inews

Spurs 3-1 Brentford (Solanke 8’, Johnson 28’, Maddison 85′ | Mbuemo 1’)

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM – For a player so bereft of confidence that he has declined to celebrate some of his most vital goals in a Tottenham shirt, the message from Brennan Johnson could not have been clearer. A finger to the lips and a grin from his manager as Ange Postecoglou’s faith in the beleaguered forward was vindicated for the second time in four days.

But first, eight minutes that encapsulated why we are arguably still no closer to finding out where Spurs are at. They began, almost comically, with Brentford’s joint-fastest goal in Premier League history, scored by Bryan Mbeumo – incredibly, in identical time to Yoane Wissa’s strike against Manchester City last week – after just 22 seconds. It would set up an afternoon-long struggle between Pedro Porro and Keane Lewis-Potter that the latter thoroughly enjoyed.

To the comeback, and pertinently the question of how much Thomas Frank’s side were to blame for their downfall. Yet Spurs engineered their own revival, even if the Bees did not help themselves. Sepp van den Berg conceded possession nearly leading to a goal just moments before Dominic Solanke’s equaliser, but when it came it was Ethan Pinnock who gave the ball away under pressure from Dejan Kulusevski.

James Maddison’s effort was easily pushed out by Mark Flekken, and Solanke lay in wait to do the rest. Apt timing, given that Spurs had considered signing Ivan Toney instead this summer.

Though it was Solanke’s first goal for his new club after a dry spell, which included missing a portion of the early season due to injury, there has not been nearly as much unwarranted scrutiny on him as there has been on Johnson.

So when the 23-year-old was teed up by Son Heung-min, it could have gone one of two ways.

It was not the one-hit, instinctive finish he required for the injury time midweek winner against Coventry. The run was similarly well-timed, but required an extra touch past Nathan Collins. Son’s ball was well-weighted, but Johnson did the rest himself.

Postecoglou said this week he would like to give a “punch on the nose” to anyone who dared to criticise the Wales international to his face, following a torrent of online abuse which forced him to delete his Instagram account after the north London derby defeat to Arsenal.

It is easy to dismiss Angeball as being all about indefinable “vibes”, intangibles over substance. Eric Dier certainly did not help matters when he suggested, from the safe distance of Munich, that Postecoglou’s training sessions included no real tactical work, a claim his former boss dismissed.

The idea that Johnson is not receiving one-on-one finishing work is farcical, but Postecoglou deserves credit for his handling of the player too. When Son was through on goal, the screams for the pass from his younger teammate were a welcome sign of a new-found swagger.

There are two ingredients to Plan Postecoglou that cannot be overlooked, and they got them over the line here. If it feels vacuous to focus on “belief”, Spurs are also the most effective pressers in the Premier League, in terms of the average number of passes they allow opponents to take before winning the ball back.

That, more than any other factor, explained Brentford’s self-destruction, sealed when Yves Bissouma’s interception started a quite brilliant break that ended with Maddison’s finish over Flekken. With his 63rd and 64th assists, Son overtakes Christian Eriksen in Spurs’ all-time charts.

Confidence remains key, as its absence has plagued their decision-making in a horror run since April. Since the 13th of that month, this was the first team they have beaten outside of the relegation zone.

That lies at the heart of their great propensity for the sideways/backwards pass, and there were still glimpses of second-guessing: Son holding on too long after one run and searching desperately for Johnson over his shoulder; Guglielmo Vicario flapping under pressure from Fabio Carvalho and later fumbling outside his area.

On the whole, though, the goalkeeper was noticeably improved from set pieces, and made a decent save from Mbeumo 1v1 and a spectacular one-handed stop to deny Kevin Schade.

Amidst the noise, Postecoglou will no doubt have been relieved to hear not only the repeated chorus of Johnson’s name but of his own too.

He conceded this week that Spurs are never too far from a crisis and remains determined to treat the twin imposters of victory and defeat with equal cynicism. That is the only way to get through the indubitable lunacy of being a Tottenham Hotspur manager, and while criticism of his own approach doesn’t seem to have fazed him, he was right to defend Johnson so vociferously.

Accordingly, this was a victory that Tottenham can actually enjoy, after the hapless recovery at Coventry that somehow felt more like a defeat after an appalling display against a second division side that nearly snuffed out the best hope of the much promised trophy in Postcoglou’s second season.

Had they not completed another comeback here, they risked a third defeat in five opening games not seen since the end days of Juande Ramos in 2008. That is what crisis really looks like. Spurs have averted another one, for now.

Time will tell whether Brennan Johnson’s dramatic dinked winner against Coventry City was the turning point in Tottenham Hotspur’s season but it felt like a significant moment in real time.

It was a Spurs performance in which their Premier League flaws in the opening weeks of 2024-25 and their domestic cup defects in recent years merged into one gloopy mess. A painfully sterile first half (73 per cent of the ball, zero shots) was followed by a calamitous second littered with implausible mistakes. At one point, the 6ft 7ins Fraser Forster pole-vaulted Radu Dragusin.

A third 1-0 defeat to a Championship club in the last four seasons was on the cards until one moment turned the tide of the tie and potentially the club’s trajectory under Ange Postecoglou.

When the perpetually ineffectual Timo Werner suffered a muscle strain 15 minutes before the end, Postecoglou turned to Dejan Kulusevski, his fifth substitute of the night, for a last roll of the dice.

Kulusevski transformed the game, injecting an urgency and ambition into Tottenham’s game that had been lacking all night.

His constant movement and driving runs helped to force Coventry back and a clever toe-poked pass through a defender’s legs freed Djed Spence to score the equaliser.

The gravity of Spurs’ predicament ensured that Kulusevski had a free role to roam and rove into positions where he could play probing passes. The game state suited the Swede, whose awareness of space is one of his key strengths. He was everywhere, driving down the left wing, cutting in from the right wing, creating from deep and disrupting on the D, pinning and spinning defenders.

Despite only playing for 16 minutes, he was probably Tottenham’s best player. He has also arguably been their most impressive performer across their opening four Premier League fixtures.

So far in this campaign, Kulusevski has played centrally, either as an advanced central midfielder or else up front as a False 9 when Dominic Solanke was injured. Previously, most of his appearances in a Spurs shirt, either under Antonio Conte or in Postecoglou’s first season, were as an inverted winger on the right.

Although he can be effective there, Kulusevski lacks the searing speed that is a hallmark of the very best wingers. It’s a trait that Postecoglou likes in his wide attackers too, given a key part of the Australian’s attacking gameplan is geared towards creating one vs one situations on the flanks and loading the box for crosses and cutbacks from the byline.

In the three transfer windows since Postecoglou was appointed, Spurs have signed five wingers, all of whom are quick, touchline huggers: Werner, Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Manor Solomon, who is spending the season on loan at Leeds, and Yang Min-Hyeok, the South Korean teenager who will join from Gangwon in January.

Kulusevski doesn’t fit that mould. His natural inclination is to drift infield, rather than burn down the outside. “I always thought of me being a No 10,” he said in 2022. Finally, he is playing in a position that he considers to be his best.

Kulusevski is currently creating chances at a faster rate than James Maddison, who is still searching for the form that made him such a hit in the opening months of the Postecoglou era. The pair linked up well in Coventry, with Maddison playing a cute ball around the corner into Kulusevski who found Spence to score. Postecoglou will hope that can be a sign of things to come.

The Spurs boss has struggled to find a settled midfield three but a trio of Kulusevski, Maddison and Yves Bissouma in a deeper role is emerging as his favoured combination.

Maddison had looked set to become the poster boy of the post-Harry Kane era at White Hart Lane after his swashbuckling start in north London, but on current form, Kulusevski is threatening to take that title.

Maddison is a more graceful and elegant player, but Kulusevski’s barreling runs and dogged determination are more effective right now. If Maddison can rediscover his peak performances, Spurs have a potentially devastating double act at their disposal.

Kulusevski is a relentless presser high up the pitch: according to FBREF, Kulusevski made more tackles in the opponent’s third than any other player in the Premier League last season. That is a vital asset for a team that aims to win the ball high up the pitch; only Manchester City made more high turnovers in the division.

Tottenham’s fanbase is split between the Postecoglou believers and the sceptics after a disappointing start to year two. Statistics are being deployed to justify both sides of the argument: on the one hand, Spurs’ underlying numbers are up across the board compared to last season; on the other, they have taken fewer points than Bournemouth since the start of last November.

Angeball is teetering on the precipice between success and failure. Kulusevski will be key if it swings in a favourable direction.

Coventry City 1-2 Tottenham (Thomas-Asante 63′ | Spence 88′, Johnson 90+2′)

Tottenham Hotspur winger Brennan Johnson spared Ange Postecoglou’s blushes after scoring a stoppage-time winner against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup.

Postecoglou said in a TV interview after Sunday’s defeat to Arsenal he always won a trophy in his second season at a club.

But Coventry almost cut off one path to Tottenham’s hopes of silverware.

The Sky Blues had threatened to deliver a major blow to Tottenham’s season.

Brandon Thomas-Asante, who cost £2m when making a summer move across the Midlands from West Bromwich Albion, put the Sky Blues ahead after 63 minutes, and it would not have been a surprise if they had extended that leader.

Tottenham looked off the pace for much of the time, but as the tie wore on, their Premier League staying power began to show.

It was second-half substitute Djed Spence who brought them level with two minutes left, and inspired Spurs’ late revival.

Dejan Kulusevski put Spence through and he was able to roll the ball past Coventry goalkeeper Ben Wilson.

The game looked like it would be a penalty shootout, but Spurs were not finished. Rodrigo Bentancur set Johnson clear, and he raced wide of Wilson to slide home in the 92nd minute.

It was the perfect reply from Johnson who had been forced to delete his social media account following Sunday’s defeat to Arsenal.

But Postecoglou will have been a relieved man after his pre-match comments.

The Sky Blues took control after the break and almost took the lead after 55 minutes when Forster came rushing out of his area and collided with Jake Bidwell.

The ball fell loose to Haji Wright, who had an empty goal to aim at, but Spurs captain, Ben Davies, made a superb clearance.

Coventry’s goal was richly deserved. Norman Bassette’s cross from the left was met by Thomas-Asante, who cleverly steered the ball past Forster.

But Coventry almost scored a second when two substitutes combined. Ellis Simms delivered a ball to the far post, but Ephron Mason-Clark just failed to make contact.

Spurs came close to levelling with 10 minutes to go, but Wilson saved from Kulusevski – and then came the late show.

Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal (Gabriel 64′)

Gabriel Magalhaes’ towering heading proved the difference as Arsenal edged rivals Tottenham 1-0 in the north London derby.

Spurs started the brighter but struggled to find a way through their rivals’ defence, with Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson both going close in the first half.

But despite missing the key midfield duo of Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice, Arsenal stamped their authority on the game and broke the deadlock on the hour as Gabriel rose highest to fire home Bukayo Saka’s corner.

The win moves Arsenal to within two points of Manchester City ahead of their meeting next weekend.

Here’s how every player rated out of 10:

Tottenham

Guglielmo Vicario: Made a couple of decent saves, including one from Kai Havertz to keep the score level, until his usual set-piece weakness revealed itself 6/10

Pedro Porro: Spurs’ best player on the pitch. Refused to give up. Did well to neutralise the threat of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard on the right wing 7/10

Cristian Romero: Solid defensively, if not spectacular, although he could maybe have done more for the goal 6/10

Micky van de Ven: Looked relatively comfortable at the back before the goal. Saw a glancing header saved by David Raya 6/10

Destiny Udogie: Engaged in a running battle with Bukayo Saka, with mixed success. Made a couple of nice overlapping runs too, although he maybe could do more in the final third 6/10

Dejan Kulusevski: Put in a shift as he worked tirelessly to win possession. Couldn’t unlock the defence, however 6/10

Rodrigo Bentancur: Guilty of going missing for the goal which saw him replaced shortly afterwards 6/10

James Maddison: Tried to make something happen every time he got on the ball. Bizarrely replaced, as he looked like the only player capable of opening Arsenal up 7/10

Brennan Johnson: Spurned a good chance to give Spurs the lead. Needs to work on his end product. Replaced by Wilson Odobert 5/10

Dominic Solanke: Still waiting for his first Spurs goal after coming close to opening his account on a couple of occasions 6/10

Son Heung-min: A nice turn left Ben White in the dust in the first half. Faded after the break and couldn’t trouble Arsenal often enough. Can and should do better for a player of his calibre 6/10

Substitutes:

Pape Matar Sarr: 6/10

Wilson Odobert: 6/10

Timo Werner: N/A

Arsenal

David Raya: Safe hands and proactive distribution settled some Arsenal nerves early on. Lucky not to concede when dropping the ball under pressure from Solanke only for referee to intervene, otherwise solid enough 7/10

Ben White: Excellent pass for Saka carved open Spurs defence but then a couple of sloppy errors to cede momentum as Arsenal began to grow into game. Not at his usual best going forward but kept Son mostly quiet 7/10

Jurrien Timber: A touch unfortunate to escape with a yellow for a high tackle on Porro. Enjoyed a feisty tussle with Johnson down the left and got the better of the Spurs man 8/10

William Saliba: Often found himself marking thin air as Solanke hovered around Gabriel but didn’t put a foot wrong in an excellent Arsenal defensive display 8/10

Gabriel Magalhaes: Huge leap and unstoppable header to break the deadlock, even if slightly fortunate not to be penalised for a push on Romero. Defensively flawless too despite tough battle with the physical Solanke. Excellent display 9/10

Thomas Partey: Misplaced pass to Saka and caught ball-watching as Kulesevski fired the first shot on target. Tracked back well on a number of occasions to stymie Spurs attacks 7/10

Jorginho: Looked a touch off the pace early on but helped Arsenal settle by recycling possession from the base of midfield. Faded as the game wore on but perhaps understandable given lack of game time 5/10

Bukayo Saka: Seems to relish the animosity from Tottenham’s fans. Some poor corner deliveries early on but more than made up for it with perfect cross to set up Gabriel’s goal. Relatively quiet otherwise 7/10

Gabriel Martinelli: Goalscoring struggles continued despite getting better of Porro. Poor finish when through on goal in Arsenal’s first clear chance and couldn’t get the ball out of his feet on a few other occasions 5/10

Leandro Trossard: Bypassed as Spurs made the early running. Looked bright when the ball did find him but couldn’t influence the game as Odegaard’s deputy 5/10

Kai Havertz: Dropped deep into the No 10 spot in Odegaard’s absence but failed to influence game. Sharp header that drew excellent save from Vicario his only telling contribution 6/10

Substitutes

Raheem Sterling 5/10

Gabriel Jesus 5/10

One-nil to the Arsenal was a key identifier for the Gunners back in George Graham’s day.

A win by the same score in the north London derby would not only appeal to ironic impulses among the Spurs diaspora, it would give Ange Postecoglou a much-needed trust injection following a bedevilling start to the season.

Tottenham Hotspur are already five points adrift from Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the table despite playing well enough.

There could be no better way for them to amplify their top-four credentials than with a victory over their haughty neighbours, one that on this occasion would propel them above Arsenal.

Postecoglou has yet to better Mikel Arteta in this fixture. Spurs were scintillating in taking the lead at Leicester City and dominated for long spells at Newcastle United, but won neither. In the peak flow of James Maddison-inspired creativity, Spurs gave full expression to Postecoglou’s attacking philosophy. Frustratingly the talking points were all negative.

Spurs pumped Leicester only to be Jamie Vardy-ed after the break. Newcastle were clinging to parity at St James’s Park before Alexander Isak escaped to claim a wholly undeserved winner. In both games Spurs easily had more of the ball and had twice as many shots as their opponents.

Postecoglou is not in Erik ten Hag country when he paints a healthy picture of how different the table might look had outcomes reflected the play. But he does need a win to substantiate his claims. The international break at least allowed for rational reflection, as much at least as the febrile crucible of Premier League football will permit.

“I’ve never felt like there is an easy way to success,” Postecoglou said.

“I don’t think one thing can change the trajectory to a great effect. It helps, a win in a big game, in a derby, but it’s a game against one of the top sides so that gives you more belief and confidence and potentially that can inject some real momentum into our season.

“The last two years they [Arsenal] have had a real relentlessness about them. They haven’t had to change their team too much. They have this confidence in themselves that they can challenge over the course of a season. That helps build momentum from season to season. They’re going to be a tough nut to crack, but it’s a great opportunity for us.”

To a degree, Postecoglou is still carrying the scars of that home defeat to City last season as the champions powered towards a fourth consecutive title. It was a contest that seemed to expose Postecoglou as a coach no nearer to repairing the “Spursy” fault lines that frame the club as one lacking substance when it matters.

Postecoglou arrived on a ticket of positivism, a full-bore optimist who would reset the thinking at the club and embed a fresh dynamic. He would embrace the attacking traditions with which Spurs have always been associated, but reinforce the approach with no-nonsense, say-it-as-it-is Aussie steel.

All that was stripped away on that day in May, hollowed out by an Erling Haaland double.

If he were not aware of it before, it was a match that revealed to Postecoglou the puzzling psychology of some Spurs fans, who were urging him to throw the game to prevent Arsenal winning the title. That and Haaland triggered in Postecoglou the full force of Aussie diplomacy, admonishing a dissenter with a filthy mouth behind the dugout as he might a drunk in a Melbourne bar.

Postecoglou took pride in his team’s performance but was unsettled by the atmosphere in the ground. He struggled to reconcile the view of fans advocating for a strategic defeat with a life’s work preparing teams to win, or at least to take it to the opposition unconditionally. In his second season he finds himself negotiating familiar Spurs territory, even if results do not reflect progress made.

So a fixture already charged with meaning acquires greater significance for him since he risks giving up the gains made in an upbeat first year with the team. He is notionally helped by the unavailability of Arsenal’s charismatic playmaker Martin Odegaard, sidelined with injury, and the suspended Declan Rice, which rips from the Gunners midfield its principal creative spring and its anchor. Mikel Merino is out too.

Arteta might also be without new centre-back Riccardo Calafiori, who was injured playing for Italy against France. This, coupled with the returns of Spurs’ big summer investment Dominic Solanke up front and defender Micky van de Ven, is the kind of serendipitous twist that impacts results.

“We want to be a club that can challenge everyone,” Postecoglou said.

“That’s what we are trying to become. To do that, you’ve got to perform at a certain level, at a consistent basis. The squad’s strong enough to do that.

“We’ve started the season fairly solidly, from a performance perspective. The results haven’t reflected that, but I think we’re in a good place to push on from last year and improve in all areas. There’s no reason why we can’t.”

Arsenal could be without three key midfielders for Sunday’s North London Derby after Martin Odegaard was substituted with an injury while playing for Norway.

Mikel Arteta already knows he will be without Declan Rice after he picked up a red card against Brighton, making Odegaard’s potential absence all the more concerning.

Meanwhile, Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino is also out with a shoulder injury having not played a minute since signing from Real Sociedad last summer.

The Gunners have already dropped points in their hunt to finally topple Manchester City, drawing 1-1 in the match against Fabian Hurzeler’s Seagulls, and head to the Etihad to face Pep Guardiola’s side the Sunday after they visit Tottenham.

What we know about Martin Odegaard’s injury so far

In the 67th minute of Norway’s eventual 2-1 Nations League win over Austria, Odegaard was slide-tackled by RB Leipzig midfielder Christoph Baumgartner.

He instantly appeared in pain, rolling around on the floor while grabbing his ankle.

Two team physios then treated him on the pitch before carrying him off, with the Norway captain clearly limping when walking unaided and appearing to hold back tears.

Post-match, Norway manager Stale Solbakken said: “It looked bad in the changing room. He had no chance of continuing. I’m not sure Arteta will call me tonight and praise me.”

And the Norwegian team doctor Ola Sand explained: “Martin is doing quite well now. He got a small ankle sprain. We will see throughout the evening and tomorrow what happens next and what we will do about it.

“Ankle sprains are difficult to deal with straight away, so we almost have to see how things go forward. We will examine him when we are back at the hotel. Maybe we use ultrasound to look at it. If we are unsure, there will be an MRI tomorrow.”

Will Martin Odegaard miss the North London Derby?

This entirely depends on the severity of the ankle sprain.

In the least severe cases, players can recover from an ankle sprain in anything from two to 10 days, with Arsenal’s crucial match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium coming six days after Odegaard’s injury.

However, if it is a second- or third-degree sprain, players can miss anywhere from a couple of weeks to three months as they wait for the ligaments to heal.

It is worth saying it is unlikely Odegaard’s injury is quite so serious given the situation in which he sustained it, but it would still have to be as minor as possible to give him time to recover and train pre-Spurs.

However, as he was also substituted against Brighton after a “couple of knocks”, it is possible Arteta and Arsenal decide to exercise caution this weekend.

An injury any longer than a week could have a massive impact on Arsenal’s season, as they face three crucial matches in seven days, starting at Spurs before visiting Atalanta in their Champions League opener and heading to the Etihad the following Sunday.

As Sand called it a “small ankle sprain”, it is much more likely he misses one-to-three weeks, especially with the capabilities of Arsenal’s medical department, and there are painkilling injections he may be able to have to play on Sunday.

Arsenal’s doctors were already in contact with their Norwegian counterparts on Monday evening and Odegaard will return to north London to be assessed by the club on Tuesday.

How Arsenal can replace Martin Odegaard

In short, this isn’t easy. Odegaard is a crucial figure for Arsenal and with Rice, Merino and even left-back Riccardo Calafiori now absent for Sunday’s game, the Gunners are thin on the ground.

Arteta’s hopes should be boosted against Spurs by the return of Gabriel Jesus, who could allow Kai Havertz to slip into Odegaard’s midfield role.

Another option would be 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, a highly-rated academy talent who is still the youngest player to play in the Premier League having made his debut aged 15.

This would be a massive step up for Nwaneri in a hugely pressured situation, but with Merino and Rice also injured, Arteta may have little choice.

Every Tottenham Hotspur fan watching their team miss chance after chance to take the lead against Newcastle United knew what was coming.

Such impotent dominance made defeat practically inevitable. No Premier League team does self-sabotage quite as consistently and spectacularly as Tottenham do, except for maybe Everton.

St James’ Park has been a cursed ground for Spurs in recent years, a haunted house of humiliation. They lost 5-1 there in May 2016 to an already relegated team and were demolished 6-1 and 4-0 in their previous two visits before Sunday.

Those beatings were painful for Tottenham supporters but there comes a point during a thrashing when amusement at the level of incompetence kicks in, once the anger and apathy have subsided. Losses are harder to absorb when they are undeserved.

Spurs were largely excellent in defeat on Sunday. Other than the first 15 minutes, Tottenham outplayed their opponents and top four rivals for sustained periods.

Both of Newcastle’s goals came completely against the run of play: from the 20th minute until half-time, Spurs had eight shots to Newcastle’s one but conceded the opening goal to Harvey Barnes; from the 69th minute until the 79th, Spurs had six shots to Newcastle’s two but conceded the winning goal to Alexander Isak.

Despite their dominance, they ended up with nothing. It felt like a Groundhog Day repeat of their first away game of the season against Leicester City when they failed to take advantage of their opportunities and were punished for it.

From the first minute until the 56th at the King Power, Tottenham had 13 attempts to Leicester’s one and led 1-0. Jamie Vardy equalised with the Foxes’ second shot and it ended in a draw that felt like a defeat given Leicester’s much-publicised problems post-promotion.

Across those two away fixtures, Spurs had 35 shots, allowed 16 attempts on Guglielmo Vicario’s goal, and enjoyed a 68 per cent average possession share. They scored just twice (including a Dan Burn own goal), conceded three times and took just one point.

Ange Postecoglou described the result as a “sore one” in which Tottenham didn’t get the “rewards for our play”. It was a fair assessment but given it was by no means the first time that Spurs have lost in such a manner, there is a danger of Postecoglou’s words sounding hollow with his side again undone by familiar failings.

There is no doubt that Postecoglou has made Spurs more progressive in their style of play and better to watch compared to his predecessors. Their attacking intent was notable in the North-east, especially in the context of their recent history there. Over 40 per cent of the game was played in Newcastle’s own defensive third, but for the most part it was sterile supremacy.

Wayward finishing, rushed decision-making and static movement in the penalty area cost Spurs. The lack of a natural striker didn’t help with Dominic Solanke and Richarlison both missing. Even Son Heung-min was caught on his heels when Brennan Johnson flashed a low ball across the six-yard box.

A criticism of Postecoglou is that his team is too one-dimensional in the attacking phase. Spurs aim to create one vs one situations out wide and load the box for cutbacks and crosses from the byline. That ploy worked pretty well at Newcastle, particularly after Johnson came on at half-time, with his pace and surging runs causing plenty of problems and leading to the equaliser.

However, when low block defences shut down those avenues out wide, Spurs can look ponderous and pedestrian as they knock the ball around outside the penalty area, hoping a magical gap appears before one of James Maddison or Pedro Porro launches an ambitious shot into a row of bodies.

Tottenham can make it look incredibly difficult to score and incredibly easy to concede. Often it takes just one direct ball through midfield for their defence to get caught out.

Barnes almost scored from a Nick Pope punt upfield before finding the net later on in the first-half, while Isak should have squared to Barnes to score his second after breaching the high line, before benefiting from a mirror-image chance after Jacob Murphy had made the exact same run.

Although most fans remain behind Postecoglou, discontent is growing as the same deficiencies play out on repeat.

Angeball is underpinned by a risk vs reward philosophy, but if the rewards are too infrequent and the risks exposed too regularly inevitably there will be a discussion over whether the payoff is worth it.

At what point does the overall strategy become a problem rather than a solution? Spurs have won just two of their last 12 away games, one of which was against Sheffield United and kept only three clean sheets in their last 24.

The Postecoglou project requires patience, but that is a trait that has long worn thin among a fanbase desperate to see their team win a trophy. The style of play has improved but not by enough to make a marked change in outcome. Since New Year’s Day, Tottenham have only won one more league game than they have lost.

Fingers have been pointed in Daniel Levy’s direction once more over a summer transfer window in which Spurs prioritised up-and-coming potential to ready-made difference-makers, Solanke aside.

There is a sense that Postecoglou hasn’t been given all the tools he needs to succeed. The failure to sign a left-back to compete with Destiny Udogie was negligent. An energetic ball-winner could have helped plug the gaping gaps in midfield and a goalscoring wide forward could have made the difference in the first two away games.

The season has only just begun but doubts over Spurs’ direction of travel have already crept in. More pain could follow soon: Tottenham play Arsenal in their first game after the international break.

Newcastle 2-1 Tottenham (Barnes 37′, Isak 78′ | Burn 56′ og)

ST JAMES’ PARK — Newcastle United may have lost the transfer window but they keep winning games.

A summer of frayed patience and recruitment regression has shaken faith at St James’ Park so this felt like a significant victory to end one of the most difficult weeks of Eddie Howe’s tenure.

“Massive” was the phrase he landed on to describe it afterwards and with club chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan and various other representatives of majority owners the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia present, he was not dealing in hyperbole. The manner of the victory sent a message.

Al-Rumayyan was sat between chief executive Darren Eales and director of football Paul Mitchell here, his presence apparently a visible show of support in the club’s power brokers after a testing transfer window that saw Newcastle fail to land a single player capable of lifting the level of their starting XI.

Sources, however, say that for all the noise, the feeling inside the club is “calm”.

The usual post-window review will be held over the next fortnight but it seems as if there will be no blame game in the boardroom.

Still, wins like this have the capacity to change seasons – especially when they arrive with the team still struggling to get out of third gear.

At the same stage as this last season Newcastle played well but carelessly let a lead slip to 10-man Liverpool. Momentum in their chase for the top four was never really regained. Beating Tottenham Hotspur while playing so far below their best might well have the opposite effect this term.

And make no mistake, they had to trawl their reserves of character to prevail here.

Their trademark aggression remains absent and there was little fluency about their work but they found a way even with their brightest attacking sparks continuing to flicker in and out of games.

It summed up this contest that Dan Burn – largely excellent – put through his own net while Alexander Isak – largely anonymous – rolled home the winner.

“It was massive. You need to win at any stage but when there’s difficult moments – and this transfer window has been tough for us – it’s even more important,” Howe said.

“It enables you to see things more clearly and move foward with positive momentum.”

Sometimes playing badly and prevailing is an ominous portent but it doesn’t necessarily feel like that at St James’ Park.

Their transfer failures may yet come back to bite Howe but the overall feel is of a team that will get better as the nights draw in.

The honesty in Howe’s appraisal of this win was encouraging, as was his reassurance afterwards that there has not been a jolt away from the energy and aggression which accompanied their run to the Champions League places in 2023.

“I don’t think we’re playing as we’d like, that’s obvious,” he said.

Howe confessed that Anthony Gordon is undercooked after a stop-start summer with England rather than suffering from a lack of focus after those unsettling links to Liverpool.

“I don’t think we’re playing with enough control or enough composure but what we are showing is the defensive and aggressive qualities you need to win football matches,” was his succinct summary.

It was certainly the case that Newcastle’s defensive players were the better performers.

Joelinton stemmed the tide when Spurs were overrunning the midfield and a word too for unheralded Emil Krafth, playing for only the second time as a centre-back in a back four.

He managed to snuff out Son Heung-min and was a big reason why Brennan Johnson – summoned from the bench at the interval to good effect by Ange Postecoglou – was unable to convert some of his good work into goals.

Of the others Harvey Barnes was lethal in the penalty box, steering home Lloyd Kelly’s cross to hand Newcastle the lead in an edgy first half.

Nick Pope performed heroics but inexplicably parried James Maddison’s effort into Johnson’s path in the run-up to Tottenham’s equaliser.

You feared the worst but Newcastle’s resolve wrestled the game back from the brink.

So where now? Al-Rumayyan’s presence suggests inertia isn’t an option. This version of Newcastle will not be hiding away seems to be the message.

What PIF made of the fractured summer remains the topic on everyone’s lips, even if the team are handily placed heading into the international break.

While Newcastle failed in one regard, Howe suggested money saved would be reinvested to give them a stronger position in the transfer market. What it felt like was a mess, the electricity of a late bid for Anthony Elanga fizzling out almost as soon as the link had emerged.

Newcastle insiders suggest excitable talk of a £50m offer being lodged is inaccurate, a spin being applied to the story to make Nottingham Forest look good for resisting it. He is a player of interest – one that they might return to in January – but there was no blind panic.

Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Rangers have learned their Europa League opponents following a new-look draw.

Much like the Champions League, the tournament’s format has been revamped for the 2024-25 season, with the four-team group stages replaced by a single 36-team league stage.

Each club faces eight different teams once, four at home and four away. The top eight teams from the league progress to the last 16, with the clubs who finish from ninth to 24th then contesting two-legged play-offs.

The draw may have looked familiar to begin with. Balls were drawn out of the hat in the usual way, but their fixtures were then allocated using automated computer software.

Artificial intelligence also dictated which of their matches will be played home and which are away.

Spurs are back in the Europa League for the first time since 2020-21, while Manchester United feared missing out on a European place altogether having finished eighth in the Premier League last season, though they eventually qualified courtesy of their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.

Qualifying matches concluded on Thursday evening with Ajax, Anderlecht and Besiktas making it through, while Hearts were knocked out.

You can find the draw in full here.

Man Utd fixtures

Rangers (H)

Porto (A)

PAOK (H)

Fenerbahce (A)

Bodo/Glimt (H)

Viktoria Plzen (A)

Twente (H)

Steaua Bucharest (A)

Tottenham fixtures

Rangers (A)

Roma (H)

AZ Alkmaar (H)

Ferencvaros (A)

Qarabag (H)

Galatasaray (A)

Elfsborg (H)

Hoffenheim (A)

Rangers fixtures

Tottenham (H)

Man Utd (A)

Lyon (H)

Olympiacos (A)

Union Saint-Gilloise (H)

Malmo (A)

Steaua Bucharest (H)

Nice (A)

Europa League schedule

Exact dates and kick-off times are to be confirmed.

Tottenham 4-0 Everton (Bissouma 14′, Son 25′, 77′, Romero 71′)

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM — Ange Postecoglou said recently “some trust-building needs to happen” between Yves Bissouma and his Tottenham peers. How much trust does a thunderbastard and near-perfect performance as a lone No 6 earn?

In his first match since his one-game suspension after being filmed inhaling laughing gas, Bissouma proved exactly why he’s worth trusting: 73 of his 79 passes completed – a match high when he was substituted – five long balls, two tackles and his first Spurs goal.

Everton had just one shot on target and less than 30 per cent possession while he was on the pitch, both an indictment of their increasingly obvious flaws and proof of Bissouma’s consummate midfield showing.

Given James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski functioned as twin attacking midfielders in a Pep Guardiola-esque 4-1-4-1, Bissouma was effectively left to handle Abdoulaye Doucoure, Tim Iroegbunam and Idrissa Gueye alone.

A starting lineup including four wingers could have indicated Postecoglou had decided to do away with a midfield altogether, but really Bissouma just played the roles of three men. His goal, struck with searing force from the edge of the area, was a cathartic release of recent frustrations and a shining example of why he’s worth fighting for.

Now, redemption is a long and complex process, but Postecoglou and his wayward charge have a rare opportunity to work together towards a mutually beneficial goal.

Bissouma’s celebration said as much as his performance. Flanked by Heung-min Son, he sprinted to the corner flag and put his index fingers to both temples, signalling his supposed renewed mental toughness and togetherness.

He then apologised to the fans, bowing with his palms joined in a prayer for forgiveness, before displaying a heart and running over to embrace his boss.

Perennially late and forgetful, once caught speeding five times in six weeks by the same camera and recipient of two red cards last season alone, the reasons not to believe Bissouma is capable of tangible change are obvious.

“You know what it’s like when you punish your child and they do everything right for the next two days,” Postecoglou said earlier in the week. Maybe this performance is just the behaviour of someone keen to get off the naughty list.

Or maybe it’s the first showing of the new Yves, the first day of a future in which Spurs eventually find a way to fashion stability out of their individual brand of footballing chaos.

His willingness to interact with the fanbase and take responsibility for his actions suggests the desire to focus on football is there. The challenge is now maintaining that desire, not letting old habits and temptations seep back through.

If he continues at the level he demonstrated against Everton, there’s a fair argument Bissouma could be the perfect Postecoglou No 6.

Signing a true defensive midfielder is always unlikely to suit Angeball, which has no real place for a simple ball recycler. Bissouma’s flaws align with the concessions his manager is willing to make defensively in exchange for rapid ball progression and scintillating attacking play.

Far better at progressing the ball than he is recovering it, Bissouma is dynamic and tenacious enough to provide a hard edge Spurs often lack and his experience should be vital in a young yet prodigious dressing room.

“Biss was good – we know Biss is a good footballer – it’s about him being the best version of himself,” Postecoglou said after the game. “Discipline is a big thing for him and I thought it was a disciplined performance.

“There’s no doubt he has that ability to do something special. But he needs to make sure he endeavours to do everything right on and off the field to give himself the platform to show who he can be as a footballer.

“We certainly believe in him and we’re certainly giving him an opportunity, but that’s not a never-ending thread. It’s really up to him to keep going on.”

Perhaps it has taken Bissouma’s lowest moment to discover the necessary clarity, to comprehend the talent and opportunity he could spurn and and grand possibilities ahead of him.

Step-by-step, day-by-day, 20-yard-screamer by 20-yard screamer, he can construct the foundations of both the career he should have and the success Postecoglou’s innovation and principle increasingly deserves.