The Independent

Mohammed Kudus will serve an extended ban after the West Ham United forward was sent off for violent conduct in the defeat at Tottenham Hotspur last month.

Kudus kicked and slapped Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven before pushing his hands into the face of Pape Matar Sarr in an extraordinary meltdown towards the end of the 4-1 defeat.

On-field referee Andrew Madley initially showed Kudus a yellow card but the VAR recommended a review and the Ghana international was shown a straight red.

And the 24-year-old, who had scored West Ham’s opening goal in the London derby, will now serve an extra two-match suspension and pay a £60,000 fine in addition to his initial three-game ban after the Football Association decided to enforce a stronger punishment.

His three-match ban was set to end after the Hammers’s clash with Everton this weekend but he will now also miss the games against Newcastle and Arsenal after the international break. West Ham have also been fined £30,000 for failing to control their players.

A statment from the FA read: “West Ham United and Mohammed Kudus have been sanctioned in relation to incidents during their Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday 19 October.

“It was alleged that the club failed to ensure their players didn’t behave in an improper and/or provocative and/or violent way around the 82nd minute. West Ham United admitted to this charge, and an independent Regulatory Commission subsequently fined the club £30,000.

“It was also alleged that Mohammed Kudus acted in an improper manner and/or used violent conduct after the offence that he was sent off for. The forward admitted to this charge, and he has been given a two-match suspension and £60,000 fine by the Regulatory Commission.”

His additional suspension is a further blow to under-pressure West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui, who saw his side get beaten 3-0 by Nottingham Forest in their most recent fixture. The Hammers have won just three of their 10 Premier League games since he replaced David Moyes and lie 14th in the table.

“I am not going to say here what I am going to talk with him (about), but for sure we are going to talk,” Lopetegui said when asked about the Kudus incident at the time.

“We are going to have time and I am sure he will be aware that he can improve his answer in this moment because it’s not good for him, for the club and not good for the team.

“But I can’t say anything more because I don’t see the action.”

A memorable second half from Tottenham Hotspur, borne out of a memorable message from Ange Postecoglou.

“I keep saying to the players, if I was a racehorse, I’d have blinkers.”

The point that Postecoglou was making was to block everything out and just go for it – and his team duly hit a pace that Aston Villa couldn’t reach. The entire second half was a manifestation of the manager’s ideal. It was a whirlwind that Aston Villa got caught up in, as the control that Unai Emery attempted to assert in the first half was simply blown away. Spurs, by the end, were good value for a 4-1 victory. They’d kept going, attempting to play the football that Villa wouldn’t.

This isn’t to criticise Emery. His first-half tactics looked right for the situation, and the squad is obviously being tested to a deeper degree with the greater intensity of the Champions League.

It’s also why talk of a title challenge was hasty, but then you could say the same for pressure on Postecoglou. The Spurs manager’s comments are arguably even more relevant in that context. His side have endured a lot of noise, but that has been in keeping with the wider Premier League narrative.

This has been a strange season so far, where no one except Liverpool and Nottingham Forest have really been seizing opportunities. All others have looked fallible, to more pronounced degrees than normal. Hence you look at the table and there’s a Spurs team supposedly recently in crisis that are actually in the relatively OK position of seventh.

Something like this is admittedly said every season – that it’ll be lower points this year, that it’s open, that Manchester City look off it – and then tends to self-correct. Even allowing for that, though, these early games have had a lot of margin for error. Very little seems to be a guarantee.

This match was arguably a case in point. If anyone had been going by the “feel” of the two clubs’ campaigns, as well as some of the results, a game prediction would have looked a lot like the first half.

The match had seemed as if Villa were “doing a number” on Spurs. Any time Postecoglou’s side had the ball around the halfway line, Emery was urging his players back, clearly not wanting them to press too high. The rationale was obvious. Anything else would have been playing into Postecoglou’s tactics. Villa would have been offering up the space in behind that Spurs love to surge into. Why bother, when you can just wait for the kind of opportunity from a counter or set-piece that a Postecoglou team will inevitably give you?

That arrived in the 32nd minute, Morgan Rogers allowed to smash in from close range after Pedro Porro and Dominic Solanke combined to somehow flick a corner on. There was even a breakaway chance from Ollie Watkins, that the forward sent well wide in a way he wouldn’t have amid last season’s form.

That also points to one huge reason why you do bother to do something different. While Postecoglou’s Spurs have this residual inconsistency, both due to the manager’s approach and the young profile of the squad, he has also ensured they have this capacity to suddenly turn it on. It can be a dangerous game to play but Spurs do have these spells where threats are coming from every angle.

The manner of their goals were the perfect illustration. For the first, just after half-time, Son Heung-Min played in a brilliant cross from the left that Brennan Johnson showed his opportunism to finish. The delivery was close to unstoppable, which was eventually what Spurs’ football became.

Just when the game seemed to be petering out, they upped it again. “The thing with us, we've got another gear in us, another two, three gears,” Postecoglou smiled.

They showed that, while Villa faded, as Emery admitted: “We are accepting the result because we were making mistakes. We made mistakes in the first half but corrected them quick.”

The second-half difference was shown in a key area. Villa had spent most of the game focusing on congesting that area in front of their own goal, knowing it is exactly where Dejan Kulusevski and the two driving full-backs can do such damage. It was gradually emptied, as Spurs further opened it. Pape Matar Sarr, Johnson and Kulusevski had a wondrously swift interchange through the centre to put Solanke through for a delightful lifted finish.

Yashin Trophy winner Emiliano Martinez could do nothing and suddenly had to start speeding up his kick-outs. Spurs instead killed the game in quick fashion, with Solanke slotting in his third. It was another ball from Villa’s right, which raises an issue for Emery.

Postecoglou, meanwhile, has a potentially good selection problem, thanks to a period where Spurs look like they have strength in depth. James Maddison came off the bench to score a divine free-kick and put the icing on the cake but the question now is whether that is his best use. Spurs looked a more driven team that fitted together better without him.

Then again, the entire game would be a lesson in not reading too much into short-term results. Villa aren’t yet title challengers. Spurs aren’t yet in a mid-table drift. The two teams are actually quite close on overall quality, ironically despite the scoreline.

This is what Postecoglou meant by the blinkers. Praise will now come his players’ way, but they shouldn’t read too much into it.

“You don't fall off cliffs and you don't climb mountains within a week,” Postecoglou said. “It’s all part of the same process for me. We’re going to have bumps along the way. It’s how you address them, how you cope with them, how you rebound and learn from them.”

Emery was saying similar to his own players: “Balance is the first message I sent in the dressing room, because it’s 38 matches.”

That’s the only time reality really comes into view.

Unai Emery hopes Villa can turn dominant performances into wins but they face a tough test away at Spurs today

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Tottenham Hotspur look to bounce back from a shock defeat to Crystal Palace when they take on Aston Villa in the Premier League this afternoon.

Spurs lost 1-0 at Selhurst Park a week ago but responded with a 2-1 win over Manchester City in the Carabao Cup. Ange Postecoglou will hope that victory brings some momentum to his team as they seek to progress further up the league table and challenge for the top four spot.

Villa already occupy one of those places. They come into the weekend fourth in the table, level on points with Arsenal. Though it is too soon to call the title challengers a win over top six opposition like Tottenham will take them one step closer to the trophy. Unai Emery’s men have not lost in the league since a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in August, a run of seven matches which has kept them in touch with the top of the table.

Follow all the Premier League action with our live blog below:

Head-to-head

These two sides have met a total of 174 times, with the first match dating back to 1903.

Villa have won 60, with Spurs winning 78 and 36 ending as draws.

Last season, Spurs lost 2-1 in the home fixture before surprising the league with a 4-0 win at Villa Park in March, though it wasn’t enough to finish above the Villans.

Chris Wilson3 November 2024 13:30

Ange Postecoglou up for the challenge as Tottenham battle Aston Villa again

Ange Postecoglou has insisted Sunday’s visitors Aston Villa deserve to be in the Champions League instead of Tottenham, but hopes to “get on top of them” this time around.

Spurs and Villa were top-four rivals during the 2023-24 campaign and the Midlands club claimed fourth spot by a two-point margin.

Fifth could have secured Champions League football if English clubs had performed strongly across Europe’s three competitions, but Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, West Ham and Brighton failed to go beyond the quarter-final stage and Villa exited the Conference League in the last four.

Ange Postecoglou up for the challenge as Tottenham battle Aston Villa again

Tottenham and Villa renew acquaintances on Sunday after they fought for fourth spot last season.

Chris Wilson3 November 2024 13:22

Unai Emery claims Tottenham are ‘favourites’ to finish above Aston Villa

Unai Emery insists Tottenham are bigger contenders to finish in the Premier League’s top four than his Aston Villa side this season.

Villa visit north London on Sunday having made a bright start to the campaign and sit five points better off.

They have also topped Spurs in the table in the last two seasons, but the Spaniard says the budget of Tottenham means they are favourites for the match and to finish above them in the league.

Unai Emery claims Tottenham are ‘favourites’ to finish above Aston Villa

Villa visit north London on Sunday having made a bright start to the campaign and sit five points better off

Chris Wilson3 November 2024 13:15

How the table looks

These two sides are certainly among those battling for Champions League qualification next season, though it’s Villa who have started stronger out of the two.

Unai Emery’s side sit fifth on 18 points with a game in hand over the teams above them, and they could move into third with a win today.

Spurs have had a more mixed start to 2024/25, despite showing some real signs of promise, and they lie in 10th on 13 points.

Ange Postecoglou’s men could move to seventh place with a win today.

Chris Wilson3 November 2024 13:10

Unai Emery knows raising standards at Aston Villa brings pressure

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is relishing the pressure which comes with his side challenging at the top of the game.

Emery has revolutionised Villa’s fortunes since taking over in 2022, taking them from a relegation fight to the Champions League.

They have won their opening three games in European’s premier competition and sit in the top four of the Premier League ahead of Sunday’s visit to Tottenham.

Unai Emery knows raising standards at Aston Villa brings pressure

The Spaniard has revolutionised Villa’s fortunes since taking over in 2022.

Chris Wilson3 November 2024 13:05

Team news

For Villa, there are no changes to the side that drew with Bournemouth in the league last week.

Tyrone Mings remains on the bench after his return from a long injury layoff, with Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa having cemented their places in the starting 11.

The midfield four remains the same as last week, with McGinn starting on the left and Ramsey on the right, with Onana and Tielemans in the more central roles.

Jhon Duran remains on the bench in favour of Ollie Watkins, with Morgan Rogers playing just behind him in the advanced midfield role.

Chris Wilson3 November 2024 13:00

Team news

Ange Postecoglou has made four changes to the side that lost 1-0 to Palace last time out in the league.

In defence, the inured Micky van de Ven is replaced by Radu Dragusin, while in attack, 17-year-old Mikey Moore comes out in favour on Heung-min Son.

In midfield, Yves Bussouma and James Maddison drop out, and they’re replaced by Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr.

Chris Wilson3 November 2024 12:52

Line-ups

Spurs XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Udogie; Sarr, Bentancur, Kulusevski; Johnson, Solanke, Son.

Subs: Forster, Davies, Gray, Bissouma, Bergvall, Maddison, Moore, Werner, Richarlison.

Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; McGinn, Onana, Tielemans, Ramsey, Rogers, Watkins.

Subs: Olsen, Maatsen, Carlos, Mings, Kamars, Philogene, Buendia, Bailey, Duran.

Chris Wilson3 November 2024 12:47

Son Heung-min and Micky van de Ven injury latest as Tottenham provide update

Tottenham are set to be without Micky van de Ven until after the international break but could be boosted by the return of captain Son Heung-min ahead of the visit of Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Spurs advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup by handing Manchester City their first defeat of the season on Wednesday, but the 2-1 win came at a cost as Van de Ven limped off in tears after suffering a hamstring injury.

The centre-back missed two months of last season with a hamstring problem but manager Ange Postecoglou said Van de Ven had only suffered a “strain” and was hopeful this latest injury was not as serious.

Chris Wilson3 November 2024 12:40

Predicted line-ups

We’ll have full team news at around 12.45pm, but for now here are the predicted line-ups.

TOT - Vicario, Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Udogie, Bissouma, Maddison, Kulusevski, Johnson, Solanke, Son

AVL - Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, McGinn, Onana, Tielemans, Ramsey, Rogers, Watkins

Chris Wilson3 November 2024 12:30

The roar of relief was everything. Tottenham could not afford to mess up this opportunity but Ange Postecoglou’s side held firm, knocking Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup to hand Pep Guardiola’s team their first defeat of the season. Tottenham’s ability to self-destruct ensured this was still a gripping cup tie, even as City chased the game in second gear. It was almost enough and although Bernardo Silva’s protests at full-time suggested City wanted to win this just as much as Spurs, the sight of Erling Haaland grinning on the bench, an unused substitute even as City trailed for over 90 minutes, told a different story.

There is no question how much this meant for Spurs. Postecoglou has talked up his tendency to win trophies in his second season and is still unable to conjure consistency from his side, but Spurs held on to win their biggest game of the season so far when the pressure was on. That the Premier League champions were far below their best and finished with four teenagers on the pitch, plus another academy graduate in the 22-year-old James MacAtee, makes little difference to Spurs in the grand scheme of taking a step closer to ending their 16-year trophy drought.

With City out, Postecoglou laughed at the suggestion that the Carabao Cup was opening up in Tottenham’s favour. Moments later, Spurs drew Manchester United at home in the quarter-finals. “There’s always an opportunity if you keep winning,” Postecoglou had said. “The most important thing is we’re still in it.” The Australian also praised Tottenham’s resilience and, although City were understrength, they answered a big series of questions here. “I’m not going to go for ‘big steps forward’ or ‘big steps back’,” Postecgolou added. “I continue to see growth in this group and this team.”

Guardiola had promised not to waste any energy on the Carabao Cup. Still, the injuries piled up. Guardiola lost Manuel Akanji in the warm-up and the impressive Savinho was stretchered off in the second half. The least important of the four cup competitions City are involved in this season has still paid a price. Guardiola did not quite field the weakened side Tottenham had hoped for, but his team were largely unrecognisable and often lacklustre in possession in the first half. The manager grew increasingly exasperated at the misplaced passes in midfield and the basic errors his players were making.

Tottenham were clinical when it counted. Dejan Kulusevski, who has a fine record against Guardiola’s team, had the running of midfield, driving through the space that opened up as a result of City’s sloppiness. He set up both goals. The opener was an excellent, back-to-front counter attack, finished first time by Timo Werner for his first of the season. Then Spurs caught City cold from a fine corner routine. Kulusevski picked out Pape Matar Sarr, who curled a sublime finish past Stefan Orteta from 25 yards. “Both goals were outstanding from us,” Postecoglou agreed.

Still bruised by Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace, Postecoglou’s side had at least showed up. The question became how they would respond to adversity. Spurs suffered the blow of Micky van de Ven limping off with a hamstring injury, feeling the back of his leg immediately after chasing back to tackle Savinho, a moment where the atmosphere started to shift. Van de Ven was replaced by Destiny Udogie but the left back’s defensive weaknesses were soon evident: Savinho skipped past him to set up Mattheus Nunes as City pulled one back on the stroke of half time.

The goal had been coming; to Postecoglou’s clear frustration his side could not make it through the four minutes of added time to regroup at the break. City were far sharper after falling two goals down and Phil Foden, deployed at No 9 in place of Haaland, had spurned two presentable opportunities before an unmarked Nunes fired in at the back post. Tottenham had retreated and the home fans were on edge as they invited further pressure. Cristian Romero was also forced off, as Tottenham lost their first-choice centre-back pair.

Perhaps there was further reason for Tottenham to sit in. Postecoglou’s counter-attacking approach clearly suited Spurs and the hosts had the chances to be out of sight after half time. Werner, unable to build on his early show of ruthlessness, fired wide when sent clean through. Orteta made two wonderful saves, to deny Brennan Johnson’s deflected shot and Kulusevski’s low finish on the break. Richarlison spurned the best opportunity of all late on when Josko Gvardiol’s errant throw-in put the Brazilian through, only to shoot straight at Ortega.

It would have been typical Spurs had City nicked an equaliser and the final 15 minutes brought relentless pressure, even as Haaland remained wrapped up warm on the bench. Haaland watched as Jacob Wright and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey were called into action ahead of him. Wright curled just wide before Yves Bissouma made an extraordinary clearance on the line to poke Nico O’Reilly’s downward volley wide. The midfielder mobbed by his team-mates before Spurs could properly celebrate at full time. Postecoglou may disagree that victory over City was big step forward, but December’s quarter-final against United may feel like his biggest game in charge when it comes around.

Follow live coverage as Tottenham Hotspur face Manchester City in the EFL cup.

Liverpool are the reigning champions of the competition following an extra time victory over Chelsea at Wembley last term, Virgil van Dijk scoring the decisive goal to secure a record-extending tenth win of this domestic cup for the Reds.

While all 72 clubs from the football league enter from the first round, Premier League teams enter at the second or third round stage, the latter for clubs competing in Europe this season. Last year, Middlesbrough were the team from outside the top flight to go furthest in the competition, reaching the semi-finals.

Follow live updates from today’s game in the live blog below.

After a busy spell of Premier League and European competition, attentions turn to the EFL Cup this week and for Tottenham, that means the visit of Manchester City (8:15pm, Sky Sports Main Event).

While this competition might not be top of the priority list, it is one City boss Pep Guardiola does take seriously, after all it was the first trophy he won at the start of his reign at the Etihad Stadium.

City beat Arsenal 3-0 in the 2018 final before they also won the first of his Premier League titles. City went on to dominate this competition, winning four in a row between 2018 and 2021, but that was their last triumph.

Despite their recent lack of EFL Cup success, betting sites have installed City as the favourites to lift the trophy in March at odds of 5/2, with Arsenal, who last won the trophy in 1993, second at 5/1.

After Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou’s reminder that he always wins a trophy in his second season he will no doubt be taking this one seriously, and odds of 12/1 are available for Tottenham to end their drought without a trophy stretching back to 2008.

Both sides enter the game after differing results at the weekend. Spurs come into the contest off a narrow loss to Crystal Palace, while City edged out Southampton on home soil.

You can find odds with football betting sites for Spurs to win at 6/4 on Wednesday with City at 17/10. It looks a close game to call, but you can never overlook City in a knockout competition.

For Spurs to advance to the next round they will have to be much-improved from Sunday’s performance at Selhurst Park when Palace won their first Premier League match of the season courtesy of a solitary goal from Jean-Philippe Mateta.

That was Tottenham’s second league defeat in their last three matches but in cup competitions, they have won four out of four to set up Wednesday’s meeting with City, while they’re also second in the Europa League table behind Lazio on goal difference.

To reach this stage of the competition Spurs beat Coventry 2-1 in the third round at the Ricoh Arena, but had to come from a goal down and were moments away from exiting the competition.

Djed Spence equalised with just two minutes to go before Brennan Johnson scored the winner in injury time.

City are looking for their sixth win in a row in all competitions and their 1-0 win over Southampton last time out saw them go back to the top of the Premier League table.

They beat Watford 2-1 at home in the third round of this competition but despite going 2-0 up inside the first 38 minutes Tom Ince pulled a goal back with four minutes to go and made it a very nervy finish for the home side.

The last time the two sides met in this competition was the 2021 final at Wembley. Ryan Mason was in charge of Spurs on that day, just days after the sacking of Jose Mourinho but there no fairytale start to life as an interim manager as Aymeric Laporte scored the only goal of the game on 82 minutes to secure City’s fourth title in a row.

With both sides likely to make changes and give fringe players a chance, we could see a disjointed display. But, Spurs’ style of play is always eye-catching one way or another.

We feel that both teams to score is a good option, and pairing it with a City win adds value on betting apps, especially since Guardiola’s men have won three of their last five against Spurs.

Tottenham v Man City prediction: BTTS and City to win - 16/5 William Hill

It’s hard to look at player predictions with several changes expected for both teams, from the starting lineups at the weekend, but one player who impressed in the last round for City was James McAtee.

The midfielder is one of the players that are likely to come into the side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Guardiola rotates his options, while there are also a number of injury absentees.

McAtee, who spent the last two seasons on loan at Sheffield United, made his first start for City in the Community Shield, with several City players still returning to pre-season training after the European Championships, and has since made four appearances.

He scored his first goal for the club in the 4-0 over Slovan Bratislava and recently scored three goals in two games for the England U21s, so he will go into this one full of confidence.

McAtee will have license in the final third and we like his odds to threaten in the final third. He may not get on the scoresheet, but we’re backing him to produce two shots or more at 12/5 on Betfred.

Tottenham v Man City predictions 2: James McAtee to have 2+ shots on target - 12/5 Betfred

Customers can secure free bets and more by signing up for established operators and new betting sites online and wagering on Tottenham vs Man City.

All you have to do is click the link and use the Bet365 bonus code INDY2024 before depositing £10 and betting £10 on any sports market with odds of 1/5 or greater.

Once your qualifying bet has settled, you’ll receive £30 in free bets to use across the sportsbook.

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Tottenham face a major test of their hopes of winning a trophy this season as Ange Postecoglou’s side host Manchester City in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Ending Tottenham’s 16-year trophy drought is a priority of Postecoglou’s - with the Australian even pointing out that has won silverware in his second season wherever he has been.

Spurs avoided a scare in the last round to beat Coventry but there is added pressure coming into the Carabao Cup after Sundays’ dismal defeat at Crystal Palace that raised more questions about Postecoglou’s often inconsistent side.

And they now host a City side who may feel they have bigger targets to aim for this season.

Pep Guardiola last month warned that he would “play the second team” in the fourth round, with City also facing an expanded Champions League and the Club World Cup at the end of the season.

But City are dealing with a long list of injuries so Guardiola may need to pick a stronger side than planned. Here’s everything you need to know

When is Tottenham vs Manchester City?

The match kicks off at 8:15pm GMT on Wednesday 30 October at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

How can I watch it?

All of tonight’s Carabao Cup games will be on Sky Sports, with Tottenham vs Manchester City available on Sky Sports Main Event. Coverage starts from 7:00pm.

If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

What is the team news?

Tottenham will be without captain Son Heung-min, who remains sidelined after feeling “soreness” in the win over West Ham earlier this month. Wilson Odebert is Tottenham’s only other absentee and Postecoglou could decide to hand 17-year-old Mikey Moore another start.

Pep Guardiola vowed to play the “second team” before City drew Tottenham and they head to north London without Rodri, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, Kyle Walker, Oscar Bobb and Kevin De Bruyne.

Nico O’Reilly, James McAtee, Kaden Braithwaite and Jacob Wright were involved in the 2-1 win over Watford in the third round and could appear for City again.

Possible line-ups

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Gray, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Sarr; Johnson, Kulusevski, Moore; Solanke

Man City XI: Ortega; Lewis, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol; Kovacic, O’Reilly; Savinho, McAtee, Nunes; Foden

Tottenham Hotspur will remain without captain Son Heung-min for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fourth round tie at home to Manchester City.

Son returned after a three-match absence with a hamstring injury to score against West Ham earlier this month, but reported “soreness” after the win on October 19 and has missed the matches with AZ Alkmaar and Crystal Palace.

Postecoglou revealed the attacker will be absent again for the visit of City but should return for the Premier League fixture with Aston Villa on Sunday.

“Sonny, no. Well he is almost fit but we will probably from our perspective aim him for the weekend. We’re quite confident he will be right for the weekend,” Postecoglou confirmed.

“The only one missing out, which is a bit of a disappointment, is Wilson (Odobert). He’s had a setback during the week and it seems like it’s a serious one, so we’re waiting for more information.

“And then from the weekend everyone else is okay and Djed (Spence) is back training.”

Mikey Moore, 17, started in Son’s place during the 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace, but may drop to the bench against City with the out-of-form Timo Werner and fit-again Richarlison candidates to start at left forward.

Pep Guardiola has repeatedly stated Man City would not waste energy on the Carabao Cup this season but Postecoglou will expect a certain level of performance from the visitors.

Postecoglou added: “I think it’s fair to say most clubs rotate through the Carabao Cup, but you just have to look at Man City’s record in this competition and they are a fantastic football club.

“It’s very difficult in this league and in this country to maintain that excellence over the time they have. They do that because, irrespective of who they play, there is a level of performance that they continually deliver whether they’ve rotated the team or not, or whatever the competition.”

In terms of his own selection, Postecoglou was guarded over whether it would be his strongest XI.

“Obviously City played on Saturday (against Southampton), so we’ve got to make sure the players we put out there tomorrow are able to compete physically with what’s going to be on the other side of the pitch from us,” Postecoglou admitted.

“The good thing is just about the whole squad’s had some kind of football so that means whatever changes we make the players coming in are at a good physical level.”

Tottenham have not won a trophy since 2008 but Postecoglou insisted they cannot pick and choose which matches they view as more important in a seven-day week where many supporters will place extra significance on the cup clash with City over the visit of Villa on Sunday.

Postecoglou reflected: “I’d hate to think that any supporter of this football club thinks that I try harder in one game than another.

“Supporters can feel what they like, on which is the most important game. But it would be the biggest injustice for me as a manager if I said, ‘we’re going to try harder tomorrow than we do at the weekend or we did last weekend’.

“Our responsibility lies with trying to be the best we can be every day for our supporters, for everyone who’s part of this football club. It’s not about trying to gain brownie points. That’s not what our role is.”

Follow live coverage as Crystal Palace face Tottenham Hotspur today in the Premier League. Another top-flight season will be covered in full right here with The Independent, as reigning champions Manchester City look to make it an unprecedented five titles in a row come the end of 2024/25.

The hosts have made a disappointing start to the new campaign and Oliver Glasner is coming under some pressure, despite last year’s excellent form to end the season. It’s no wins and just three points from Palace’s first eight league games of this term, with three straight defeats recently seeing them score only one goal in that time.

Spurs, meanwhile, can go fifth if they win here and Ange Postecoglou’s team look to have found a bit of consistency of late, winning three of their last four as well as progressing well in Europe. Follow the latest live action from the Premier League below:

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou will continue to try and restore Timo Werner’s confidence, but has acknowledged they need more from the out-of-form attacker.

Werner was replaced at half-time of Thursday’s 1-0 win over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League after another mixed display where he squandered a big chance in the 27th minute.

RB Leipzig loanee Werner recently deputised for injured captain Son Heung-min, a doubt for Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace with muscle soreness, but has not scored in his last 16 appearances for Spurs.

The excellent second-half performance of 17-year-old Mikey Moore, who switched from the right to his favoured left wing after Werner’s early exit, leaves Postecoglou with a dilemma at Selhurst Park.

If Son fails to recover in time as expected, Moore could get the nod for his first Premier League start over ex-Chelsea forward Werner.

“We are talking to Timo constantly,” Postecoglou said.

“We understand he is lacking some confidence at the moment and everyone has been working hard at that, but with all these things, ultimately it’s incumbent on him to use as much support he’s got around here to get himself out of it.

“Our role in that is to provide that support whether that’s internally or externally, whatever he needs. Obviously it’s then up to him to try to use that to get him back to the levels where he wants to be and where he can contribute for us. Like I said, with all the players what we try to do is provide an environment where should they need help, it’s readily available.

“We do need output and that’s the key part. Obviously when Mikey was on with Brennan (Johnson), we were a threat on both wings and we were getting outcomes from it.

“We didn’t score but three or four really good chances came from it and we need that to happen with the way we play. Whilst the general play is important and Timo has done well, we still need more in that front third and we got it in the second half.”