VAVEL

Robert Vilahamn has admitted he understands fan anger but has called for Tottenham Hotspur to “stick together” amid a difficult period.

Tottenham lost 2-0 to West Ham on Sunday via an own-goal from Josefine Rybrink and a late free-kick from Viviane Asseyi.

They have now lost their past six in all competitions, scoring just one goal, and sit ninth in the WSL.

Five managers (Jonas Eidevall, Robert de Pauw, Matt Beard, Laura Kaminski and Gareth Taylor) have been sacked in the division this season, and Vilahamn, who admitted that “pressure is here”, has called for the club to “stick together”.

“The pressure is here. I get it as we are in a winning industry. But also, we are doing something in the long run,” he told VAVEL.

“The first year was quite good, now it’s a year where we’re struggling. We know what we’re but we need to fix it to take it to the next level.

“You can always switch a coach but then you need to restart. You are looking at a style of identity and how we play. Look at the culture we want to create. We have ways we want to do this.

“But if they think it’s the coach’s fault, they can be angry, but we need to stick together as a club and a collective. We want to win. We want to do it for them [the fans]. It’s more to see where we need to improve. I get the questions as a lot [of managers] have been fired.”

Spurs dominated proceedings in the first period against The Hammers but were made to rue missed chances when Verena Hanshaw's strike deflected off Rybrink into the back of the net.

Spurs continued to pressure the hosts until the break but then struggled in the following 45. Asseyi’s late free-kick, which evaded everyone, including Kop, in the box, compounded the misery.

Vilahamn outlined post-match that the performance was a “big step forward”, even if it was a challenging result.

“Tough result. They were much more clinical when they got their chances. Performance-wise, it’s a big step forward in how we play,” he said.

“We played some great football and created chances, but when you don’t convert them, it’s a tough loss.”

Spurs’ issues came primarily in front of goal. They have now scored just once in their past six matches, and lack a clinical edge without Bethany England.

The club captain, who has also scored eight WSL goals this season, is currently unavailable with a quad issue. The former Chelsea striker is the only player at the club who has scored more than two WSL goals this campaign. However, Vilahamn, 42, is confident Spurs are making progress as they “didn’t create anything” against Brighton last week.

“Today we hit the crossbar and post and had a few ‘almost chances’. We’re getting closer. Now it’s down to quality and calmness in situations,” he outlined.

“It’s a little bit of self-confidence, as well. We need to make sure we get to those phases in training and in games.”

Since joining Tottenham Hotspur in July 2023, Ange Postecoglou has had a turbulent experience with far from idyllic circumstances.

During his time at Spurs, Postecoglou has managed 87 matches, with 42 wins and 33 losses. This leaves him with an average of 1.59 points per match, the same average he amassed as the Australia manager.

This is not a record that overly impresses, with a lot of emphasis currently being placed on defeats.

What's gone wrong?

It is important to assess the context of why Tottenham are failing to win regularly under Ange Postecoglou.

The first point to make about this season in particular, is the unprecedented injury crisis, which has removed key players from Spurs' starting line-up for long periods.

To quote the Australian manager, "I mean you can walk outside and say, 'Jeez it's really bright', and say to yourself maybe it's not the sun. But it is the sun, mate, we've just got injuries."

Many have responded to this with comparisons to other clubs in the league, such as Bournemouth, who have had an injury crisis of their own but have managed to remain competitive in the Premier League, without European competition to worry about.

However, the significance of losing Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven, Destiny Udogie and Radu Drăgușin for elongated periods of time is not comparable.

As a result, Spurs have conceded a multitude of beyond preventable goals due to their lack of stability at the back this season.

Individual errors are often the cause of 'soft goals', however, the system Postecoglou sets his team out to play can invite pressure which increases the likelihood of mistakes.

The lack of system adaptability has infuriated sections of the fanbase, with many demanding a more defensive style of play to try and preserve winning positions, or for damage limitation.

The flip side to this argument being, at the other end of the pitch, players have been inconsistent and often underperforming.

If the Lilywhites resorted to a more defensive style of play, more trust would be put on the frontline to be more clinical, something which has not been seen enough this season.

This lack of consistency, regarding player availability and performance levels, has led to Ange Postecoglou having an increasing number of critics; but how does it compare to recent Spurs teams?

The context of Spurs' current situation

The last three major appointments made by Daniel Levy, pre-Postecoglou, were José Mourinho, Nuno Espírito Santo and Antonio Conte.

Under Mourinho, Spurs lost to Dinamo Zagreb at Stadium Maksimir with a 2-0 advantage going into the game, with the opposition manager, Zoran Mamic, facing prison time and quitting in the same week.

Tottenham finished above Arsenal in the Portuguese manager's final season with the club but ultimately failed to do anything significant, with his sacking coming before the EFL Cup Final.

Nuno failed to inspire Spurs fans over his brief spell at the club, despite defeating Manchester City 1-0 in his first game in charge.

Under Conte, the north London side lost to NŠ Mura in the UEFA Conference League, the lowest ranked team in European competition that season. His side also failed to score a goal a against Chelsea when they faced each other three times in the space of a month, losing 5-0 on aggregate.

A 3-2 away defeat to Southampton proved the tipping point for the Italian manager, who took a dig at the ownership and mentality of the players.

The constant all three of these managers had, however, was Harry Kane.

Ange Postecoglou is the first of a new era of Spurs managers that have to find how to win games of football without one the best in the world leading the line.

Add to this the removal of four starting defenders, Spurs' situation then begins to make more sense, despite the immense disappointment this season has provided.

Losing to Ipswich and Leicester at home but also defeating Man City 4-0 at Etihad shows that the increasingly dark cloud of the 2024/25 season has silver linings.

Signs of promise

Ange Postecoglou has implemented a style of play that is quintessentially Spurs. High energy, entertaining football with an element of unpredictability.

His system has not always operated effectively, but when it works, it is one of the most exciting in the world.

If the north London club can provide the Australian with the depth to cope with potential injuries going forward, the chances of success will be far greater.

This is supported by the players' belief in the system and Postecoglou himself, one example of this being vice-captain Romero.

"He's a great coach. We saw it in the first season. In this second one we've suffered a lot of injuries," said the Argentinian defender.

"Players are the first one to be criticised, then if we lose 10 games, the staff can be changed, but nobody talks about what is actually happening.

"We are very happy with this staff, me and my colleagues. We love how they work and the football they try to play. We'll try to move on quickly."

Additionally, Djed Spence, who was originally out of favour under Postecoglou, has also supported his manager.

“We believe in what he [Postecoglou] wants us to do. We try to implement that in every game. Of course it’s not going to work in every game, but the manager has our full support."

There is also a vast amount of promising talent in N17, with the likes of Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Mikey Moore, Mathys Tel, Wilson Odobert and many others.

Croatian defender, Luka Vušković will also be joining the squad from next season after being one of the highest scoring defenders in world football at the age of 18.

Ange Postecoglou has stated how he feels about the exciting prospects in this squad and feels he is the man that could utilise them effectively, particularly Bergvall and Gray.

“I'm so happy they're at our football club and you know, in two or three years' time, I just pray to God I'm the beneficiary of their talent, mate, because if somebody else is getting it, I won't be happy.”

What next for Spurs?

This season can still end in Champions League qualification and more importantly a long-awaited trophy for Tottenham.

The league is not completely redundant, however, as London derbies and an away trip to Anfield remain, which can prove to be morale boosting.

Frankfurt will be the key focus for the team as their next opponent in the Europa League; a difficult opposition with a great deal of talent.

Hugo Ekitike is their main man up top, who recently scored a hat-trick in a France u-21's fixture, in which two of his goals were provided by Spurs' Odobert.

World Cup winner Mario Götze also poses a threat, along with German midfielder Ansgar Knauff, who has seven assists this season.

If the injury situation remains the same, the north London side will have all their key players fit for both legs, including the returning Dejan Kulusevski.

This would provide the former Celtic manager the most opportunity to win silverware in his second second season.

This season can be defined by European success, along with Postecoglou's future, but should this be the case?

This season has been full of extraneous variables that have prevented optimal conditions for consistency for the Australian. Ownership protests, a plethora of injuries and freak errors have undoubtedly cost the manager.

The phrase 'trust the process' gets thrown around in the modern era of football, except it is not met with great patience.

Many performances this season have been viewed as unacceptable by all at the club, which is rendered Postecoglou's position untenable to some, but not all.

Despite an encouraging display, Spurs fell to their fifteenth league defeat of the season away to London rivals Fulham.

Proceedings were closely contested at Craven Cottage until second-half substitute Rodrigo Muniz slotted into the bottom corner 12 minutes from full-time.

Shortly after the Brazilian broke the deadlock, teenager Lucas Bergvall was adamant he should have been awarded a penalty. Replays indicated that the midfielder had touched the ball before being impeded by Calvin Bassey, although VAR deemed the contact insufficient.

The hosts secured the full complement of points in the closing stages through Ryan Sessegnon. The former Spurs man outmuscled Ben Davies before sumptuously curling an effort beyond Guglielmo Vicario with his weaker right foot. Sessegnon chose not to celebrate out of respect, but his teammates couldn’t hide their jubilation. It was a big win for the Cottagers in their pursuit of qualification for European football.

Ange Postecoglou will be pleased with aspects of his team’s performance, particularly in the second half. But ultimately, it’s another game that has passed them by this term, something that has happened far too often for a club of Tottenham Hotspur’s stature. The Lilywhites haven’t recorded this many defeats in a top-flight season since the 2008/09 season. There are still nine games to play.

There was almost a resignation from the players after the full-time whistle, a sorrowful sign of becoming accustomed to the bitter taste of failure.

Another disappointing result leaves them in 13th position with virtually nothing left to compete for in the remaining nine league games.

Here are four things we learnt from the London derby defeat.

The Cristian Romero predicament

Cristian Romero reminded everybody of his talents this afternoon with robust challenges and incisive passes. His well-documented injury troubles are still firmly in the mind of his manager, and Postecoglou decided to cautiously take him off just past the hour mark. However, as soon as the World Cup winner departed the field, Tottenham looked vulnerable and subsequently conceded two avoidable goals.

But, at least the defender now has two weeks off where he can focus on getting back to full fitness ahead of a crucial Europa League quarter-final tie with Frankfurt.

Well that would be the case, but the patriotic Romero will instead jet off to South America with the Argentina national squad. La Seleccion have two World Cup qualifying matches against Uruguay and Brazil to prepare for.

That has often been the case with the imposing defender. He always seems to be available for his country despite missing several games a season for his club.

This isn’t an attack on Romero. He’s perfectly entitled to treasure the privilege of representing your nation.

But, he’s Spurs’ vice-captain. You can never fault his commitment on the pitch, but the perception of the 27-year-old is that Tottenham Hotspur isn’t his priority.

The decision to allow the former Atalanta player to represent his nation, while still needing to manage his minutes in important games for the team he is contracted to, is rather baffling.

Postecoglou’s problematic persistence with a defensive midfield

The first half was devoid of any quality or creativity and that was largely down to the personnel in midfield. Postecoglou decided to leave Bergvall and James Maddison on the bench after their midweek exploits and start Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma and Archie Gray. For the latter, it was a first chance to impress in his natural position since his £40 million move from Leeds United last summer.

Doubts arose when the line-up was announced about the imbalance of the midfield, with all three not considered offensively-minded players. Bentancur was the individual tasked with picking up pockets of space in forward areas, but he was largely ineffective.

Gray went about his business astutely but often chose the safe option, while Bissouma was nothing short of abysmal.

The Malian was unconvincing in possession, reluctant to receive the ball and chased shadows for 45 minutes. His shortcomings was only further highlighted by his replacement Bergvall, who was the complete antonym of Spurs’ number eight. Industrious, tough-tackling and courageous.

A worrying trend is developing for the former Brighton midfielder. In three of his last five appearances he has been taken off at the interval, a change typically reserved for drastic measures. In fact, the last time he completed a full game was against Non-League outfit Tamworth back in January.

At 28-years-old, Bissouma should be in the prime of his career. Instead, he looks a man stripped of any confidence. With his form seemingly not improving, an exit in the summer could be on the cards.

Frustratingly, Postecoglou committed a similar misstep last weekend in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth. An almost identical midfield was chosen, apart from Pape Matar Sarr playing instead of Gray.

Bournemouth terrorised the North Londoners, but as soon as Bissouma and Bentancur were replaced by Maddison and Bergvall, the Lilywhites scored twice to level the scores.

To quote Albert Einstein: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Perhaps, the Spurs manager will be looking to reassess his decisions over the upcoming break.

Lacklustre Johnson fails to deliver again

Brennan Johnson divides opinion amongst the Spurs fanbase. On the one hand, he is the club’s top scorer this season with 14 goals in all competitions. He has a habit of arriving at the right place at the right time and the reliance on his instincts have come to Tottenham’s benefit on several occasions.

On the other hand, when the 23-year-old doesn’t find the back of the net, his contributions are largely non-existent. It’s very rare to find a player who has been so prolific look so short of self-belief.

Alongside the equally woeful Bissouma, Johnson was axed at the break in West London and was replaced by Heung-min Son. Surely when you’re chasing a goal you don’t take your top goal scorer off?

But, this complex situation is a puzzling one to act on. With Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel looking lively and Johnson looking anything but, what else can Postecoglou do?

If Johnson continues to disappoint, he could find himself warming the substitutes bench for Spurs’ biggest games of the campaign.

Mathys Tel thrived in his favoured position

Today was the first time the Bayern Munich loanee had the opportunity to impress while not carrying the burden of being the lone striker.

The teenager may not have been flawless, but Tel certainly posed much more of a threat off the flank.

A mazy run in the first half saw him leave several Fulham players in the dust before his cross agonisingly evaded his teammates. In the second period, the French teenager’s curling shot should’ve resulted in Dominic Solanke dispatching the rebound.

Tel’s time at German heavyweights Bayern has noticeably altered his perspective and approach to football. Despite bring only 19, he is frequently spotted rallying his colleagues and firing up the crowd.

His mature attitude came to the forefront after the full-time whistle as he went to the crowd to apologise and ask for togetherness. It takes a certain type of character to do that when technically his stay at the club he has been at for only two months is temporary.

After yet another defeat for Ange Postecoglou's side heading into the international break, Tottenham Hotspur will be left ruing another afternoon that contained individual errors and a lack of identity for large parts.

The Lilywhites lacked fight in the first half and grew into the game in the second, however, a lack of ruthlessness in the final third was once again the north London outfit's undoing.

Goals from Rodirgo Muniz and former Spurs man, Ryan Sessegnon, were nails in the coffin of another game this season that many fans will be hoping to forget.

Tottenham Player Ratings

Guglielmo Vicario - 7

Vicario was unable to prevent either of the goals but was largely positive and comfortable with his distribution. If he was fit for the entirety of the season, Spurs may not be in the disappointing league position they are in now.

Djed Spence - 6

Another game of positive runs and being one of the best ball carries the team possesses. However, Spence switched off at a vital moment when the game was still in the balance, ultimately costing his side a chance of salvaging a point.

That being said, Spence was by no means the reason the north London side lost today and was an occasional bright spark, particularly when driving with the ball.

Cristian Romero - 7

Romero is one of the best at reading the game in his position and proved it again today. He was subbed off just past the hour mark to manage his minutes ahead of the international break, but will surely return as a vitally important part of Postecoglou's team.

Ben Davies - 5

Davies was consistent with his defending as per usual, but didn't impact the game in the same way Micky Van de Ven would (which is understandable). The key moment he was involved in was the second Fulham goal, in which he failed to win his battle against Sessegnon.

Destiny Udogie - 6

After failing to get to grips with the game in the first half, Udogie started to show his best self in moments of the second half, driving forward with the ball.

His overlapping runs provided a greater volume of chances for Tottenham to score, but he ultimately lacked support in key moments.

Rodrigo Bentancur - 5

Bentancur had little impact on the game, despite working hard before being subbed.

Yves Bissouma - 3

Bissouma has had a season to forget, with another half of football that was littered with poor passing and touches before being hooked.

Archie Gray - 5

In many ways the feeling of a debut for Gray as he started in holding midfield. He won the ball back on multiple occasions but also had some moments that lacked quality, not helped by the lack of creativity that surrounded him in the first half.

He returned to centre-half once Cristian Romero was subbed off.

Brennan Johnson - 3

A disappointing afternoon for the Welsh winger, failing to create opportunities for his teammates, or himself, to score. Subbed off at half-time.

Dominic Solanke - 5

Through no fault of his own, Solanke failed to impact the game in the opening 45 minutes. He grew more into the game after the break, failing to convert the main chance he had in the game from Maddison's chest pass.

Mathys Tel - 6

Much brighter from Tel out on the wing for Spurs, willing to run at defenders and having a chance parried by Bernd Leno in the second half.

At 19 years of age, the French forward definitely has potential to become a key player if he stays beyond his loan period with the club.

Substitutes

Lucas Bergvall - 8

Once again, the Swedish midfielder was setting the tempo for Postecoglou's team, with sharp passing and dribbling.

Could have been awarded a penalty for his run past Calvin Bassey but it was a the kind of decision that hasn't gone Spurs' way for the vast majority of the season.

Son Heung-min - 5

Lacked a clinical touch but was positive with the ball and tried to make something happen, but it was to no avail.

James Maddison - 4

Failed to impact the game after impressing against AZ Alkmaar.

Wilson Odobert - 4

Lost the ball which led to Fulham's opener and did not make a difference to Spurs' attack in the short period he was on the pitch.

Dane Scarlett - N/A

Would've hoped for more game time with the rotation of the side. He will be joining up with the England elite squad over the break.

Ange Postecoglou believes Tottenham Hotspur handled the pressure "superbly" as they beat AZ Alkmaar 3-1 (3-2 on aggregate) to reach the Europa League quarter-finals.

It was billed as a season-defining and job-defining match, with Spurs struggling in 13th in the Premier League and the Australian under ever-increasing scrutiny.

However, two goals from Wilson Odobert and a James Maddison strike meant Spurs are in the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since 2013, where they will face German side Eintracht Frankfurt.

Odobert scored his first goal for the club 27 minutes in to kickstart proceedings before Maddison in the second half — and the Frenchman again late on — overturned their first leg deficit.

A strike from AZ's Peer Koopmeiners did disrupt proceedings midway through the second period, but Postecoglou believes they coped with the pressure throughout the match brilliantly.

"I think the way we handled it [the pressure] tonight was important. As much as you try to block out the outside noise, and it doesn’t bother me, but I am sure the players and the whole club were aware tonight was a big night for us," he said post-match.

"When you are already 1-0 down, you can get really anxious about it but I never felt that. They looked strong, dominant, aggressive and threatening in the final third.

"It's all the things we want to be. I couldn’t be happier with the way the players tackled it and it’s a credit to them."

The former Celtic manager has heavily defended his players from criticism in recent months, and he believes they showed what they can be like against the Eredivisie side.

"Well it's no coincidence. We're getting some of our key players back and of course we are [looking like ourselves]," he outlined. "We've got guys who are getting decent recovery between games and we can change the team a fair bit."

Postecoglou delighted for Odobert

Odobert has had a challenging start to life at Spurs. After arriving from relegated Burnley in the summer, he suffered two serious injuries which kept him unavailable for 34 matches between September and February.

The 20-year-old scored his first two goals for the club tonight and is finally starting to find form after a run of matches. His first – in the 27th minute – was a confident finish in the bottom right corner, whilst his winner late on showcased his attacking positioning to find space at the back post.

The Frenchman was electric all night, and that pleased a delighted Postecoglou post-match, who has always known what the winger was capable of.

"Super pleased for him because he's worked awfully hard. I was excited when we signed him. He's one of these players who has the ability to take players on and find space," he answered.

"He's a great technician and super pleased for him to get his goals. He's worked hard silently to get back in the team. He came to a new club, a big club, and it didn't work out for him through his injury.

"It's been frustrating for me not to be able to showcase him and know how much he can develop. That's just the starting point for him."

Odobert, 20, was not the only youngster to impress for Spurs. 19-year-old Lucas Bergvall also shone in the middle of the park, even if he was at fault for AZ's goal for a lack of communication. Postecoglou reiterated once again how important these youngsters are for Spurs.

"Brilliant for us. Brilliant for the club. We've got some really exciting talent. Lucas is growing all the time and people are getting a glimpse of what Wilson's all about," he said.

"It's a shame what's happened to him this year [injury], and he's still working his way from fitness. I just thought the whole group handled it [the occasion] really well."

Ange Postecoglou slammed the home faithful at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon, stating that the atmosphere in the ground would have made it "very easy" for his team to crumble at 2-0 down.

"Yeah, chaotic game for sure. We added to the chaos and it was a little bit self-inflicted, especially in the first half, just with the ball we were really careless with our passing and that allowed the game to be played on the terms Bournemouth would like with their transition football.

"So yeah chaotic but at 2-0 down it would have been very easy, particularly with the atmosphere as it was, for the boys to just let the game get away from us, but credit to them, they found a way to get back into the game and we got something out of it."

Instead, his team came from behind to draw 2-2, thanks to a goal apiece from Pape Matar Sarr and half-time substitute Heung-Min Son. Despite being unhappy with the state of the crowd in N17 on Sunday, the Australian summoned the Tottenham Hotspur fans to help the side get through Thursday's UEFA Europa League second leg, where they have to overturn a 1-0 deficit against AZ Alkmaar.

"Yeah, look, again I said before, I can't sort of dictate to people how they sort of interact, but, AZ’s crowd certainly helped them on Thursday night and we need our crowd to get behind the boys on Thursday to make it an atmosphere where maybe we lose some of that nervousness and anxiety within our game.

"But the reality is, we as a team have to respond irrespective of the atmosphere and one may follow the other. If we start the game strong, it’ll get the place nice and loud, which will help us."

Praise for young game-changer

Whilst there was not an overload of positives to take from the game, one standout was 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall, who came off the bench at half-time and made a real difference to the tempo of the game in the middle of the park.

The Swede looked to get on the ball at every given opportunity and was a driving factor in the second-half comeback as he turned defence into attack at speed. Ange Postecoglou was full of praise for Bergvall, who has rapidly matured since being thrown into an injury-hit side at the beginning of the winter period, and come on leaps and bounds since.

"Lucas was great. He has been great but he has played a lot and we've just got to be mindful of that. He's becoming an important part of our team. I thought he made a real big impact when he came on.

"Like I said we were sloppy when we were on the ball in the first half and he’s one who takes a bit more care with it. He's a technician and he carries the ball really well. I thought he and Sonny made a really good impact when they came on."

Romero's 'rustiness' unsurprising

Had it not been for Guglielmo Vicario's goalkeeping heroics, Tottenham could have been 2-0 down just a matter of minutes after kick-off in N17 on Sunday.

With just 15 seconds on the clock, Evanilson was gifted a huge chance to give The Cherries the breakthrough. The Brazilian was given the ball by Cristian Romero, who horrifically misplaced a pass across the box, but the former FC Porto man was unable to score.

Then, after five minutes, it was a risky pass from Romero to Yves Bisouma when he was under pressure which gifted the visitors their next opportunity, which was again incredibly well saved by Vicario.

However, the Argentinian, who has been linked with a move away in the summer, grew in confidence and composure as the game went on, as well as being defensively astute as he played 61 minutes on his return from injury, in what was his first appearance since early-December.

"Not surprised, he hasn’t played for a very long time. He's hardly played this year to be fair. Cuti will be disappointed with that himself but at the same time what was much more important for me was how grew into his game, his defensive work, his aerial ability. I mean he was on the end of almost every cross they put into the box from corners and I think for him he will feel a lot better just having played.

"The idea was only to play 45 today, but he was keen to stay on for a bit longer and you could see he grew into the game and was really important for us."

Tottenham Hotspur travel to the Netherlands for an away tie against AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night, a first visit to the country since a 1-0 defeat against Vitesse Arnhem under Nuno Espirito Santo in 2021.

However, not all clashes against Dutch sides have been as sour as their last visit to this immense footballing country, so we've explored some of The Lilywhites' greatest victories against teams from the Netherlands.

The Miracle of Amsterdam

A no-brainier in the creation of this feature, one of, if not arguably the greatest European night came 26 miles from where Spurs will play on Thursday night.

Well in the tie despite being 1-0 down from the first leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a Harry Kane-less Tottenham made the trip to the Johan Cruyff Arena but found themselves in a dire position as the half-time whistle blew. Goals from Matthijs de Ligt and Hakim Ziyech landed the Dutch giants one foot in the final.

During the interval, fans of de Godenzonen could be heard belting out Bob Marley's 'Three Little Birds'; however, they had plenty to worry about in the second half.

The miracle which Spurs needed came to life in the 55th minute. Lucas Moura latched onto a flick from Dele before slotting into the corner past Andre Onana to ignite some hope. The Brazilian was then involved in the action again just four minutes later, picking up the ball after a goalmouth scramble and, after some incredible trickery, managed to squirm the ball into the corner to set up a tasty final half-hour.

With chances going begging - Jan Vertonghen crashing a header off the bar in the 87th minute - and the clock ticking away, those faint hopes of the 55th minute began to fade away, despite the feeling that they were so close to such a special comeback.

With just mere seconds remaining, the ball was pumped forward to cult hero Fernando Llorente, he nodded it down to Dele who flicked it on for Lucas and the rest is history.

The thrilling turn of events came just 24 hours after Liverpool had overcome a 3-0 deficit against Barcelona at Anfield, but the magical moment from Moura, as he bagged a hat-trick to complete a turnaround against all odds, will forever go down as one of, if not the greatest comeback in UEFA Champions League history, as Spurs reached their first ever final in the competition.

Clinging on for dear life

Three matches into their eventual Road to Madrid, Tottenham had yet to win a single game in the group stage, losing against both Inter Milan and Barcelona and drawing 2-2 away at PSV Eindhoven. They were staring right into the soul of elimination as PSV visited Wembley Stadium.

Proceedings couldn't have gotten off to a worse start for Mauricio Pochettino's men, with Luuk de Jong firing the visitors into a second-minute lead, his header beating Paulo Gazzaniga.

With time again fading, Harry Kane, captain on the night, struck an equaliser past Jeroen Zoet with twelve minutes to go, allowing the Spurs fans at Wembley to believe that they could be about to see their side just about scrape something out of the game.

As the clock hit the final minute of the ninety, Kane was on hand again - his header taking a ricochet before finding its way under Zoet and in to give The Lilywhites something to cling on to with two more group matches to be played.

Closing in on Euro glory

On a night when the great late Johan Cruyff came to N17, it was a young Glen Hoddle who stole the show as Tottenham went within touching distance of securing a date with Anderlecht in the UEFA Cup Final of 1984, which they eventually won.

Spurs raced into a 4-0 lead in the first half, with Hoddle involved in both the first and third goals, as well as registering assists for the second and fourth, capping off a truly remarkable performance, with Cruyff, an ageing star, choosing to man-mark the up and coming Englishman.

It was a night which signalled retirement for the three-time Ballon D'Or winner, whilst it opened up a career of bliss and prosperity for a new English great.

Despite Feyenoord scoring twice in the second half, a 2-0 victory for Keith Burkinshaw's side in the second leg at De Kuip saw Tottenham win the tie and face Anderlecht in the final, who they went on to beat.

Ange Postecoglou has said that Tottenham Hotspur must 'silence' the home crowd at AZ Stadion early on Thursday night, as a make-or-break UEFA Europa League knockout gets underway in the Netherlands on Thursday (17:45 GMT).

"Yeah, it will be a tough challenge. They did really well [last time]. We obviously played Galatasaray away and they’re a very good side, especially in European football, but the key for that tie was how they [AZ] played at home. They set it up and with us tomorrow night, we’ve got to make sure whatever happens at the end of the game we’ve still got an opportunity to go back to Tottenham and win the tie."

In the knockout round, which The Lilywhites avoided thanks to finishing in the top eight of the League phase, AZ Alkmaar overcame Galatasaray, a side who Spurs were defeated by in November, and to be frank, the 3-2 scoreline which that game ended in flattered Postecoglou's men.

They struggled hugely in that tie, failing to cope with the raucous atmosphere of RAMS Park and had it not been for some tremendous goalkeeping heroics from Fraser Forster, it could have proved to be a rather ugly scoreline in Turkey that evening,

Their Head Coach, however, has sensibly not underestimated the impact which the crowd can have at Alkmaar.

"We understand with the home support, I’ve been here with Celtic in a Europa game so I know the experience of it and they’re a good side, but we’ve got to make sure we play our football and dictate the tempo of the game to make sure we take a result back to Tottenham."

They will be looking to become the third English side to win at this venue in the previous three seasons, with West Ham (1-0) and Aston Villa (4-1) tasting victory here in the UEFA Conference League recently. As the former Celtic boss mentioned, he has been here previously, managing to stay in the game and win the tie on home soil at Celtic Park, despite losing the first leg away.

Squad 'hungry' to turn fortunes around

After a poor first half of the campaign, Tottenham have finally started to pick up some form ahead of the business stage of the season, winning three of their last four in the Premier League, and after disappointment in the domestic cups, as they were knocked out at Anfield and Villa Park, the players are hungry to taste success come the end of May.

"Yeah, I think it is fair to say the boys really understand there is a great opportunity for us. I think they’ve appreciated the fact that the guys who have been playing through are now able to recover and train and prepare themselves better for games. That’s coincided with seeing their team-mates come back and certainly the guys that have been out injured, we’ve already seen with guys like Vic, Brennan, Madders to a lesser extent (due to time out) but Wilson, Destiny, they’ve come back with a real hunger and desire to help the team because I think they’ve all been frustrated to sit on the sidelines and see how difficult it has for the group of players who have been playing.

"They’ve just wanted to help and now they get that opportunity. Again, I think you sense that in the group that they appreciate they have some support and some help. There is a platform there for us to hopefully get back to playing our football and seeing how far we can progress."

Hoping for more Europa League success

Silverware in the Europa League would end a 17-year trophy drought for Tottenham, and could arguably give Postecoglou legend status at the club, whilst it would also be their third time winning the competition, moving them up to joint-second for most UEL titles won.

Although respecting the status of Thursday's opponents, there is an understanding from the Australian that this is a huge two-legged affair for Spurs, with a win seeing them set up a last-eight tie with either Ajax or Eintracht Frankfurt.

"I'm not sure what there for me is, but it's a competition we obviously want to do well in. We've got ourselves in a good position, we're in the round of 16. We've got two tough games against AZ and that's the first thing to overcome.

"You're right, the club hasn't in recent years done well in this competition, but it's a major European competition, we're in the last 16 and for us there's an opportunity there and we'll see how far we can go in it."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Djed Spence has become indispensable

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

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

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

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

Sarr is a shadow of his former self

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mathys Tel is yet to acclimatise to English football

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lucas Bergvall is growing in confidence

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

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

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

After playing twice a week with a squad that was down to barebones for the two busiest months of the season, it's no surprise that Ange Postecoglou has graciously welcomed back a number of key players to the squad in recent weeks. He praised them heavily ahead of his side's clash with Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night.

Not only have they had a great impact on the squad now that they are back training and playing, but the results have also improved on the pitch in the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur winning their last three now that a number of the core members of the squad have returned.

"I think the last couple of games in particular have certainly given us encouragement in terms of just being able to re-energise the group. Whether that is the guys who worked really hard through that period where we were really challenged or the guys coming back in. There is just a real good energy around it.

"The guys who missed out have been really keen to contribute and you have seen the enthusiasm that, Vicario, Brennan at the weekend, Maddison coming back in, Destiny, these guys have bought. It has helped the rest of the group. I think we have benefitted from that with the two weeks we have had of no midweek games. So all of those things and then you get two wins which makes people feel good and is something for us to build on."

James Maddison went straight back into the lineup and scored the winner in the 1-0 victory over Manchester United before registering an assist from the bench at Ipswich Town, whilst Brennan Johnson returned to the starting lineup for that win over The Tractor Boys and bagged a brace to make it 17 goals and assists in all competitions so far this season.

During the 4-1 win at Portman Road, Spurs also welcomed Destiny Udogie back in the XI after injury, allowing Pedro Porro to get some much-needed rest after the Spaniard had played over 1700 minutes since November 22nd.

Fianlly, the squad has some leaders back in, with vice-captain James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario - who has also sported the armband on numerous occasions throughout the campaign - playing a pivotal role amongst the group.

It's no coincidence that The Lilywhites' form has began to pick up now important players are back, having both an impact in the changing room and on the pitch, allowing those who exerted everything over a two-and-a-half month period to get some well-deserved rest, aiding the team as they enter the business end of the season where they will look to improve their league position and try to end the club's 17-year trophy drought in the UEFA Europa League.

Johnson crucial for Tottenham

With the Welshman arriving back into the side with a bang, Postecoglou was full of praise for the former Nottingham Forest winger, who he stated offered a unique skillset in his team.

“Brennan Johnson is really good for us. We don't really have another front third player like him," said the Spurs boss in Wednesday's pre-match press conference.

Last season, Johnson scored multiple goals from arriving into the box late on and running onto a low cross before finishing, including a 96th-minute winner against Brighton, and it has become a trademark for the speedy winger who has scored various goals in a very similar fashion in what has so far been a stellar campaign for him.

Having arrived from the Midlands in a £50m deal on Deadline Day in the 2023 summer window, he scored five goals and registered ten assists in his maiden season in North London, whilst this term he has already trumped those figures, contributing to 17 goals (14G, 3A).

The way in which he scores is almost unstoppable, with Johnson hanging back and waiting for the perfect moment to pounce unmarked at the back post and find the back of the net, as he did on two separate occasions in the win over Ipswich on Saturday, and Postecoglou absolutely loves what he has to offer.

Another ex-Forest star excelling

Brennan Johnson isn't the only former Reds man who has starred in what has been an inconsistent campaign for Tottenham.

"As I said last week, he's been outstanding, he continues to be outstanding. The challenge for Djed [Spence] is to keep going, not to be satisfied with what he's got now and with the same hunger and attitude that he's taken his opportunity.

"As you said, that's all you can sort of provide is an opportunity, he needs now to make sure that he doesn't look back from that and keeps pushing on, because he's got so still so much I think growth in him and potential. He hasn't really been settled in his career apart from the year at Forest, where he really had some great form, but since then it's been stop-start for him or he's just got to ensure now that now that he's up and running, he keeps going."

Spence filled in at full-back during Spurs' 5-0 win at Southampton - his first Premier League start for the club, despite joining in July 2022, in December and hasn't looked back since, starting every league and Carabao Cup match which he has been available for.