erratic finishing. He wasted an excellent chance to score right at the start of the second half when he raced away from Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias but fired wide.

It was a shame to see him limp off in the 68th minute clutching his inner right thigh but he was warmly applauded for what turned out to be a match-winning display.

Jay Harris

Carabao Cup quarter-final draw

Tottenham vs Man Utd

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

Newcastle vs Brentford

Southampton vs Liverpool

What did Ange Postecoglou say?

On injuries: “Micky (van de Ven) felt something in his right hamstring. He definitely felt something so will see how he is. Cuti (Romero) was a bit tight… I was contemplating changing him at half-time, obviously with losing Micky as well we didn’t want to lose another centre-half. He said he felt ok but my gut was telling me there was no point taking a risk, with Ben who could come on.”

“Timo hasn’t played a lot so it was more fatigue, hopefully, than anything else.”

On taking Sarr off: “He’d been booked, I just thought the way the game was going, I didn’t want to take a risk there. I thought Biss (Bissouma) would help us in our build-up, it got a bit sticky for us in the back end of the first half, playing out. And i thought having Biss and Rodri (Bentancur) in there would give us more of a foothold to try and play out from the back. I think it helped us in the second half. It was tactical more than anything else.”

What did Pep Guardiola say?

On Savinho’s injury: “It was the knock in the 18-yard box. We’ll have to see tomorrow if it’s a knock or something else.”

On not using Haaland: “The plan was always for him not to play, The game against Southampton was really demanding and I didn’t want to take the risk with him in this competition.”

On suffering defeat: “I don’t like to lose, but I like to see how the team behaves, the courage, the solidarity. I like it! Still I like it!”

What next for Spurs?

Sunday, November 3: Aston Villa (H), Premier League, 14:00 (GMT), 10:00 (ET)

What next for City?

Saturday, November 3: Bournemouth (A), Premier League, 15:00 (GMT), 11:00 (ET)

Recommended reading

Rodri is a deserved winner of the Ballon D’Or – no matter what Real Madrid might think

To continue their progress, Postecoglou’s Spurs must learn to win ugly

What Pep Guardiola really means when he is nice about a struggling manager

The tragedy of Pierre Bolangi, the promising footballer who died on a pre-season Army camp

(Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Manchester United interim head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy has said he will “help and serve” the club for as long as he is needed after he oversaw a 5-2 win against Leicester in his first match in charge after the club sacked Erik ten Hag on Monday.

United are working on a deal to appoint Sporting Lisbon head coach Ruben Amorim, but Van Nistelrooy insisted on Sky Sports post-match that he would be keen to remain at Old Trafford in a new coaching setup.

When asked if he would stay if United wanted to keep him on, he said: “Of course. I came here as an assistant, to help the club, and now on this role I’m helping as long as I’m needed.

“In the future in any capacity I am here to help the club further, to build towards the future. That’s what I’m here for. I’m here to help, I’m here to serve, I’m here to give my everything for the club. There are so many people round me that want the best for the club and that will never change.”

Tottenham Hotspur will host Manchester United in the quarter finals of the Carabao Cup, while holders Liverpool travel to Southampton.

United, who won the tournament in 2023, will play Spurs — who eliminated Manchester City in the last 16 this evening. Tottenham’s last major trophy was in 2008 in this competition.

Southampton, who edged out Championship side Stoke City on Tuesday night, will host Liverpool. The south-coast club defeated Liverpool at the semi-final stage in the 2017 tournament.

Elsewhere, there is a London derby between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park, while 2023 finalists Newcastle United — who defeated Chelsea 2-0 on Wednesday — play host to Brentford.

United’s interim boss was delighted with his team’s performance.

He said: “I couldn’t ask for more. The first goal was unbelievable, top goal, top corner. Then you also need some luck. The double post, came back to Casemiro. But the first one is in then you see more goals are coming. Good goal by Garna, good assist by Diogo. Do I have all five covered? Bruno… great night.”

Van Nistelrooy was particularly pleased for Casemiro: “I was delighted for Case. The way he’s been training, helping the team and the club, It’s such an example. You also see the crowd’s reaction, you see what he’s about. I’m delighted to have him around. He is an example for us. I was happy for him.”

The manager also singled out Bruno Fernandes for praise, adding: “It’s fantastic. I wasn’t worried about him because I see him every day in training, the way he’s helping the team. He’s taking a lot on his shoulders.

“He’s so responsible for everything within the club. Today he was free, go out and play well. I was delighted for him. Hopefully there are more to come.”

Manchester United’s negotiations with Sporting Lisbon centre on the date Ruben Amorim will be allowed to start working at Old Trafford, but progress is being made.

Sporting want Amorim to stay in charge for the next important games, including against Manchester City on Tuesday and Braga on November 10. They are also demanding extra compensation to allow the departure of the coaches Amorim would like to join him.

Should Sporting be allowed to keep Amorim as desired, he would join United during the international break, with his first game being away to Ipswich on November 24.

Ruud van Nistelrooy would then have four games in charge, as well as Leicester City in the Carabao Cup, adding in Chelsea in the Premier League, PAOK in the Europa League, and Leicester again in the Premier League.

Former United striking legend sees his club score five goals in his first match as temporary manager? Old Trafford in October 2024 had the feel of Cardiff City Stadium in December 2018 with Van Nistelrooy cast in the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer role this time.

Nearly everything United touched turned to goals against Leicester, starting with Casemiro’s screamer that kissed the angle of post and bar.

Later on Van Nistelrooy put on Rasmus Hojlund to join Joshua Zirkzee, and gave a run out to 18-year-old striker Ethan Wheatley.

He was making his mark while he has the chance.

Ruud van Nistelrooy certainly looked the part as he strode down the touchline before kick-off. Gone was the tracksuit he wore as Erik ten Hag’s assistant, and in came a polo neck, trousers and smart winter coat, very visibly a man in charge.

How long he has the United reins remains to be seen, and it is not yet clear what Amorim’s intentions would be with Van Nistelrooy, who has impressed people at Carrington. His first game in charge was certainly entertaining.

Van Nistelrooy’s arms shot skywards after Casemiro's opener, and three more celebrations followed in the first half as United remembered how to finish. Ten Hag must have been sat wondering where this shooting was at West Ham.

After the second goal, they sang Van Nistelrooy's name to the tune of Karma Chameleon, and after the fourth it was the more rudimentary “Ruud, Ruud, Ruud”. Either way, these supporters enjoyed having him in the Old Trafford hot seat.

Supporters have been having their say in The Athletic's discussion tab at the top of the page and clickable here.

United fan Burhanuddin S says: Feels so good to finally see them win honestly 🫠

Kevin F continues the optimism: Bring on Chelsea! 👍🏻🤞🏻 Let’s see if we can shackle Palmer and beat them… Not taking a lot from that match tbh but glad we’re in the next round. C’mon United!

While Paul S concludes: These players are a disgrace, but yes Dalot still can't defend so hopefully backup for the rest of the season 🤞 If I was Ineos I would withhold their wages for a while to show this is unacceptable no matter who is in charge, fuming!

They won 5-2, Paul!

Mikey Moore’s thrilling second-half performance in Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League victory over AZ Alkmaar last week appeared ominous for Timo Werner.

When Moore then started in the Premier League for the first time against Crystal Palace on Sunday, it seemed to confirm a changing of the guard. With the 17-year-old now providing backup to Son Heung-min and Wilson Odobert on Tottenham’s left, would Werner even make it into their matchday squad?

Since Werner joined from RB Leipzig on an initial six-month loan in January — a deal that was extended by a further year in the summer — he has only scored twice in 20 top-flight appearances. The last time he found the net for Spurs was in the 4-0 away win against Aston Villa on March 10. According to Opta, those two goals have come from an expected goals (xG) score of 4.4, and Werner has missed seven big chances in the Premier League as a Tottenham player.

He wasted a couple of great one-on-one situations in the 3-0 away win over Manchester United last month, and was substituted at half-time against AZ after another underwhelming display.

“He is definitely down in confidence, you can see that,” Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou said after their 1-0 win in the latter game. “It is a difficult thing to get out of sometimes. It can feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. All we can do is try to support him and keep trying to get him to a place where he feels a little bit more confident with certain things.

“He has played a great ball in for Mikey to score early on, and if that goes in that’s an assist for him, it gives him a lift, but it doesn’t happen. It happened at Ferencvaros as well (in the previous Europa League tie): he played a great cross that Will Lankshear just missed. But these things happen.

“He needs to find a way out of it, because for us, in those positions, we need players to make an impact. I thought in a couple of moments he lacked some self-belief that we need to try to restore in him somehow.”

Moore’s promotion into the first-team group, combined with the anticipated returns to fitness of Son and Odobert, appeared to leave Werner with limited chances to make that impact. But in football, things can, and do, change quickly.

Son’s recovery from the hamstring injury he suffered last month has not been as smooth as hoped.

He missed three club games in all competitions, and South Korea’s two World Cup qualifiers this month, before scoring as he made his comeback in the 4-1 win against West Ham United. But he has not played in either of Tottenham’s two matches since, and is unlikely to feature when they host Manchester City in the Carabao Cup tonight (Wednesday). Postecoglou is “confident” Son will be available when Aston Villa visit on Sunday, however.

Odobert injured a hamstring in the first half of the 2-1 win against Coventry City in the previous round of the Carabao Cup on September 18 and only returned as a late substitute in the AZ game. However, the 19-year-old signed from Burnley for an initial £25million ($32.5m) in the summer has suffered a setback, which “seems like a serious one” according to Postecoglou.

All of the above means Werner is in line to receive more playing time in the next few weeks than was previously anticipated.

Even when Son and Odobert are fully fit, there is value in keeping Werner.

Son is 32 years old now, and his minutes need to be managed carefully to ensure he can perform at the top level in the biggest games. Odobert, 20 next month, is still learning the intricacies of Postecoglou’s style of play and forging relationships with his new team-mates. Moore is younger still, having only turned 17 in August, and it is important not to heap too much pressure on him. He certainly cannot be expected to play every week and it will take time for him to adjust to the physicality of senior football.

Moore showed flashes of his quality in the 1-0 defeat at Palace but struggled to find space and get into threatening areas consistently. James Maddison compared the academy graduate to Brazilian superstar Neymar last week but Postecoglou is cautious of letting the hype around Moore build to an unsustainable level.

Richarlison is another option out wide. That is where he played most of his football in his 2022-23 debut season at Spurs, but now he is primarily needed as a backup striker to Dominic Solanke.

Werner’s lack of composure in the final third is frustrating but his explosive speed is still a dangerous weapon.

The 57-cap Germany international’s performance in his second Premier League appearance for Spurs back in January is a prime example of that. He attacked the space behind Brentford’s right wing-back Mads Roerslev to create Destiny Udogie’s equaliser and then sent in a low cross for Brennan Johnson’s goal to make it 2-1 in a memorable 3-2 win. Werner’s pace on the counter led to Maddison scoring against Brighton last month, to make it 2-0 to Tottenham, too.

He blows past defenders with such ease that it prompts other opposition players to try to intervene. The benefit of that is space opening up for Werner’s team-mates to exploit.

It is important to remember that Johnson has at times been criticised for his decision-making and erratic finishing, and yet the Wales international has been one of Spurs’ better players this season with six goals in 13 appearances across all competitions — already more than he managed (five) in 38 matches in the previous one.

A similar upturn for Werner in 2024-25 may feel unlikely at the moment but those flashes of brilliance last season should offer some belief it can happen.

Before that Brighton game, Postecoglou was asked about Werner’s form and said, “Where we are at in this world, people think because he has missed two chances he is hopeless — no, he is not hopeless.

GO DEEPER

To continue their progress, Postecoglou's Spurs must learn to win ugly

“He has been taking on his players, getting into good areas. Yes, goals help — we have seen that with Brennan, from those types of positions. That doesn’t mean he (Werner) is not a good player. I get really annoyed when they put everything into that moment to say he is not a good player. Of course he is a good player. He is a fantastic player. Scoring goals would help him and us, but we will persevere with him because I still think he is contributing to the team.”

The perfect way for Werner to repay Postecoglou’s faith would be by helping them beat City tonight to book a place in December’s quarter-finals.

(Top photo: Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min is unlikely to feature in the club’s Carabao Cup tie against Manchester City on Wednesday while Wilson Odobert has suffered a “serious” setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Son was substituted in Tottenham’s 3-0 victory over Qarabag in September after feeling discomfort in his hamstring which forced him to miss their next three fixtures in all competitions and South Korea’s World Cup qualifying games during the October international break.

The 32-year-old returned to the starting line-up and scored in Tottenham’s 4-1 victory over West Ham United. He has not played in their two games since but could be available for Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Aston Villa.

Odobert injured his hamstring in the first half of Tottenham’s 2-1 win against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup last month and made his return as a substitute in the final few minutes of their 1-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League last Thursday. The 19-year-old was, though, left out of the squad for their 1-0 defeat by Crystal Palace on Sunday.

GO DEEPER

To continue their progress, Postecoglou's Spurs must learn to win ugly

“Sonny is almost fit but probably from our perspective we will aim for the weekend,” Postecoglou said on Tuesday. “We are confident he will be right for the weekend.

“Wilson (Odobert) has had a setback during the week and it seems like a serious one. We are just waiting for more information. Not exactly the same (injury), but the same area.”

The absence of Son and Odobert means Timo Werner or 17-year-old Mikey Moore could start on the left wing against City.

There was some positive news from Postecoglou who revealed that full-back Djed Spence is back in training.

GO DEEPER

Postecoglou says 'hard to keep a lid' on Tottenham's Moore

(Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

When Ange Postecoglou and Guglielmo Vicario were asked to reflect on Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday, the same theme came up in both of their answers.

“It was a game which turned into, and it didn’t surprise me, a bit of a battle,” Postecoglou said in his post-match press conference. “(There was a) lot of stop, starting and standing around. We didn’t deal with that well at all.”

Vicario put it more bluntly: “We play good football, but maybe sometimes we lack the desire to fight,” he told Sky Sports.

This time a year ago, Spurs were at the top of the Premier League table after winning eight of Postecoglou’s first 10 games in charge. Everything he touched turned to gold, but things are a little different now. This team will rip apart Manchester United or West Ham one week but then follow it up with a defeat to Brighton or Palace.

They are difficult to predict, but what is becoming clear is that they struggle against physical teams. It even happened in the first half of their 4-1 victory over West Ham, which Postecoglou described as an “arm-wrestle”. His solution was to replace James Maddison with Pape Matar Sarr at the interval, citing the Senegal international’s running power.

It would perhaps have been more understandable had they experienced these inconsistent performances and results at the start of Postecoglou’s reign, not in his second season. Back then, it could have been attributed to teething problems as they adjusted to his style of play, but now it is an underlying issue that is blocking their progress.

Spurs have lost four out of nine league games this season, which is not good enough for a team with aspirations of finishing in the top four and does not bode well for their dreams of lifting a trophy. Their four wins have all been by at least two goals, and have all been games in which they have led by the early stages of the second half; they do not appear to flourish in tight and tense games.

If Postecoglou is expecting teams to disrupt Tottenham’s game plan in a specific manner, then they have to become better at dealing with that adversity and find different ways to win. It was a topic that previously came up after that 3-2 defeat at Brighton, when he said he did not want to be “falsely rewarded” for not playing well by equalising late in the game against the run of play.

The beauty of sport though is that sometimes the better team loses. Championship-winning teams from across different sports occasionally need to rely on a bit of luck or need to tweak their approach to win. This version of Spurs are guilty of trying to win in the most aesthetically pleasing way possible in every match.

Tottenham concentrated a lot of their attacks down the right wing against Palace, where Pedro Porro, Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson combined. Oliver Glasner’s starting XI contained three centre-backs and this morphed into a back five out of possession. If Johnson or Kulusevski got in behind left wing-back Tyrick Mitchell, they still needed to find a way past Maxence Lacroix. The huge open spaces exploited brilliantly during the victories over Manchester United and West Ham were not on offer here. Centre-forward Dominic Solanke was an isolated figure in the box as Palace kept the rest of Tottenham’s attack at bay.

Postecoglou did try to switch things up when he made a triple substitution in the 61st minute. Richarlison, Sarr and Timo Werner replaced Kulusevski, Mikey Moore — who struggled to make an impact on his first Premier League start — and Maddison. It meant that Spurs shifted their shape to 4-2-4 with Johnson and Werner staying high alongside Richarlison and Solanke.

This was the first real opportunity to see how Solanke and Richarlison could complement each other (they briefly played together in the final few minutes of added time at the end of the 1-1 draw with Leicester City), but it did not work. Solanke kept dropping deep, turning with the ball and running forward before laying off a pass to his strike partner. Richarlison is still feeling his way up to full fitness after a calf injury and either took a heavy touch or made the wrong run. In future, after they have spent more time understanding each other’s game, being direct with two strikers may be an effective alternative tactic.

Taking off Maddison and Kulusevski left Spurs without a natural playmaker, which did not help. Sarr allowed Yves Bissouma to gain slightly more control, but they did not have anybody with the technical quality to take advantage.

This is still a young team — and one again missing its captain, Son Heung-min, due to a recurring hamstring injury. They were immature at times, which Postecoglou alluded to. “We ended up doing silly things, giving away silly fouls and losing our composure, which just adds to that sort of game when you can’t get any traction,” he said.

“So I think we directed our frustration in the wrong way rather than dealing with it like we should have.”

The best example of this was Kulusevski, who was booked for dissent. The Sweden international has been Spurs’ best player this season since he moved permanently from the right wing into a central attacking midfield role. Yet he was replaced in the second half and, surely, part of Postecoglou’s rationale was that there was a risk he could get sent off.

After an encouraging debut season, the expectation was that Tottenham would keep improving under Postecoglou. There have certainly been some positive signs over the last couple of months, but the last few weeks of mixed results have served as a reminder that progress is not always linear.

GO DEEPER

The Briefing: Crystal Palace 1 Tottenham 0 - Another poor away showing, did substitutions work?

(Top photo: Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)

Mikey Moore will make his first start for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

Moore, 17, impressed in Spurs’ 1-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday evening after he switched wings at half-time.

After the game his team-mate James Maddison said “from minute 45 to 65 I thought we had Neymar on the left wing” while head coach Ange Postecoglou said it will be “pretty hard to keep a lid” on Moore’s talent.

The England Under-19 international has earned an opportunity against Palace at Selhurst Park because captain Son Heung-Min is unavailable with a hamstring injury.

Timo Werner, who is out of form, has been named on the bench while Wilson Odobert is not involved in the matchday squad at all.

This is the latest step in a rapid rise for Moore who became the youngest player to represent Spurs in the Premier League in May when he came off the bench against Manchester City at 16.

GO DEEPER

Postecoglou says 'hard to keep a lid' on Tottenham's Moore

(Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)

When Amanda Staveley was photographed at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 13, attending the NFL game between the Chicago Bears and the Jacksonville Jaguars, it sparked another round of the speculation that has grown over the past few months. Could Staveley, who brokered the Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle United and helped to run the club for three years, be about to get involved at Tottenham?

Spurs have been open about their search for investment and Staveley has been looking for a new project since she left Newcastle in July. So could Staveley do a deal with Tottenham? And what would it mean for almost 24 years of ENIC control?

From the outset, we should point out that nobody is speaking publicly about this. Contacted by The Athletic, Spurs did not comment about Staveley while the financier herself would only point back to a previous interview in which she spoke in general terms about investing in other clubs. Some sources have suggested that the policy of silence might be connected to the existence of non-disclosure agreements, while others remain sceptical about Staveley’s involvement.

This sense of smoke and mirrors is par for the course where the Premier League and high finance is concerned. And it will be very familiar to Newcastle supporters; during the early days of Staveley’s pursuit of the club, her credibility was questioned. In the end, though, she was vindicated. Could something similar really happen at Spurs?

This is what we’re hearing…

Why are Tottenham now looking for investment?

Tottenham have been very open this year about the fact that they are looking for investment. When Spurs published their accounts for the 2022-23 season on April 3, 2024, there was an accompanying statement from chairman Daniel Levy. At the bottom of it there was a striking declaration about the plans for the future of the club.

“To capitalise on our long-term potential, to continue to invest in the teams and undertake future capital projects, the Club requires a significant increase in its equity base,” the statement read. “The Board and its advisors, Rothschild & Co, are in discussions with prospective investors. Any recommended investment proposal would require the support of the Club’s shareholders.”

It was the clearest public indication yet that Tottenham believe that they are under-equitised and are looking for new external investment. They know that the top end of the Premier League is an even more competitive environment than ever before, with rival clubs having huge resources behind them. Even the tighter spending rules — Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Regulations and UEFA’s Financial Fair Play — have not levelled the playing field.

Tottenham are in a stronger position than before, with their new stadium opening in 2019 and now hosting more and more lucrative non-football events. But there is still a gap to be made up.

What is the current ownership situation at Tottenham?

ENIC bought Alan Sugar’s stake in Tottenham in December 2000, spending £22million (then around $33m) to take their ownership of the club up to 29.9 per cent. Almost 24 years on, ENIC now own 86.58 per cent of the ordinary share capital of Tottenham Hotspur.

“Mr D Levy and certain members of his family are potential beneficiaries of discretionary trusts which ultimately own 29.88% of the share capital of ENIC,” says the Tottenham website. “A discretionary trust of which certain members of Mr J Lewis’s family are potential beneficiaries ultimately owns 70.12% of the share capital of ENIC.”

‘Mr J Lewis’ is Joe Lewis, the founder of ENIC, and owner of Spurs until October 2022, when he ceded “significant control”, according to documents filed at the U.K.’s business registry, Companies House.

Earlier this year, Lewis avoided prison for insider trading and conspiracy but was forced to pay a $5million fine and serve three years’ probation by a U.S. judge.

A Spurs spokesperson said of the case: “The owner of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is ENIC, with majority control held by a family discretionary trust of which Mr Joseph Lewis is not a beneficiary. The trust is managed by two independent professional trustees on behalf of its beneficiaries.

“This is a U.S. legal matter unconnected with the club and as such have no comment.”

When ENIC first bought into Spurs, the whole club was valued at £80m. In today’s market, the club is valued at £4billion ($5.2bn), a 50-fold increase. But that does not necessarily mean that ENIC are looking to sell the whole thing. Rather, the interest is in selling a stake to a minority partner, for example selling 10 per cent of the club for £400m.

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What was Amanda Staveley’s role at Newcastle? Why did she leave?

Staveley was the driving force behind Newcastle’s takeover, first attempting to buy the club from Mike Ashley in late 2017 and then returning to the negotiating table three years later with the financial might of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund behind her. After months of limbo and amid plenty of controversy about Saudi’s human rights record, the deal was finally approved by the Premier League in October 2021.

The after-effects — involving politics, the separation of state fund from state itself and what it means for the Premier League in terms of associated party transactions — continue to ripple out.

There were some sources of confusion. It emerged that Staveley had taken a £10m loan from Ashley to help facilitate Newcastle’s sale, which resulted in a court case. There was a long-running lawsuit with Barclays, while Staveley’s stake in Newcastle was eventually reduced to six per cent. Last month, a company owned by Staveley went into liquidation after a petition from a Greek businessman.

Yet, under their watch, Newcastle were transformed in terms of outlook and ambition. Eddie Howe was appointed Newcastle’s head coach, more than £90m was spent in their first transfer window, the team clambered to a position of safety and then, the following season, finished fourth, qualifying for Champions League for the first time in two decades. There was also a Carabao Cup final, a club-record signing in Alexander Isak and the gradual arrival of commercial sponsors and a new executive team. These achievements were real and substantive.

That executive team is effectively the reason she left. As she told The Athletic in July: “As the club continues to expand it needs a management team that can be left to do their jobs. I’ve read on social media that there’s been some kind of fallout but that’s rubbish. I love my colleagues. It just became unfair for us to constantly be there.”

As she contends with Huntington’s disease, an inherited condition that affects the brain, she could not countenance a passive role as an investor in Newcastle. “I need to work,” she said.

“Mehrdad and I are keen to be hands-on,” Staveley said three months ago. “We’re hard-working people, I love to be very busy and to engage and I love football. Very sadly, we have to move on to other projects and that might involve us taking a stake in another club or buying another club and that’s difficult. But it’s possible.”

The 51-year-old financier, who was involved in the sale of Manchester City to Sheikh Mansour in 2008, was responding to a report in Bloomberg that claimed she had raised around £500m in funding, was looking at buying a minority stake in Tottenham and which stated “initial discussions” with Rothschild had taken place. What could she say about that specifically? “Not much, I’m afraid.”

What has happened between Staveley and Spurs?

Sources with knowledge of Staveley’s plans say her interest in Spurs is genuine and has picked up pace over the last few months. They say her fund has a global remit, with investors from the United States to the Middle East rather than having a single, state-owned investment fund behind it like PIF.

The idea with Spurs would be to take an initial minority stake — this is what she has been working on — but ultimately her fund is seeking to take majority stakes in big assets and has also been looking at sporting franchises in other countries. Much as she did at Newcastle, Staveley is keen to build community links and to be “hands-on” as she said above.

Since leaving Newcastle, Staveley has met officials from the NFL who have a partnership with Tottenham to host fixtures at their stadium until 2030 and has attended American football games there.

While Spurs were among the clubs to have opposed Newcastle’s takeover by PIF, Staveley is said to have formed a positive relationship with Levy when they worked together on the Premier League’s Financial Controls Advisory Group and has spoken in private about the respect she has for him.

Yet deals such as this are rarely straightforward and it is also worth remembering that over the years there have been plenty of talks about possible investments into Spurs. Todd Boehly even led a consortium that got close to a takeover in 2019. But nothing has ever been fully agreed. Plenty of time and energy has been spent in the past speculating about deals that have not come off. The view at Tottenham right now is roughly that this is just noise about nothing.

So could Tottenham and Staveley work together?

It would certainly be a big surprise to see Staveley owning part of Tottenham and working alongside the existing board, if that were indeed to happen. There has been remarkable boardroom stability at the top of Tottenham over the last 24 years. Levy is the longest-serving chairman in the Premier League and is now something of an elder statesman of English football. His tenure is comparable to David Moores at Liverpool or Martin Edwards at Manchester United, figures from a different generation.

Over the course of that time, there has been plenty of boardroom upheaval, takeovers and transfers of power at Spurs’ rivals. But not at Tottenham. The only major change at the club — not one to be sniffed at — was the knocking down of White Hart Lane and construction of a new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which opened in 2019.

So Tottenham always pride themselves on running things a certain way, on being a quiet, private, discreet organisation, headed up by the same people for almost one quarter-century. Staveley’s reputation is as one of English football’s disruptors, a broker who, like all good brokers, knows how to generate noise. On the surface, they do not seem like an obvious fit.

But people doubted Staveley before she arranged the Newcastle United takeover in 2021. If she could pull this one off, it would be one of the biggest stories in years.

(Top photos: Getty Images)

Mohammed Kudus faces the possibility of further punishment after the Football Association (FA) charged the West Ham United forward following his red card at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Ghana international was sent off following violent conduct in the second half of West Ham’s 4-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Kudus was initially shown a yellow card by referee Andy Madley after appearing to kick out at defender Micky van de Ven before pushing the Netherlands international in the face.

He then went on to push midfielder Pape Mate Sarr in the face before video assistant referee (VAR) Chris Kavanagh recommended Madley review the incidents on the screen.

Madley went on to upgrade his decision from a yellow to a red card. A violent conduct offence carries with it a minimum suspension of three games but this charge opens up the possibility of further punishment.

The FA announced on Tuesday that Kudus had been charged with allegedly acting “in an improper manner and/or using violent conduct” after he was shown the red card.

Both clubs have also been charged: Spurs with failing to ensure their players did not behave in “an improper and/or provocative way” around the red card incident, with West Ham charged with failing to ensure their players did not behave in “an improper and/or violent way” at the same time. All three parties have until Thursday to respond to the charges.

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West Ham face Manchester United next weekend before meetings with Nottingham Forest and Everton. Newcastle United and Arsenal follow before the end of the month.

“I did not see the action back on TV but I think that if the referee reviewed it and decided that it was a red card then I cannot have a doubt,” West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui told the BBC after the game.

“Maybe it is another point to improve, when we suffer in the bad moments we keep calm and fight to the end as a team.”

Defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium leaves West Ham 15th in the Premier League with just two wins from their opening eight games of the season.

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(Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Eight Premier League games into their 2024-25 season, Tottenham Hotspur have an unusual top scorer: fast breaks.

Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson have three apiece, the most of any Tottenham player. In total, seven of the team’s 18 league goals in those matches (including two own goals) have been from fast breaks. (Opta defines these as a goal attempt created after the defensive team attacks quickly following a regain of the ball in their own half of the pitch.)

It means Tottenham, with 30 of their 38 league games remaining, already have over twice as many fast-break goals in this season as they got in the whole of the previous one (three). In fact, the last time they scored more than seven such goals in one campaign was 2019-20 (nine) — when Mauricio Pochettino was sacked in the November and Jose Mourinho replaced him.

Tottenham’s first and third goals in the 4-1 home win against West Ham United on Saturday were from counter-attacks after the away side had played long passes.

There was notable aggression in Spurs’ ‘rest attack’ — where their forwards, specifically the wingers, were positioned while defending.

Here, as striker Dominic Solanke beats West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek to the ball and pokes it into No 10 James Maddison’s path, wingers Son (highlighted left) and Johnson (right) are in advanced positions ready to run in behind.

Maddison now carries the ball half the length of the pitch, which is another feature of Tottenham’s counter-attacks: they do not rush passes early and maximise overloads, consistently getting four players attacking the opposition defence, with runners on the outside of the widest defender.

This pins defenders, who cannot risk going tight to the runner and letting the man in possession (Maddison in this case) dribble through. Likewise, if they jump forward and apply pressure, it opens a simple pass to the runner.

Maddison bides his time, only passing to Dejan Kulusevski once Johnson has made an inside run to take away West Ham centre-back Maximilian Kilman.

Kulusevski’s finish is precise, going in off both posts, though really Tottenham should have worked a better quality position from the four-v-four situation.

The responsibilities of Tottenham’s wingers showed on the West Ham goal that opened the scoring, as neither Son nor Johnson got back to support their full-backs Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro properly. Udogie struggled to defend Jarrod Bowen one-v-one, while Porro was sucked in centrally. This left Mohammed Kudus spare at the back post, and he finished from Bowen’s cutback.

The touch maps for Spurs’ starting wingers in the game highlight how advanced the pair were.

There was a similar move for Tottenham’s third goal of the game.

Son picked up a loose ball after West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola kicked long and Lucas Paqueta miscontrolled and curled a pass through to Kulusevski, then overlapped him. The Sweden international returned the ball, Son’s shot was saved but it then hit Jean-Clair Todibo and rebounded in — own goal.

Accessing their wingers early, when opposition teams have overcommitted their full-backs, has been key down Tottenham’s right side. Johnson’s goals this season against Brentford and Coventry City (the latter in the Carabao Cup) were almost identical finishes across the goalkeeper after quick passes into his feet from midfield-third regains.

Likewise, driving runs out from the back by Micky van de Ven — see his assists for Son in August’s home against Everton and for Johnson at Manchester United last month — following regains have been essential in creating overloads and gaining yards while the opposition’s defensive structure remains disorganised.

Playing a more transitional style fits the profiles of Tottenham’s forwards. Son thrived alongside Harry Kane in Mourinho’s counter-attacking system, while Johnson is at his best running into open spaces and driving at defences.

Operating with Kulusevski as a No 8 means Spurs keep their pace out wide while also having a conductor and left-footed balance. Kulusevski is also particularly press-resistant. He repeatedly took the ball well on the half-turn between the lines in the first half against West Ham.

Last season, incoming head coach Ange Postecoglou switched between Richarlison and Son as the No 9 following Kane’s move to Bayern Munich, and had them play low-touch roles that really amounted to waiting to tap in cutbacks. This season, summer signing Solanke is a more versatile presence up front — he can be a focal point and let midfielders run beyond him, and also offers Tottenham more out of possession, which helps force turnovers.

Their opening goal at Brighton & Hove Albion two weeks ago and their second at Old Trafford are examples of this.

Here’s the latter. From Cristian Romero’s deep regain and clearance upfield, Solanke beats Casemiro in the aerial duel and immediately heads a ball in behind for Johnson.

He carries the ball the length of the United half, and his deflected cross sits up perfectly for Kulusevski to poke it home.

Note the spacing of Tottenham’s three runners (plus Johnson) to maximise the four-v-two overload.

Improvement in attacking transition is important considering where Tottenham were last year.

According to sport analysis and data service footovision, they ranked third for total expected goals (xG, a measure of chance quality) from counter-attacking shots, underperforming by about five goals — scoring eight times from counter-attacks worth 13.4xG. Only Manchester City scored a lower proportion of their goals in 2023-24 from counter-attacks. Footovision’s definition of counter-attacks is slightly different to Opta’s for fast breaks, hence the numbers are not identical, but the point holds: Tottenham were not electric in transition.

Postecoglou said before the West Ham game that “there isn’t a style that suits us or doesn’t suit us. When we play well we can play against most systems and styles — as we’ve shown”.

However, Tottenham have reached something of a glass ceiling in their organised build-up, increasingly reliant on Udogie underlaps to try to create cutback situations.

West Ham tracked runs and blocked crosses particularly well in the first half on Saturday, with the only real opening for the home side being a Udogie cross for Johnson, who made a diagonal run across goal, though the ball came off his shoulder rather than his head.

Tottenham’s profligacy at set pieces (only two shots from 13 corners) increased the importance of their counter-attacks being good, in what Postecoglou described as an “arm-wrestle” of a match.

Including this victory against West Ham, Spurs have won 18, drawn five and lost 15 of their last 38 Premier League matches — a season’s worth of football — and they have earned as many points (59) as Manchester United and Newcastle United in that time. Notably, they still have not drawn a home league game under Postecoglou, and are second to Liverpool (28) for points won from losing positions since the start of last season, when he was appointed.

Postecoglou’s pride in style and “principles” means they will never rely on counter-attacks, as happened under Mourinho, but Tottenham should use them more.

They have the individual profiles and the collective balance, and, as more Premier League teams try to dominate possession, a counter-attacking threat is becoming increasingly valuable.

October 19, 2024: The day West Ham United hit the self-destruct button.

Whether it was Mohammed Kudus’ uncharacteristic dismissal for shoving Micky van de Ven and Pape Matar Sarr in the face, the defensive frailties or a motionless Julen Lopetegui presiding over another second-half capitulation, the 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur further exposed their deep-rooted issues.

After eight league games, West Ham’s identity remains a mystery. The head coach has yet to find a system that allows the attacking trio of Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio to thrive consistently. The defence remains porous despite the combined £55million ($71.7m at the current exchange rate) summer arrivals of Maximilian Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. The slow integration of Crysencio Summerville into the XI is no longer justified. Lucas Paqueta’s form has nosedived and the midfielder is careless in possession.

It is a new season reminiscent of the old. West Ham have only won once since August, with five points from their last six games.

Lopetegui retains full support from the board, but the gravity of the situation will do little to alleviate the pressure he is under.

Vice-chair Karren Brady’s true emotions at Tottenham were concealed as she wore sunglasses in the directors’ box. Pre-match, David Sullivan’s red Rolls-Royce was briefly stuck in traffic on Tottenham High Road. Given what he and the fanbase were subjected to, a diversion back to his residence would have been more appropriate. Some supporters left the away enclosure as early as the 65th minute. The reality is Tottenham could have subjected West Ham to more misery.

Before the international break, victory over promoted Ipswich Town was viewed as a turning point. Fans dug deep into their well of optimism for the London derby, but the loss has weakened their hope.

The dread grew as the team conceded three goals in eight minutes after the interval — but it was also no surprise, with defeats to Liverpool (in the Carabao Cup) and Chelsea last month following a similar pattern.

Kudus scored the opener, but the elation was short-lived after his red card — his first dismissal since November 2019. To compound matters, the Ghana international will receive a minimum three-match suspension, missing upcoming games against Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Everton.

He walked past Lopetegui and his backroom staff as he headed down the tunnel. Kudus, known for being level-headed, lost his cool and there can be little empathy for his actions.

But it is the second time in a month his lack of discipline has been questioned. Kudus and Lopetegui had a frank exchange of words when the attacker was substituted at half-time in the 1-1 draw against Brentford.

“We (Lopetegui and Kudus) are going to talk,” said the head coach after the Tottenham loss. “Not today. It’s not the day to talk, but he will be aware he can improve his actions in these moments because it is not good for him, the club or the team.”

Tim Steidten, the technical director, has previously received praise for the club’s recruitment, but he also now warrants scrutiny.

The club signed an ageing forward in Niclas Fullkrug, 31, for £27million from Borussia Dortmund. He remains sidelined with a calf injury and has only played 63 minutes in the league. Luis Guilherme, the £25million signing from Brazilian side Palmeiras, has featured once totalling four minutes. That is £52million worth of talent. Midfielder Guido Rodriguez is still adapting to Premier League football, while Carlos Soler’s involvement has been restricted to substitute appearances.

Post-match, Lopetegui apologised to supporters and offered reassurance that performances will improve. He wants doubters to reserve judgement until May. It sounds good in theory, but the adage that actions speak louder than words comes to mind.

“The message is we are sure we will have better moments,” Lopetegui said. “The Premier League is very long and we knew we had a hard start. But we are going to improve. I am sure about this.

“Today we are very frustrated and so sorry for them (the fans) above all. We are going to work very hard for the next challenge.

“We have to do better. Maybe I have to improve, too, my translation with my players. The first half was interesting. We did good things. We scored and had chances to score more. After 2-1, the worst thing for me is not being able to keep the mentality. You are losing 2-1 but you have a lot of time in front of you to draw or to win the match. That’s why we have to improve one important step — to handle these bad moments in another way.”

Attention turns to West Ham’s upcoming home game against Manchester United.

Lopetegui and Erik ten Hag find themselves in embattled positions. Whenever a manager is under pressure, there comes a point when they are no longer capable of redirecting the lurching turbulence. Lopetegui will hope he is not subject to such a fate, but failure to turn around the slow start to the season may cost him his job.

(Top photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)