The New York Times

Injury-hit Spurs were forced to make a host of changes for their Europa League trip to Galatasaray, and at times looked certain to suffer a heavy defeat.

The hosts spurned a host of chances, many of which were presented to them on a plate by sloppy Spurs passing.

One bright spark came from youngster Will Lankshear, who scored his first senior goal for the club… then followed it with his first senior red card.

It was only when more of the regular first XI was added to the mix in the second half that Spurs got a real foothold and, in the end, it was the Turkish side clinging on as Ange Postecoglou’s team sought an unlikely equaliser.

The Athletic’s Jay Harris mulls some of the key talking points…

A mixed night for Lankshear

Richarlison’s latest injury is a significant blow to Postecoglou who could finally boast two senior strikers in his squad. The Brazilian’s assist for Dominic Solanke in Sunday’s 4-1 victory over Aston Villa is a prime example of what they are capable of when fielded together.

This latest setback should afford more opportunities to 19-year-old Lankshear and his first senior goal for Spurs was one of the few silver linings to emerge from a difficult first hour in Istanbul — a spell that ended when he was sent off for two yellow card offences. This was only Lankshear’s second senior start, having come close to scoring on his first against Ferencvaros, only to fail to connect properly with Timo Werner’s cross.

Lankshear’s biggest asset is his movement and he always finds a way to peel off defenders to sneak into good positions. That is exactly what happened with Tottenham’s equaliser as he effortlessly slipped away from Abdulkerim Bardakci to volley home Brennan Johnson’s cross. To make things even sweeter, he celebrated directly in front of Galatsaray’s riotous home fans.

The youngster struggled for the rest of the evening — but that is not a reflection on him but the fact that Spurs’ midfield, especially in the first half, failed to support him. Lankshear was coming up against three centre-backs and needed players running off him.

Maybe it shouldn’t have been a surprise that he got sent off. Filled with adrenaline but frustrated his team was playing poorly, Lankshear was booked twice in seven minutes.

The forward’s memories of this game will be decidedly bittersweet, but there were certainly a few glimpses of what he could offer in future.

Dragusin does not yet look like an able deputy…

A couple of weeks ago, Postecoglou said that nobody is guaranteed a place in his starting XI but it is fair to say that Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are his preferred centre-back partnership. With both players out injured, this was an opportunity for Radu Dragusin to stake his claim for more minutes in the Premier League. He has only made 12 appearances in the top flight since he joined Spurs from Genoa for £30million ($39m) nearly a year ago.

The 22-year-old handled the threat of Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran well against Aston Villa on Sunday but he struggled against Victor Osimhen, who admittedly is one of the world’s best strikers.

For Osimhen’s first goal, the striker snuck in between Dragusin and Pedro Porro far too easily. And for Osimhen’s second, Dragusin took a heavy touch under pressure and lost the ball in the build-up.

This is one of the issues with Dragusin which causes the most concern. Postecoglou needs his defenders to be calm and composed on the ball, but the way Dragusin threw away possession felt similar to when he got sent off after seven minutes against Qarabag. There was another moment in the first half when his under-hit pass to Johnson resulted in Fraser Forster making a close-range save from Osimhen.

Playing alongside Ben Davies — not a natural centre-back — probably didn’t help the Romania international, but this was not a performance that will have supporters relishing the prospect of Van de Ven and Romero being sidelined for the long term.

Maddison fails to leave his mark

This time a year ago, James Maddison was the creative linchpin for Spurs under Postecoglou but his limelight has been stolen by Dejan Kulusevski this season. Maddison did not feature in last week’s Carabao Cup victory over Manchester City and only came off the bench for the final 10 minutes of the 4-1 win against Aston Villa.

He was supposed to provide creativity against Galatasaray, along with Lucas Bergvall, but they both struggled. In the first few minutes, Lankshear tried to play a quick one-two with Maddison but his more experienced team-mate stopped running. Postecoglou was furious on the touchline and made his feelings towards Maddison clear.

Bergvall was shrugged off the ball too easily throughout and Postecoglou spoke afterwards about how this was a valuable lesson for the 18-year-old, who may just have got a better understanding of what is required to compete at the top level. Yves Bissouma was the only starting midfielder to emerge with any credit as he constantly demanded the ball and made a few crucial interceptions.

Maddison was shifted out to the left wing in the second half but remained ineffective. It tells you everything you need to know about Tottenham’s first-half performance that they looked far better after the break when Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr and Dominic Solanke were introduced, even though Spurs had by then been reduced to 10 men.

Postecoglou said their first-half issues were “self-inflicted” and that they needed to keep the ball better.

After missing out on England’s squad for the European Championship in the summer, this was supposed to be a big season for Maddison. There have been some promising moments but this display underlines his struggles for consistency.

What did Ange Postecoglou say after the game?

“Obviously, it’s a disappointing result. The first half wasn’t great; we just didn’t handle things well at all, particularly with the ball, we were just really wasteful and gave it away way too many times, unnecessarily. That allows them to get a foothold in the areas that they’re good at.

“They’ve got some good players in the front third and we just allowed that to happen way too often and ultimately paid a price for it because, I thought, we always finish strongly and I knew we would in the second half.

“Going down to 10 men didn’t help — but even with 10 men, I thought we probably played the best football we did all game and got our second goal, had some opportunities to get a third there, but I thought we were looking the better side.

“So disappointing outcome, unfortunately, brought on by a disappointing first half.”

(Top photo: Burak Kara/Getty Images)

Moments before scoring his second goal, Osimhen was denied by a superb save from Forster, but there was nothing the Tottenham goalkeeper could've done there.

The ball into the penalty area was delicious from Mertens and all it needed was a deft left-footed touch from Osimhen. A brilliant goal from the home side but the defending, particularly from Dragusin, has been awful from the visitors.

The momentum swings in this game are absolutely fascinating.

That equaliser had given Tottenham renewed hope but Galatasaray have stolen it back emphatically. All of a sudden, Spurs are on the ropes with their hosts suffocating them every time they get the ball.

There was a brief VAR check for a red card on Bissouma a moment or two ago, but it didn't come to anything.

Dragusin will want the ground to swallow him up.

He was caught in possession 30 yards from goal and Osimhen smelt blood. Mertens played a sharp pass through to the Napoli loanee who took one touch before stabbing the ball past Forster and into the bottom corner.

To compound Dragusin's misery, he was shown a yellow card for a foul after losing the ball.

One to forget for Tottenham's Romanian centre-back, that.

A huge roar inside Rams Park as the home supporters thought Osimhen had restored their advantage from close range. But the Nigerian's celebrations are very quickly cut short by the linesman's flag.

A swift VAR check followed and confirmed the on-field decision.

This has been a really enjoyable opening half hour.

Spurs struggled early on but have found a foothold since levelling through Lankshear. But as they started to grow into the game, Osimhen had that big chance that I just told you about.

Both teams carrying a real threat in attack with two less-than-impressive defences — I'd be shocked if this stays 1-1!

A couple of big chances for Galatasaray.

Victor Osimhen skipped into oceans of space left behind Radu Dragusin, but Forster got down well to keep out his low, curling effort. On the rebound, Mertens fired wide on his left foot from the edge of the box.

Osimhen will be disappointed with himself that he didn't find the back of the net there, but it was a decent stop from Tottenham's 36-year-old goalkeeper.

What a moment for the 19-year-old in such a hostile atmosphere!

The credit has to go to Archie Gray who floated a brilliant pass into Brennan Johnson at the far post. He kept his composure well to centre the ball for Lankshear who had the simple task of poking into the empty net from a few yards out.

Excellent football from the visitors who have responded perfectly to going behind early on.

I can barely hear myself think let alone have a conversation with the other journalists sat next to me.

It must be overwhelming to be on the pitch which means it is understandable Spurs have started slowly. They are having trouble playing out from the back and at times are just hitting it long for Will Lankshear or Brennan Johnson to chase.

They need Bissouma, Maddison and Bergvall to show more composure in midfield.

The Galatasaray tails are up and Akgun's eyes lit up again when the ball dropped to him just outside the penalty area.

This time, though, his effort was wild and never troubling Forster.

Certainly can't blame him for having another go after seeing his first shot.

Of all the places you can go a goal behind in the first few minutes, this isn't one of the better ones.

The last thing these Tottenham players need is the home fans in full voice and that opening goal has turned the volume up a notch.

This is now a real test of Postecoglou's young side as they look to strike back quickly.

I'm not sure how some of these fans in Europe do it — the home supporters are violently whistling and booing every time a Tottenham player touches the ball.

Only one way for the visitors to shut them up...

Hugo Lloris has revealed the concerns Tottenham Hotspur players had with the club’s decision to allow an all-access documentary to follow them during the 2019-20 season.

The six-part All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur followed the team for the duration of that campaign, a year where manager Mauricio Pochettino was sacked and replaced with Jose Mourinho.

It also covered the club’s first season at their new stadium and took in the shutting down of football entirely following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Spurs had reached the Champions League final the previous season, a high-point of the hugely successful Pochettino era at the club.

Lloris has revealed in his newly-published autobiography that the squad struggled to recover from defeat to Liverpool in that final, a situation that the players felt was only made more difficult by the introduction of a film crew to document almost every aspect of their professional lives.

“Everything was hard after that, for Mauricio and for us,” he writes in Hugo Lloris: Earning my Spurs.

GO DEEPER

All or Nothing? Filling in the blanks in Amazon’s Tottenham series

“When the film crew placed little microphones on some of the canteen tables, we went and sat at other ones. We had to be careful all the time,” he says adding that the training ground dressing room was the only area agreed to be out of bounds for filming.

“Otherwise, they had mics and cameras everywhere — even at some practice sessions, which was no small matter: it was a constraint and it had consequences.”

Lloris made 444 appearances for Tottenham in all competitions after arriving from Lyon in 2012. He was made club captain in 2015 and held the role until being replaced by Son Heung-min in August 2023 ahead of his departure in the following December.

The former France international joined LAFC in Major League Soccer and has gone to make 44 appearances, keeping 17 clean sheets. LAFC are next in action against Vancouver in the MLS Playoffs on Friday.

GO DEEPER

Hugo Lloris: 'Tottenham didn't have the same energy as before - Ange had a positive impact'

(Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

West Ham United forward Mohammed Kudus’ suspension has been upgraded to five games by the Football Association (FA) after his red card against Tottenham Hotspur in October.

The 24-year-old was shown a straight red card for violent conduct following a video assistant referee (VAR) review in the second half of West Ham’s 4-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on October 19.

The suspension means, in addition to the games against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest that Kudus has already missed, he will also be unavailable for West Ham’s upcoming fixtures against Everton (November 9), Newcastle United (November 25), and Arsenal (November 30).

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

He then went on to push opposition midfielder Pape Matar Sarr in the face before VAR official Chris Kavanagh recommended Madley reviewed the incidents on the screen.

Kudus was issued a three-game suspension, of which he has already served two games, but after an FA hearing, where it was alleged he acted in an improper manner and/or used violent conduct, he will miss a further three games.

The independent commission agreed the two offences should be treated as two separate incidents and therefore deemed an additional ban was necessary.

As stated in the FA’s written reasons, Kudus submitted a letter to the FA on October 24, where despite believing Van de Ven had exaggerated the altercation, he apologised for the incident and stated that he was “deeply embarrassed” by his behaviour. The independent commission deemed his apology sincere, and also noted his acceptance of the charge and his previously clean disciplinary record when determining the length of his ban.

Kudus also stated that his preparation for the game against Tottenham had been “physically and mentally challenging” after playing 90 minutes in Ghana’s 2-0 defeat to Sudan in Libya just four days before, a defeat that left Ghana on the brink of failing to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

However, the FA said that because the game was a high-profile London derby, the “sustained and public nature” of Kudus’ “aggressive behaviour” as well as the level of force used by the Ghana international, a two-game suspension was a necessary punishment. Kudus has also been fined £60,000 ($77,294.69)

West Ham are 14h in the Premier League with just three wins from their opening ten league games of the season. They return to action against Everton on Saturday.

(Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Tottenham handed Aston Villa only their second Premier League defeat of the season on Sunday, with Ange Postecoglou’s side coming from behind to thump Unai Emery’s team 4-1.

The first half was a slow burner but it was the visitors who crafted the clear-cut chances (three of them in fact) and the only goal — Morgan Rogers poking home a close-range, high-xG chance from a corner.

Television stations dream of broadcasting half-time team talks because sometimes that 15-minute discussion really can make a difference. And so it proved in this game, with a revitalised Spurs equalising just four minutes into the second half via a trademark back-post Brennan Johnson finish.

And things only got better from there, Dominic Solanke scoring a four-minute brace and James Maddison adding a fourth from an added-time direct free kick to take Spurs up to seventh, just two points behind both Villa and Arsenal.

Jay Harris and Mark Carey analyse the game.

Dominic Solanke’s decisive impact

Dominic Solanke had not registered a shot on target in his previous three league games for Tottenham before they faced Aston Villa on Sunday. He works incredibly hard off the ball and likes to drop deep to set up his team-mates but Ange Postecoglou was asked on Friday if he was concerned about Solanke’s lack of goals.

“I am delighted with him, mate, I couldn’t be happier with the way he is leading that front line,” Postecoglou said.

And everything came together for Solanke in the second half against Aston Villa. He is an intelligent and selfless runner who will often open up gaps for other Spurs players to exploit.

He was the biggest beneficiary of his own hard work in the 75th minute when he made a brilliant curved run behind Villa’s defence. Nobody followed him and the England international delicately chipped the ball over Emiliano Martinez. It was a tense and fractious contest but Solanke remained composed to provide the match-turning moment.

When Pape Matar Sarr intercepted Pau Torres’ pass to initiate a counter, Solanke burst into the box again to score from Richarlison’s cross. It was the forward’s fourth goal in the top flight since joining Spurs in August from Bournemouth.

Solanke scored the third goal in September’s victory over Manchester United but this was the first time he had acted decisively to win his side the game.

His tackle on Torres in the 93rd minute just underlined how hard he works for this team, and he even managed to win the free kick from which James Maddison made it 4-1. It was a fine day’s work.

Jay Harris

That Tottenham back-post threat

Tottenham came flying out of the blocks in the second half after an opening 45 minutes that failed to meet expectations. Brennan Johnson’s back-post finish bagged the equaliser on 49 minutes, and it was a goal that will be familiar to Spurs fans.

Back-post goals have has been a theme of Ange Postecoglou’s methods long before he joined Spurs. With the focus on his striker occupying central areas between the width of the goalposts, it is the job of his wingers to ensure they are occupying the opposite side when a team-mate is crossing. They are the sort of positions that can get you double figures in your goal tally by making such runs consistently.

Johnson has developed a knack for popping up in those areas well under Postecoglou, and it was another well-timed run that saw him finish first time from Son Heung-min’s teasing cross from the left flank — much in the same way that he arrived in the perfect place to finish against Manchester United this season.

A right-footed right-sided winger can look jarring at times, given that the player is unlikely to drive inside onto his weaker foot.

There were long periods where Johnson was barely involved in Spurs’ attack, but his consistent off-ball runs to the back post are a key reason why he is in the team.

Mark Carey

More defensive injury concerns

Cristian Romero wiped out Morgan Rogers in the 60th minute with a heavy challenge as Aston Villa tried to counter. Rogers picked himself up seconds later but Romero stayed down on the floor. He eventually limped off the pitch and threw his right boot onto the floor as he walked down the tunnel.

It was a nightmare moment for Tottenham who were already without Micky van de Ven until after the international break due to a hamstring injury.

It places a lot of pressure on Radu Dragusin, who started a Premier League game for the first time since September’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United. It was a big test for the Romania international coming up against Ollie Watkins and there was an early warning sign in the sixth minute. John McGinn whipped a cross into the box which Dragusin let go past him only to see Watkins miss it.

Dragusin won plenty of aerial duels but there is room for improvement in possession. The 22-year-old took a free kick deep in Spurs’ half, received the ball back from Destiny Udogie and was then pressured into running the ball out of play. Romero and Van de Ven are far more composed on the ball and if Tottenham are without them both for an extended period, Dragusin will need to improve on the ball.

Ben Davies partnered Dragusin for the final half an hour and there is a strong chance they will start together against Galatasaray in the Europa League on Thursday. To their credit, the pair did well to cope with the dual threat of Watkins and substitute Jhon Duran in the closing stages.

Jay Harris

What did Ange Postecoglou say?

The Tottenham manager was pleased with how his side dealt with one of the Premier League’s best sides. “You’re playing a top team and you know with Villa that they’re always going to have a real strong performance because they’re very, very consistent. They rarely have off days and you’ve got to be ready for that.

“I thought we had to match it with him in the first half. We had to sort of draw on their energy and make them work really hard. Obviously we concede a goal, but I still felt like we made them work really hard in that first half.

“And, you know, the thing with us is we’ve got another gear in us, two or three gears and we keep going and we felt like we could really break them open in the second half if we just really stayed focused on making sure the football was up tempo and there was intensity in the game and credit to the players after a massive effort on Wednesday night, at least they know that physically they did it again.”

Postecoglou also praised two-goal Dominic Solanke: “I just think the enormous effort he put in on Wednesday night to help us win a game of football, not just physically but mentally and his capacity to help the team in every way he can.

“To back that up today with such a massive effort again against a pretty difficult team to play against in that sense, it’s just unbelievable. Yeah, the goals are great and of course as a striker I am sure he loves the fact he can score a couple of goals, but even if he didn’t, again I can’t speak highly enough of what he is contributing to our team at the moment. And long may it continue because with him playing that way, it just makes us a better team.”

What next for Tottenham?

Thursday, November 7: Galatasaray (A), Europa League, 5.45pm UK, 12.45pm ET

Recommended reading

Spurs must keep embracing big cup nights – a top-four place should not be their everything

Tottenham can’t afford to write Timo Werner off just yet – he could still have a part to play

Why the Premier League table after 10 games is a reliable guide to how the season will end

(Header photo: Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has been ruled out until after the international break with a hamstring injury.

The 23-year-old picked up the issue in his right leg during Spurs’ Carabao Cup victory over Manchester City on Wednesday, which booked their place in the last eight of the competition.

“The main one is Micky and he has sort of strained a hamstring,” said Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou. “It is not too serious but probably after the international break for him.”

It means Van de Ven will be unavailable for Sunday’s Premier League match against Aston Villa, their Europa League clash with Galatasaray next Thursday and Ipswich Town on November 10.

Van de Ven, who joined Tottenham from Wolfsburg on a six-year deal in August 2023, missed nine Premier League games last season with a separate hamstring issue.

Fellow centre-back Cristian Romero was also brought off in midweek before full-time but Postecoglou said he was removed as a precaution and still has a chance to feature this weekend.

Postecoglou added Son Heung-min trained on Friday and should be available to make his return from injury on Sunday having missed Tottenham’s last two outings.

Spurs are eighth in the table, five points adrift of Villa, who occupy the fourth and final Champions League qualification spots.

(Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

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 on Wednesday evening. Tottenham’s last major trophy was the 2008 EFL Cup.

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 Arsenal and Crystal Palace at the Emirates, while 2023 finalists Newcastle United — who defeated Chelsea 2-0 on Wednesday — play host to Brentford.

Carabao Cup quarter-final draw in full

Ties will be played across the week beginning December 16.

Arsenal vs Crystal palace

Newcastle United vs Brentford

Southampton vs Liverpool

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United

Carabao Cup 2024-25 dates

Quarter-finals: Week starting December 16

Semi-finals: Weeks starting January 6 and February 3

Final: Sunday, March 16

(Visionhaus/Getty Images)

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)