Daily Mail

Crystal Palace are verifying the origins of a hamstring injury suffered by Eddie Nketiah amid concerns he has fallen victim to the developing trend of Premier League footballers appointing expensive performance ‘specialists’ separate from their clubs.

Eagles medics are trying to establish full details of the muscular strain suffered by their marquee £30million summer signing from Arsenal earlier this week, with suspicions the problem was sustained during a session away from Palace’s training schedule.

There is hope the injury isn’t serious and that Nketiah will be available to face Aston Villa immediately after the international break.

Nevertheless, Palace are deeply concerned that Nketiah may have suffered the issue away from their training ground in Beckenham, south London. Palace paid a huge fee for Nketiah, who earns in the region of £100,000 a week, to lure him from the Emirates in the summer window.

The fact Palace will be without him for Saturday’s clash against Fulham for an injury that, according to sources, was not caused on their watch has raised alarm. Indeed, Mail Sport understands Palace are already looking at implementing new internal structures to avoid players picking up injuries away from their supervision in the future, such is their unease.

Palace, however, aren’t the only side anxious about players seeking external expertise away from club control. Players now invest huge amounts in assembling their own teams of personal trainers, chefs, physios, psychologists and nutritionists in a bid to reach optimal condition.

‘It is not uncommon for players to pick up injuries when having their own personal training sessions away from the club,’ said a well-placed source from a top-half Premier League side. ‘We’ve accused players of being injured with their personal trainers, but proving it isn’t easy.

‘It’s coming from a good place, they just want to be the best they can be. But all their training and diet plans are meticulously tailored by the club.

‘For them to go away and do more work, as admirable as it might be, goes against the sports science.’

Among the clubs said to have similar issues are Chelsea and Arsenal. During the closing years of Harry Kane’s stay with Tottenham, there was significant apprehension about the England captain’s collaboration with Canadian-based sports medicine specialist Dr. Alejandro Elorriaga Claraco as the striker looked to cure his long-standing ankle issues.

Claraco never set foot in Tottenham’s HQ in Enfield despite his relationship with Kane. By all accounts he wouldn't have been welcome either amid concern from Spurs medical staff who were understandably worried about losing full control of their star player’s well-being.

Certain adjustments Claraco would recommend to Kane were not well-received by Spurs staff. Yet there is very little clubs can do to control players’ post-training activities.

With increasing numbers of players making significant financial investments in such external appointments in search of physical improvements, it's a matter clubs will be faced with far more frequently.

‘The best investment you can make, even if you are not earning crazy money - instead of taking private planes, great cars, spend the money on chefs at home, mental coaching, preparation,’ Cesc Fabregas told the BBC earlier this year.

‘If you are not happy with the level of the fitness coach, always get a little bit extra. Spend money on these things that can get value for your future.’

Sound advice. Not if you’re suffering injuries as a result, however.

‘It is crazy that some players would push it so hard with their personal trainers that they’d risk injury,’ said a source at another Premier League side.

‘They have got their “experts” and ultimately we can’t stop them but we are the ones to pick up the pieces if it goes wrong.’

Crunch time for Lopetegui

West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui is under mounting pressure to arrest his team’s worrying slide, though the lack of a clear replacement and the cost of compensation could buy the Spaniard time.

The Hammers boss has endured a difficult start to his reign at the London Stadium, his side winning just three of their 10 Premier League matches since his appointment as David Moyes’ successor.

Defeat by fellow strugglers Everton this weekend would only serve to intensify the internal scrutiny on Lopetegui from within the club, with certain figures concerned not only by the results but the manner of the performances.

Owner David Sullivan has traditionally shown a reluctance to sack his managers, with skeptics believing his hesitation to pull the trigger stems from an unwillingness to fork out millions in compensation.

There are also reservations about who could step into Lopetegui’s shoes and make immediate improvements should the club decide to dispense with their head coach.

Edin Terzic, who led Borussia Dortmund to the the final of the Champions League last season, has support and would be open to taking the job.

Crucially, Terzic is available having left Dortmund in the summer meaning West Ham would not be required to pay another compensation package to release the German/Croatian from a club. Graham Potter may also be a candidate.

United consider reigniting Branthwaite interest

Manchester United are among the clubs monitoring Jarrad Branthwaite’s position in Everton head coach Sean Dyche’s plans ahead of the January window.

The £70million-rated centre-back, who missed the start of the season through injury, is available but has been left on the bench by Dyche for the team’s previous two games.

And the situation has alerted United and other Premier League sides ahead of the January market.

United tried to sign Branthwaite in the summer but refused to meet Everton’s valuation. However, INEOS may be willing to revisit their interest at the turn of the year - particularly if his first-team opportunities don’t improve - though the club’s PSR position could prove a stumbling block.

Dyche would not want to lose Branthwaite mid-season, but the money from any sale could be used to strengthen his squad ahead of what looks to be another fight against relegation.

It is understood Everton can’t afford to offer Branthwaite a new contract as things stand, and with his deal expiring in 2027, there maybe a temptation to sell sooner rather than later.

With John Stones and Harry Maguire both currently injured, the 22-year-old may have been a contender for the next England squad which is named today, but it is unlikely he will be selected given his lack of action so far this season.

Sesko's Arsenal concerns

Red Bull Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko was reluctant to join Arsenal last summer amid concerns he would be second-choice to Kai Havertz.

Sesko emerged as a key target for the Gunners during the previous transfer window but the 21-year-old stayed in the Bundesliga, signing a new contract with Leipzig.

Arsenal retain an interest in the Slovenia international, who has scored seven goals for his club so far this season.

However, Sesko, it is understood, gave serious consideration towards joining in the summer but held reservations over whether he would be a regular in the starting XI with the Gunners making clear he would not be guaranteed to play ahead of Havertz, who finished last season strongly as a central striker.

Arsenal were minded to pay his release clause before Sesko’s initial hesitation became apparent.

Sesko currently has a buy-out clause of £55million, with the Gunners monitoring his progress closely ahead of the next two transfer windows.

Paratici still watching Spurs despite ban

Fabio Paratici continues to attend matches at Tottenham Hotspur this season.

The former Spurs managing director of football resigned from his £1.2million-a-year role in April last year after being hit with a 30-month ban for his role in alleged false accounting at his previous club Juventus.

The 52-year-old has been less visible at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium than he usually is, but it is understood that he has attended matches in north London at regular junctures this season.

He is believed to have attended matches as a guest of box holders rather than through the club, and reportedly continues to be a consultant for Spurs.

Begiristain not easing down at City

Outgoing Manchester City sporting director Txiki Begiristain is not taking a back seat as he prepares to leave the Etihad.

The Spaniard - a key figure in driving City’s domestic and European dominance - will leave at the end of the season, when he will be replaced by Sporting’s Hugo Viana.

Begiristain is expected to work up until the climax of City’s involvement in next summer’s inaugural Club World Cup before leaving.

The 60-year-old, however, is not winding down as he continues to play a lead role in the club’s plans for the January and summer windows.

He remains as a key point of contact for agents and rival sporting directors and continues to have full involvement in executing the deals the club are looking to complete.

Begiristain will be inundated with work offers, initially on a consultancy basis, when he finally leaves City next year.

Palace deal edging nearer

Sportsbank, the group who have made an offer of around £230million for Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor’s 45 per cent stake, hope to tie up the deal by the end of next week.

Mail Sport exclusively revealed last Thursday that the investment vehicle - led by south London businessmen Zechariah Janjua and Navshir Jaffer - had tabled a bid for Textor’s shares.

And crucial discussions are scheduled to take place over the next few days aimed at wrapping up the transaction.

It is understood the fact Sportsbank is made up of individuals who support Palace is positive for Textor, as he heads into final discussions about selling his shares in the Eagles, with the American businessman keen to sell to a party with the club’s best interests at heart.

Full steam ahead towards football regulator

PFA chief executive Maheta Molango is set to appear in Westminster in January as the Government accelerates plans to introduce a football regulator.

Part of the discussion forum that Molango is due to attend will centre around the legal reach of the regulator.

Former Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris has launched a scathing attack on club chairman Daniel Levy in his new autobiography.

The French goalkeeper spent 11-and-a-half years with Spurs - eight of those with the captain's armband - before eventually leaving to join MLS side LAFC in January 2024.

Though he found success with his national side during his career, such as winning the World Cup in 2018, Lloris failed to clinch a trophy during his time in north London.

Two Carabao Cup final defeats and a loss in the Champions League final to Liverpool still haunt the Frenchman, which he reflected upon openly in his new book.

When talking of the clash against the Reds in 2018-19, Lloris discussed an incident that occurred four days before the final that he still hasn't 'got over'.

In his new book, Hugo Lloris: Earning my Spurs, he explained: 'Four days before the final, Daniel Levy called us all together to announce that, with the support of a sponsor, we would each receive a luxury aviator watch from the club.

'At first, we were excited to see the elegant boxes. Then we opened them and discovered that he’d had the back of each timepiece engraved with the player’s name and "Champions League Finalist 2019". "Finalist".

'Who does such a thing at a moment like this? I still haven’t got over it, and I’m not alone. If we’d won, he wouldn’t have asked for the watches back to have "Winner" engraved instead.

'I have considerable respect and esteem for the man and all he has done for the club as chairman – I got to know him – but there are things he is simply not sensitive to.

'As magnificent as the watch is, I have never worn it. I would have preferred there to be nothing on it. With an engraving like that, Levy couldn’t have been surprised if we had been 1–0 down after a couple of minutes: so it was written'.

Back in 2018, Tottenham announced IWC Schaffhausen as their 'Official Timing Partner' - which is likely the reason they were gifted the luxury watches.

When former players Jan Vertonghen and Michel Vorm left the club back in 2020, they were also gifted luxury watches from the same brand.

Ultimately, Spurs fell short in their pursuit of the Champions League title after a 2-0 defeat by Premier League rivals Liverpool.

They went 1-0 down inside 30 seconds after Moussa Sissoko was judged to have handled the ball inside the box and spent the remainder of the match knocking on the door of a resolute Liverpool defence.

Eventually, super-sub Divock Origi confirmed the defeat with a late strike that Lloris was unable to stop.

That final seemingly derailed Mauricio Pochettino's project at Tottenham and in the years that followed, Spurs failed to emulate the same success that they had in the early years under the Argentine.

It's a matter that Lloris also discussed in his autobiography and the Frenchman suggested that the Amazon documentary series - titled 'All or Nothing' - played a big factor in their downfall.

'Tensions that would only grow following a decision by the club which would affect the team’s day-to-day lives; a decision made without the consent of either the squad or the manager: to install cameras everywhere for Amazon’s series about Spurs.

'In light of the sum mentioned – around ten million pounds – we wondered whether those whose season and activities would be affected, all those being asked to mic-up each day, would get a cut. The answer wasn’t slow in coming: no.

'So 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. The only place where we could speak freely was the training dressing room – we’d got them to agree that it would remain out of bounds.

'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'.

Fan favourite Pochettino was sacked in the early stages of that season and was swiftly replaced my Jose Mourinho - who also struggled to get the best out of Tottenham's stars.

Lloris remained an integral member of the Spurs side in the years that followed, up until Ange Postecoglou's arrival in 2023, where he quickly fell out of favour.

After failing to make a single appearance in the first half of the campaign under the Australian, he eventually joined MLS side LAFC in the January window at the start of this year.

Tottenham travel to Galatasaray for their Europa League clash on Thursday night

Seven were killed with 20 people injured in an attack in Ankara in late October

LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! , available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday

Tottenham have been in liaison with the British embassy in Turkiye to warn travelling fans of the heightened tensions and police presence in Istanbul since the latest terror attack in the country.

Seven were killed and more than 20 injured in an armed attack on Turkish Aerospace Industries headquarters near the capital Ankara on October 23.

More than two thousand Spurs fans are travelling to see them play Galatasaray in the Europa League on Thursday and there are concerns about possible flashpoints caused by any combination of the stresses from the terror threat, war in the Middle East, and the North London club's Jewish heritage, which features in songs and banners, on top of the usual football rivalries.

Spurs have warned those with tickets to be patient and prepare for security searches as they enter the stadium.

They have also reminded fans of their flag policy ahead of the game at Rams Park. All flags must be pre-approved by Galatasaray and the local police and have a fire certificate.

'The club has always considered that a football match is a time to show allegiance to a football team first and foremost,' states the Spurs advice on flags.

'A football match is not an appropriate arena to display flags of any political or religious affiliation or anything that could possibly be considered inflammatory – this can include national flags during times of political conflicts, campaigns or issues.'

Tottenham have won their opening three matches in the Europa League

Postecoglou's side face a daunting away trip in Istanbul against Galatasaray

LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday

Ange Postecoglou expects a generation of footballers who played through the silence of a pandemic to thrive in the vibrant hostility guaranteed when Tottenham step into the cauldron of Galatasaray.

Turkish football still cranks up the volume beyond its routine febrile din when the gilded visitors from Europe's biggest leagues arrive more than 30 years on from Manchester United's infamous 'Welcome to Hell' night at the original Ali Sami Yen stadium.

Timo Werner once requested earplugs to help cope with the noise when Leipzig played at Besikstas in 2017, and Postecoglou's Greek heritage is sure to command attention, but the Spurs boss has no doubts his depleted squad can take it all in their stride as they seek to extend a perfect start to the Europa League campaign.

'That's why you play football,' said Postecoglou. 'Especially this generation, a lot of them have experienced what football is like without supporters. You certainly don't like that when we went through Covid.

'We're looking forward to it. It's a fantastic stadium. The supporters create an unbelievable atmosphere here and they love the big European nights. They're a very, very good team. It's exactly the kind of games you want to be involved in in Europe, whether you're young, you're old, irrespective of the role you have, you look forward to it.'

Tottenham travelled to Istanbul without several first-teamers including first-choice central defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. Both are injured although Postecoglou hopes Romero can recover from a toe injury to face Ipswich on Sunday.

Richarlison, just back from a calf injury, faces another lengthy absence with a damaged hamstring. 'He will be out for a while', said Postecoglou. Werner has been ruled out by a groin problem so he will be spared the earache.

Teenager Mikey Moore has not travelled because of a virus and Djed Spence is not in the Europa League squad. With nine points already on the board, there will be a temptation to ease the load on some of those who have played most often.

Posteocoglou has boosted his squad with teenagers including centre-forward Will Lankshear who started against Ferencvaros in Hungary and wide midfielder Luca Williams-Barnett, who only turned 16 last month and has eight goals and three assists in seven games this season for the Spurs U18s.

Galatasaray, who now play at the 52,000-capacity Rams Park on the northern edge of Istanbul, are strong. Turkish champions for the last two years and top of the Super Lig again, unbeaten with nine wins and a draw, and with a fearsome strikeforce of Victor Osimhen, on loan from Napoli, and Mauro Icardi.

'They're a very good team with very good individual players, and definitely a threat in the front third,' said Postecoglou. 'But that's what you expect when you play against a top European side.

'We play in the Premier League, so we are playing top opponents every week, we understand what that's about but it's a good test for us. 'We've started well in the Europa League. Our results have been good home and away and we want to continue that.'

Davinson Sanchez is also in a Galatasaray squad rich with former Premier League players. Sanchez made more than 200 appearances in six years at Tottenham and sold by Postecoglou last year.

'He was a very good professional, always trained very hard and I'm looking forward to seeing him again,' said the Spurs boss.

West Ham forward Mohammed Kudus has been handed an extra two-game ban after accepting a charge of improper conduct.

Kudus was sent off in the Hammers’ 4-1 defeat by Tottenham on October 19 following two separate violent altercations with Micky van de Ven and Pape Matar Sarr.

The forward received a red card for his first offence, shoving Van de Ven in the face, before being charged retrospectively for a similar incident involving Sarr.

Kudus accepted the Football Association’s charge but put forward mitigation where he apologised for his actions, insisting they were out of character.

He also referenced his previously clean disciplinary record and stated that his preparation for the match had been mentally and physically challenging because he had travelled for a midweek international fixture and had received various negative comments on social media.

Kudus also referred to his work within the community and in his home country of Ghana, stressing how he tried to be a role model.

The forward also stated he felt that Van de Ven had exaggerated the incident as there was minimal contact from him and that he had been reacting to a push from the Tottenham defender.

He said he felt that the referee’s original decision to give him a yellow card was correct and that his actions in relation to Van de Ven did not merit a red card.

Kudus accepted he should not have pushed Sarr in the face and that his action merited a red card.

A regulatory commission decided the FA had been right to treat the two violent incidents as separate and to retrospectively charge Kudus for his violence towards Sarr.

The commission noted that Kudus should be issued with a separate three-game ban, but reduced this to two matches after taking into account his apology and previously clean disciplinary record.

Kudus has already served two of his original three-game ban. The extra sanction means, as well as sitting out Saturday’s game with Everton, he will not be available for fixtures against Arsenal and Newcastle.

The forward has also been fined £60,000 while West Ham have also been fined £30,000 for failing to ensure their players did not act in an improper way.

The Korean assisted Brennan Johnson and was then taken off after 56 Minutes

Ange Postecoglou moved to quell any drama over his decision after the game

LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday

Ange Postecoglou moved quick to quell any drama over his decision to substitute a visibly exasperated Heung-min Son in the resounding win over Aston Villa.

Son made his first appearance since mid-October following a thigh injury in the win over Unai Emery’s side and assisted Brennan Johnson’s equaliser before being substituted in the 56th minute by Postecoglou.

The Korean was clearly shocked by the decision, looking perplexed as his number was held up by the fourth official before exuding clear frustration as he sat down on the bench.

But the Spurs head coach insists there are issues, saying: ‘No, I didn't see any difference in Sonny. I'd be surprised if any player likes coming off when they're feeling all right.

‘I didn't need to discuss it with him. What's more important is the overall picture.

‘He was never going to play more than that today because he had an injury.

‘So he was never going to play more than sort of 55/60 minutes irrespective of how the game was going.

‘The great thing was that he made a pretty important contribution, the great ball in for our first goal and we got our equaliser.

‘We have got more battles ahead and we're going to need him.’

Dominic Solanke emerged as Spurs’ match-winner, scoring twice to take his season’s tally to five.

‘I just think the enormous effort he put in on Wednesday night (against Manchester City) 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,’ said Postecoglou.

‘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.

‘Yes, 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, I can't speak highly enough of what he is contributing to our team at the moment.’

Postecoglou also revealed that his No 2 Matty Wells helped inspire the victory over Villa with a speech to the squad about former Spurs coach Ugo Ehiogu, who would have celebrated his 51st birthday on Sunday.

Ehiogu, who played for Villa, died in April 2017 after suffering a cardiac arrest at Spurs training ground and Postecoglou added: ‘It's also the birthday of the late Ugo Ehiogu and he had a big influence on Matty Wells here at the club.

‘Matty spoke really strongly about him. When you hear things like that, and how people affect your life, it helps give clarity to the players about what we're trying to do here. Obviously for his wife and his son probably a tough day, but hopefully they get a little bit cheer from the fact Wellsy made it a really important point, that he may be gone but he's not forgotten.’

On Villa’s performance, head coach Unai Emery said: ‘We know how difficult it is against Tottenham. It is a tough result but the match we played was more or less in line with the expectation I had before the match.

‘We are disappointed, frustrated but we are accepting it. We know our way, it is 38 matches, the league is very tight.’

Tottenham Hotspur fans demanded the release of a British Hamas hostage as they chanted 'she's one of our own' over a year after she was captured by the militant group.

Football fans gathered outside the Tottenham Hotspur's stadium in north London on Saturday as they called for the release of Emily Damari.

Sharing leaflets with the hostages photo, the Stop the Hate UK rally involved some 70 campaigners and took place between 11:30am and 2pm.

Damari, who marked her 28th birthday in captivity this year, was a big Spurs fan and, according to the Jewish Chronicle, enjoyed watching the football and drinking beer with her friends.

'When we say "she's one of our own", we're referring to the fact that she's not only a Spurs fan, she's a fellow Briton,' said Stop the Hate UK organiser, Itai Galmudy.

'She likes dry humour, she likes a cup of tea with milk, she likes downing pints in the pub, and she happens to like Spurs as well,' he added.

The campaigners at Saturday's Spurs match wore yellow ribbons around their necks, a common symbol displayed by campaigners for the hostages in Israel.

Outside the stadium in the run-up to the match, the echoes of their chant rang out: 'She's one of our own, she's one of our own, Emily Damari, bring Emily home.'

Following the powerful display of solidarity with Damari, the 28-year-old's mother shared her gratitude for those who came out to demand the immediate release of her daughter.

Mandy Damari said: 'I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who came together at the Spurs stadium to raise awareness for Emily.

'The unity and dedication shown in sharing her story was both powerful and deeply moving.

'The chant, the stickers, the spirit, and the energy at the stadium were incredible, creating a moment that not only went viral here in Israel but also touched hearts across the world.

'From the opening to the closing moments of the match, Emily's spirit truly resonated, bringing hope and positivity to all of us. And let's not forget—she certainly brought Spurs the luck they needed! 4-1!

'This was a beautiful display of solidarity and kindness, reminding us of the power we have when we come together for a meaningful cause.

'Thank you to every single person involved, from those who organised to those who chanted, shared, and supported. You've made an incredible impact, and I couldn't be more grateful.

'Maybe Emily come home soon!'

Alongside 100 other captives, the Tottenham Hotspur fan is still being held under the watch of Hamas terrorists.

On October 7 last year Damari was taken from her home of Kibbutz Kfar Aza near the Gaza border, where she was born and raised.

Her beloved golden cockapoo, Choocha, was shot dead in her arms, while the attack left her with a gunshot wound to the hand.

She was kidnapped alongside twin brothers Ziv and Gali Berman, 27, and remains somewhere in the Gaza Strip, deep underground in a tunnel.

Just months before the terror attack, Emily travelled to White Hart Lane to watch her beloved Tottenham Hotspurs play.

A spokeswoman for Israel's UK embassy earlier this month urged the international community to do more to influence Hamas into releasing Emily and the other hostages.

Orly Goldschmidt told Sky News: 'Emily Damari, 28-year-old British-Israeli citizen, is still in the dungeon of Hamas, and we are asking for the international support, for the British support, to put pressure on Hamas to release her and the other 100 hostages.'

'We're talking about a festival that was here for people from all around the world - Israelis, Muslims and other faiths.

'They came to celebrate love and to dance, and they were targeted by Hamas terrorists in such a brutal way that I think no one will ever forget.'

When asked whether the Israeli military could have arrived sooner on the day, she said: 'I understand the trauma of those families, and that's something that will be investigated.

'All I can say for now is that we mourn with those families and our thoughts are with them.'

Morgan Rogers gave the Villans a first-half lead as Spurs failed to defend corner

But strikes from Solanke, Maddison and Brennan Johnson blew Villa away

SOCCER A-Z: Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube. New episodes every Wednesday

What is it about teams that play in claret and blue and second-half capitulations here at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?

Here, just two weeks ago, West Ham were ahead 1-0 at the break only to be pummelled for four without response in the second half.

Today, Morgan Rogers' first-half effort had Aston Villa on course for victory at half-time only to be dished out the same four-goal treatment as Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke's brace and James Maddison guided Spurs to another another stirring comeback.

Ange Postecoglou deserves his drop of claret tonight. In contrast, Unai Emery will be blue all the way back to the Midlands, his team lost their way inexplicably here; totally out of character with the formidable side he has built.

Not that any of that is Tottenham's concern, as the north London side backed up their Carabao Cup win over Manchester City on Wednesday with another delirious victory over one of England's Champions League contingent.

Tottenham hope to be where Villa are next season - back among European football's elite. More performances like their second half showing here, they will go very close.

That positivity must be tempered, though, with a semblance of realism. Their first-half display lacked any gusto, Morgan Rogers firing home from close range from Lucas Digne's corner to inflict on Spurs their latest set-piece aberration.

The delivery, in fairness, was wicked. Guglielmo Vicario, in fairness, did well to react to team-mate Pedro Porro's miscued header before Rogers smashed home the rebound from a yard.

Nonetheless, Tottenham's record from defending set pieces under Postecoglou goes from bad to worse.

The Australian continues to hold firm in his refusal to appoint a specialist set-piece coach to his staff.

There is no right or wrong answer, of course. But you do wonder if Tottenham would benefit from an addition to Postecoglou's staff given their struggles at defending dead ball situations.

All that is inconsequential to Rogers, of course. This, his third goal of the season, further tangible proof of his emergence as one of English football's most promising attacking talents.

A timely reminder, too, for England interim head coach Lee Carsely who selects his squad for the games versus Ireland and Greece on Thursday.

You'd imagine Rogers is knocking on the door. His pass into Ollie Watkins' path in the 43rd minute to send his Villa colleague clean through another example of his quality.

Watkins couldn't provide the finish the pass deserved, the Villa striker firing wide of the far post.

Emery's animated reaction to the miss told its own story. Opportunities like that are hard to come by, what followed in the second half would only have compounded the Spaniard's irritation.

Elsewhere for Villa, Amadou Onana was having a storming game in central midfielder.

The Belgian was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet, too; a combination of Vicario's hands and the foot of the post preventing Onana from opening the scoring in the 30th minute with a towering header from another dangerous Digne delivery from wide.

As for Spurs, the fact they were booed off at half-time summed up their first half.

Dominic Solanke cut an isolated figure at No 9; while Onana and Youri Tielemans controlled the game from midfield for Villa.

Postecoglou - at this point - may have been regretting his decision not to start chief creator Maddison in favour of Rodrigo Bentancur and Papa Matar Sarr in search of greater defensive balance.

Indeed, his side looked void of any attacking ingenuity in the opening 45 minutes, toiling to breach a Villa back-line drilled within an inch of their lives by Emery.

But there was nothing Villa's defence could do to prevent the quality of Son's delivery into the box that allowed Johnson to trigger the second half revival.

The Korean, positioned out on the left, popped his head up before arcing a sumptuous ball that Johnson prodded home for his seventh of the season in the 49th minute.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium erupted. They weren't at the races in the first-half. They were back on the horse early in the second.

Not only that, but in ascendancy, Solanke forcing Emi Martinez into a smart save in the 51st minute.

So you can imagine the surprise when Postecoglou hooked Son before the hour mark.

Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind; this was Son's first game back after injury. But the look on the Tottenham captain's face was picture.

The miffed reaction that followed froth forward on the bench merely re-affirming his ire. Moments later Postecoglu was forced into another change, Cristian Romero limping off in place of Ben Davies, who took his place in the heart of Spurs' defence alongside Radu Draguin - who was only in the team to replace the inured Micky van de Ven - to make up a makeshift centre-back pairing.

Emery, too, wasn't without his issues; Matty Cash also walked delicately off to be replaced by Diego Carlos.

Ultimately, it was Tottenham who stormed to huge three points.

Solanke's delightful finish over Martinez in the 75th minute was exquisite but the pass from Dejan Kulusevski to unlock the Villa defence was just as delicious.

Spurs endured a nervy VAR check for offside - but that just prolonged the agony for Villa.

Indeed, Solanke smashed home Spurs third 11 minutes from time as Pau Torres gifted the ball to Sarr, who released to Richarlison who put the ball on a plate for the club's record signing to ease any late tensions.

Worryingly for Spurs, Richarlison - who has only just returned to from a long-term injury absence - limped off immediately after supplying the killer pass for Solanke's second with what appeared a hamstring problem.

But that didn't kill the victorious vibe here in north London as Maddison, off the bench, curled home a peach of a free-kick in injury time to ensure Tottenham emulated their four-goal salvo against the other team in claret and blue.

Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Tottenham host Aston Villa in Premier League action at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Ange Postecoglou responded to criticism over Tottenham's inconsistent performances by declaring: 'If you want to grow a beautiful garden, you have to handle some fertiliser!'

Tottenham will welcome Aston Villa on Sunday on the back of two defeats in their last three Premier League games.

Spurs produced one of their worst performances of the season against Crystal Palace in last weekend's 1-0 defeat, only to knock Manchester City out of the League Cup three days later.

Those recent results have seen the age-old criticisms of Tottenham's character and consistency rear their head despite Spurs winning eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions, reaching the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup and sitting second in the Europa League.

'Until we have success, that is always going to be the first thing people come at us about as a club and you have got to accept that,' said Postecoglou. 'It is part of our journey and part of us becoming stronger.

'Whether it is deserved or not, criticism and scrutiny is healthy because it allows you to reflect on your beliefs and your convictions.

'If you flinch at the first time people are critical or want you to change your path then it probably means you are not definite about what you are doing.

'It is up to us how we behave. Even if we went on another fantastic run, at the first sign of us faltering the same questions would come because it is kind of where we are at as a club at the moment.

'I said to the players, if you want to grow a beautiful garden you have to handle some fertiliser. That is the only way it will happen.'

Tottenham's victory over City set up a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with Manchester United and left Postecoglou just three wins from his first trophy with the club.

Would Postecoglou take a trophy instead of a place in the top four? 'I want it all, mate,' he said.

'I want everything. And it sets me up for people to maybe ridicule me at the end of the year because I said I want it all and I fall short of that, but I'll take the biggest bite I can and see what comes out of it. We'll go for everything.'

Postecoglou also confirmed that Micky van de Ven will be out until after the international break after he suffered a hamstring injury against City.