The Athletic

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur will play each other in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong — the first time in history that a north London derby has been held outside of the United Kingdom.

The July 31 fixture is part of the Hong Kong Football Festival (HKFF) and will be held at the 50,000 seater Kai Tak Stadium which only opened at the beginning of March.

Tottenham regularly travel to Asia in pre-season and last year they visited Japan and South Korea. Arsenal were on tour in the United States last summer and this will be their first visit to Hong Kong since 2012.

“There are few bigger occasions in English football than a north London derby and to play this fixture in Hong Kong will be a huge occasion for our passionate fanbase across Asia, as well as providing ideal preparation for the team ahead of the new season,” Ryan Norys, Tottenham’s chief revenue officer, said.

“As is tour tradition, the club will be involved in so much more than the match itself when we visit, supporting charitable causes, celebrating local culture, delivering football clinics for young people and engaging with fans and partners. We cannot wait to visit such a beautiful place once again.”

Arsenal’s managing director Richard Garlick spoke about the club’s “excitement” at returning to Hong Kong more than a decade after their last trip.

“As well as training hard and playing the match, we cannot wait to connect with our Hong Kong supporters in this wonderful part of the world,” he said.

“Playing against Tottenham Hotspur in the magnificent new Kai Tak Stadium will be a great experience for both teams and supporters, and will be a very important part of our pre-season preparations ahead of the new season.”

Liverpool are heading to Hong Kong in the summer too and will face Italian side AC Milan in the Standard Chartered Trophy on July 26 at the same venue as the NLD.

(Top photo of Son Heung-min and Declan Rice: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

There are still nine league games left in Tottenham Hotspur’s season, and a Europa League campaign that could conceivably end in glory in Bilbao on 21 May. Ange Postecoglou could still end this season as a historically significant Spurs manager, ending the trophy drought, and returning the club to the Champions League.

But there is also a sense of uncertainty about the future. The Premier League table tells a damning story and while there are mitigations for this season’s struggles, dramatic underperformance in the league usually only ends one way. No Tottenham team should have lost more than half of their league games by this stage of the season. Postecoglou’s long-term future at Spurs is in serious doubt.

If Tottenham do decide to make a change, they will find themselves in the same position as in 2023, 2021, 2014, 2012 and 2004: coming to the end of one season with an open question over who their manager for the next season would be. This would already be their third summer managerial search this decade. The next man in would be their fifth permanent manager since Mauricio Pochettino was sacked in November 2019.

At every one of these junctures Tottenham have had to ask themselves what sort of a club they want to be.

Sometimes they know; in 2023 they were clear that they wanted a manager to re-establish the ethos of the club, which led them to the appointment of Postecoglou, for better or worse.

Sometimes they do not; in 2021 Tottenham cycled between ever-changing lists of candidates. They were rejected by Hansi Flick and Antonio Conte. They considered going back for Pochettino. They pulled out of moves for Paulo Fonseca and Gennaro Gattuso at the last minute. They ended up with Nuno Espirito Santo at the end of June. He lasted 10 league games.

If Postecoglou goes, Tottenham will have to learn the lessons of the last few years and ask themselves where they want to go next.

Ultimately it comes down to the strategic choice they made in 2023, to move away from years of defensive counter-attacking football and make a brave appointment of a manager who promised a radically entertaining attacking style. Postecoglou could not be more different in approach from Jose Mourinho, Nuno and Conte. Everyone thought in 2023 it was time for a fresh start.

So the question, if Tottenham do sack Postecoglou this summer, is whether they stick with the logic behind the Postecoglou appointment for the next process? They could go and find another progressive manager, but maybe one that scales better to Tottenham than Postecoglou’s football has done. Or do they draw a line under the last two years, write it off as an idea worth trying, abandon that underpinning logic and go back to something more pragmatic and conventional?

Whichever of those options Spurs go for, the one they can guarantee in a new appointment is Premier League experience. Over the course of the Postecoglou era a theory has emerged that the problem with his appointment was that he was too radical, too ideological, too stubborn, and that his ideas had never been tested in the harsh light of the Premier League. And while those ideas took Spurs to some great heights, playing memorable attacking football on occasions over the last two years, they also struggled to keep Spurs robustly competitive. Tottenham have lost 15 out of 29 Premier League games this season.

All you have to do is look above Spurs in the Premier League table to find the men who would be in the frame to replace Postecoglou this summer. All of whom have had their ideas tested — and proven to work — in this division.

First there is Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth, 10th in the table but still on course for an impressive season, with an FA Cup quarter-final to come this weekend. Iraola has marked himself out as one of the best young managers in Europe, bringing a pioneering brand of dynamic attacking football to the south coast.

There were questions when Iraola replaced Gary O’Neil in the summer of 2023 but they have all been answered now. Iraola took Bournemouth to 12th last season, their best league finish for six years. This season they are on course to do even better than that. They were even on course for their first ever European qualification before a recent dip in form, taking just one point from the last four league games.

When Postecoglou was appointed two years ago, it was in the hope that his ideas would take root and flourish at Tottenham. It would mark a radical departure from years of negative boring football in N17. But ‘Angeball’ has never truly developed, and has largely been abandoned in the last few months because of the injury crisis.

If you want to find the best modern progressive football in the country right now, you look for it in Dorset. “Today modern football is the way Bournemouth play,” Pep Guardiola said in January. At times this season it has felt that Guardiola’s rigid positional game was at risk of being rendered obsolete by Bournemouth’s dynamism, their willingness to attack spaces with the ball.

This is part of the attraction of Iraola. Postecoglou has not delivered on the hope that he could replicate what Pochettino did when he came to Spurs. But of all the potential candidates, Iraola is far closer to the 2014 Pochettino than Postecoglou was two years ago. The similarities hit you right between the eyes: Iraola is a 42-year-old manager who has overachieved during his time with a smaller Premier League club, having previously overachieved with a smaller team in Spain. He is at the sweet spot of his career, young enough to be bold, original and convinced of his ideas. But experienced enough at the top level to bet on.

There is also a growing consensus within the game that Iraola would be the perfect man for this Spurs squad. While his football and Postecoglou’s are not the same, they both require a huge physical output from their players. Bournemouth are one of the few teams who can rival Spurs’ running stats this season when it comes to total distance covered, high speed distance, sprint distance and so on (it should also be said they have come close to matching them for injuries too). Iraola might be able to teach a more dynamic attacking game to a group who already knows how to run.

There are no guarantees in football and the big question is what Iraola himself intends to do this summer. He will still have one year left on his Bournemouth deal and a £10million ($12.9m) release clause. The ball will be in his court.

But Iraola is not the only name under consideration. There are two other potential candidates in the Premier League.

There is Marco Silva, coming up to the end of his fourth season at Fulham. He has done a remarkable job at Craven Cottage, taking Fulham straight back up and then establishing them solidly at mid-table. Like Iraola, he has an FA Cup quarter-final this weekend and could end the season by winning his club’s first ever major trophy. Silva’s first Premier League season, 2022-23, saw Fulham get more Premier League wins (15) than they had ever managed before. This year they could plausibly qualify for Europe via the league.

Silva has done all this while losing key players and having to rebuild the team last summer. He might represent a pivot back to pragmatism but his team are entertaining to watch and he has established a football identity at a club who needed one. And he is no stranger to Spurs either: he got down to the final three in the process that ended with Postecoglou’s appointment in 2023. Silva has one year left on his Fulham contract, which had a release clause in excess of £10m when he signed it. Fulham are confident of keeping him and are already making plans for next season.

And then there is Thomas Frank. He too joined his club, Brentford, in the Championship but he got them promoted via the play-offs in 2021. This is his fourth Premier League season with the club and they have evolved their style during their time in the top flight. Like Silva he has had to lose big players (Ollie Watkins, David Raya, Ivan Toney) but the team has always been consistent. The big question is whether his pragmatic football, with a reliance on set pieces, would work at a bigger club with different demands.

The reality of football is that plans — including managerial short lists — change. This season still has some way to go and Postecoglou is still in position. But however it ends on May 25, with the Europa League secured or not, Tottenham Hotspur will be left mulling over the age-old question of what they want to be.

(Top photos: Iraola, left, and Postecoglou; Getty Images)

As another season at Tottenham Hotspur drifts towards an uncertain close, questions over the future of head coach Ange Postecoglou loom large.

Down in 14th, Spurs are set for their first bottom-half finish in the Premier League since 2008 (11th), with Opta’s latest projections, following their 2-0 defeat against Fulham last time out, giving them just a 2.8 per cent chance of being in the top 10 after the final round of fixtures on May 25.

There is still a possibility that they qualify for European football despite this — as one of the eight teams left in the Europa League, they have a backdoor route to next season’s Champions League — but inconsistent results, along with a stubborn belief in a demanding tactical approach, means questions are being asked of the man in charge as his second season at the club nears an end.

As reported by The Athletic, decision-makers at Spurs have Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola top of their shortlist to take over as manager should they decide to part company with Postecoglou.

The 42-year-old has transformed Bournemouth since joining in June 2023 after three seasons managing Spain’s Rayo Vallecano, implementing an intense, high-press style that leaves the club on the cusp of breaking their Premier League points record for the second season in a row.

Iraola has proven his ceiling-raising capabilities across a promising managerial career, leading Spanish second-tier club Mirandes to a shock semi-final in the Copa del Rey (Spain’s equivalent of the FA Cup) before establishing underdogs Vallecano as a competitive side in La Liga. But with a philosophy centred on out-of-possession principles — looking to disrupt opposition build-up rather than specifically control games with the ball — would the transition to a bigger, wealthier and more historic club be as smooth as his consistent improvement suggests?

The underlying numbers across the past two Premier League seasons demonstrate why Iraola is at the top of Tottenham’s list of candidates to, they hope, reverse their fortunes.

The below graph tracks how each team have evolved from the previous campaign, using non-penalty expected goals (xG) to outline the quality of chances created and conceded per game. While Spurs have regressed slightly on both fronts — statistically, they have the leakiest defence outside the three promoted clubs — Iraola’s Bournemouth have continued to break new ground.

The structural issues have been clear at Spurs this season, an ambitious high defensive line left exposed amid a raft of injuries, compounded by Postecoglou’s insistence on playing a risky, physically-demanding system.

But the graphic above at least shows they continue to be a potent attacking side, only trailing four teams for non-penalty xG generated. On track to score 72 goals this season, Tottenham could become the highest-scoring bottom-half team in the 33-season Premier League era, having hit three or more in over a third of their fixtures.

It can be easy to get tangled up in philosophy at clubs such as Spurs, where the pressure from above to instil an attractive, possession-based style offers challenges. On the good days, the thrill of Postecoglou’s approach satisfies those needs, but Iraola has not faced that sort of scrutiny as a manager, and achieves his results differently.

Particularly on the ball, the graph below illustrates the direct nature of Bournemouth’s approach play, making few passes per uninterrupted possession sequence and progressing the ball towards goal quicker than most teams in the division. Tottenham are potent on the counter too, but much prefer a steadier approach when they have time to build attacks.

Under Postecoglou, they have averaged around 112 passes per game in their own defensive third, whereas Bournemouth tend to complete around 59 in theirs.

The north Londoners have struggled to define their identity since the Mauricio Pochettino era came to an end in 2019. Relations quickly deteriorated with Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and, even more rapidly, Nuno Espirito Santo, all managers who value out-of-possession solidity over intricate positional play. For Iraola to succeed there, the club would need the patience to embrace another coach whose teams do their best work without the ball.

Iraola is not always comfortable trying to control games when in front. Since he arrived at Bournemouth, they have the fourth-worst win percentage from games in which they have led and they have averaged just 45 per cent of the ball across their 25 Premier League victories under him.

In the 3-0 defeat of Manchester United at Old Trafford last season, they even kicked the ball straight into touch from kick-off, allowing them to set up in their high-pressing shape and catch out their opponents further up the pitch. Within 45 seconds, Iraola’s boys had won the ball back, and had a strong penalty appeal waved away (see grabs below).

Ceding the initiative like this in front of 60,000 expectant fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would not be a straightforward option for Iraola.

For this mooted managerial switch to work, something would need to give.

Iraola is not all about low blocks and deep defending, though. His Bournemouth side have won plenty of games with slick combination play and attacking verve, and are attractive to watch in their own frantic way.

Spurs saw that intensity first-hand in the 2-2 draw with them in north London on March 9, where the visitors took 17 shots while nicking the ball eight times in the attacking third. An electric 4-1 win at Newcastle United in January also illustrated how exciting their courageous defensive approach can be.

In this example, from just before half-time in that game, Newcastle centre-back Dan Burn is in possession but Bournemouth are pressing high. Their attacking players have locked on and gone man-for-man, but Ryan Christie is two-vs-one in the middle, charged with tracking the passing option closest to the ball.

Burn suddenly turns on the ball, and team-mate Bruno Guimaraes senses the chance to drop into space from midfield to receive the pass.

Further back, Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams is alert, seeing that his midfield partner will have to follow the pass. To remedy that, the American charges forward to pick up Sandro Tonali, to make sure his team are not overrun in midfield.

Adams’ movement means that Bournemouth are now man-to-man, leaving Guimaraes short of options with his back to goal.

Christie gets a foot in, poking the ball forward for Dango Ouattara to run onto, and he slips it through for Justin Kluivert to score.

Those drastic jumps, such as the one from Adams above, are what separate Bournemouth from the rest of the division when it comes to hunting for the ball, relying on concentration and athleticism from their midfielders to ensure that every player is followed into the press.

Since the start of last season, Christie and team-mate Lewis Cook are the two players with the most ball recoveries in the league, a testament to their energy and appetite for the ball.

Unlike traditional zonal systems — where players are tasked with keeping a specific defensive shape — or a more straightforward man-to-man approach, Iraola demands that his players make decisions and take risks in the press. It can take time for them to adapt to such a style, as shown by Bournemouth going nine games without a win at the start of his reign.

When things click, however, the value of the approach becomes obvious. No team in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A or La Liga have won the ball more often than Bournemouth in the final third, with 46 of those recoveries — also the most — ending in a shot.

Postecoglou signed striker Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth last summer after a stellar season under Iraola, while Tottenham have scored 10 goals from counter-attacks this season (only Liverpool, with 13, have more in the Premier League, according to WhoScored), showing they already have players who can attack into space at speed.

Playing reactively rather than proactively might not be some people’s idea of ‘the Tottenham way‘, but it would certainly be intriguing to see what a more celebrated front line could do with the opportunities such turnovers provide.

Iraola is not the only Premier League manager Spurs might be monitoring, with Thomas Frank also on their shortlist. His Brentford team are three points behind Bournemouth in 11th place, having come from a goal behind to beat them 2-1 on March 15.

Frank is notably more pragmatic than both Iraola and Postecoglou, having developed Brentford’s style over their four years in the top flight. They reverted to a more direct style that day away to Bournemouth, going long from goal kicks, winning second balls and maximising set pieces, but they have generally looked to build up with more control throughout the season, with goalkeeper Mark Flekken much more involved in passing moves from the back.

Tottenham are also interested in Marco Silva, who is open to new challenges after four successful years managing Fulham.

Guiding them into the Premier League with an impressive 106 goals scored in the 2021-22 Championship, Silva has also shown his tactical nous in consolidating the west Londoners’ top-flight status in the seasons since, and they currently sit three points off fifth-placed champions Manchester City with nine games to go.

He has not been afraid to tinker with shape, notably switching to a back five as his side won at Chelsea in the league for the first time since 1979 in December, while building a competitive squad with two or three high-quality alternatives for most positions.

Tottenham’s top targets, should they move on from Postecoglou, may all have the Premier League experience the Australian lacked upon his arrival in north London, but all three have also thrived at their clubs thanks to wholehearted backing from their board. Iraola has overseen 17 permanent transfers in his two seasons at Bournemouth, with many, from Milos Kerkez to Evanilson, checking boxes on the physicality, fitness, and out-of-possession appetite needed to fit the manager’s system.

These coaches can scale their transformative tactics to a bigger side, but it would require patience, stability and compromise — things that Spurs have not always provided.

(Top photos: Robin Jones/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur have made Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola their top target to take over as head coach should they decide to part company with Ange Postecoglou.

Postecoglou’s position at Spurs has been the subject of intense scrutiny with the club 14th in the Premier League table, having lost more than half of their league games this season (15 of 29).

Tottenham are still focused on finishing the season strongly, especially with a Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt next month. But regardless of what happens over the next two months, there are question marks over Postecoglou’s long-term future. The 59-year-old will still have one year left on his Spurs contract this summer, with the option of a fourth, but his future is in serious doubt beyond this season.

Iraola, 42, has been hugely impressive since he was appointed by Bournemouth in the summer of 2023. His team are 10 points ahead of Tottenham in the Premier League. They beat Spurs 1-0 in December and had the better of a 2-2 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this month.

The former Rayo Vallecano coach has one year left on the contract he signed at the start of the season, and if Tottenham want to appoint him they would have to pay a £10million ($13m) release clause, although this is unlikely to be a barrier. Ultimately, the ball will be in Iraola’s court, although the situation may also be connected to which other big jobs are available this summer, not least whether there might be a vacancy at Real Madrid. Right now, there is no clarity about what Iraola will decide.

While Iraola would be the leading candidate for a Spurs vacancy this summer, he is not the only potential option. Fulham’s Marco Silva and Brentford’s Thomas Frank are under consideration. Both have taken their teams into the Premier League and established them there in recent years. Fulham are eighth, 11 points ahead of Spurs, and in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Brentford are 11th, seven points ahead of Postecoglou’s side.

Silva is the second likeliest for the role behind Iraola. The 47-year-old was highly rated during Tottenham’s 2023 managerial search, reaching the final three, only for the job to go to Postecoglou instead. Silva has made Fulham a consistent top-half side during his four years there, and is aiming to win their first-ever major trophy in the FA Cup.

Silva also has one year left at Craven Cottage. That deal initially contained a release clause in excess of £10m, so he would not come cheap. But Fulham are confident of keeping hold of their best manager of the modern era.

Frank held talks with Aston Villa about becoming their head coach in October 2022 when Tottenham’s technical director Johan Lange was Villa’s sporting director but they ultimately opted for Unai Emery. The Dane has won many admirers for helping Brentford punch above their weight since promotion to the top flight in 2021, despite having one of the lowest budgets in the division.

What Tottenham could be getting

Analysis by Jay Harris

Iraola’s appeal to Spurs is clear to see — not least because he shares a similar career path and style to former head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who guided them to the 2019 Champions League final. Pochettino was a young and upcoming manager when he left Southampton after a year to join Tottenham. He developed a young core which became Spurs’ best side of the modern era. In Micky van de Ven, Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Bergvall, Mikey Moore and Archie Gray, the building blocks are already in place for Iraola if he takes on the role.

Iraola crucially already has Premier League experience which was not the case with Postecoglou. There are similarities between the pair in how intense they want their teams to be without the ball but they have different approaches in possession. Spurs have averaged around 112 passes per game in the defensive third under Postecoglou while Bournemouth tend to complete around 59. Spurs under Postecoglou are about controlling the ball by building up from the back, whereas Iraola’s Bournemouth thrive at disrupting their opponents.

Silva rebuilt his reputation with Fulham after stints with Hull City, Watford and Everton. During his first year in charge, Fulham won the Championship title with 90 points and scored 106 goals. Aleksandar Mitrovic broke the competition’s goalscoring record by finding the back of the net 43 times. After years of bouncing around between the two divisions, Silva has stabilised Fulham in the top-flight. They finished 10th in the 2022-23 campaign and, despite losing Mitrovic, came 13th last season.

Fulham have recorded several impressive results this season, including beating Newcastle United twice and taking four points from Spurs. They are on course to break their record points total of 53, set back in 2008-09 under Roy Hodgson. Silva has proven adept at improving players who had fallen out of favour at other clubs including Alex Iwobi, Emile Smith Rowe and Andreas Pereira, while Calvin Bassey and Antonee Robinson have improved under him.

Frank, meanwhile, became an assistant at Brentford in December 2016 and he replaced Dean Smith as head coach two years later. Brentford were one of the most attractive and exciting teams to watch in the Championship on their way to winning the 2021 play-off final.

He adapted his style for their first two seasons in the Premier League and put an extra focus on defensive solidity. They switched shape from 4-3-3 to 3-5-2 and played direct with then-goalkeeper David Raya often launching passes towards Ivan Toney. Frank has evolved the side since and they now primarily play out from the back.

At the beginning of his career, Frank coached Denmark’s youth-teams and he has a track record of developing players and harnessing their potential including Toney, Bryan Mbeumo, Ollie Watkins and Mikkel Damsgaard.

He has a long history with Lange due to their shared Danish background. Since Lange joined in November 2023, Tottenham have focused on signing young players under the age of 23. Frank’s skillset would perfectly complement this young core.

(Top photo of Andoni Iraola / Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur extended their losing run across all competitions to six games on Sunday following a 2-0 defeat at West Ham United. On the surface, the loss further reduces a season once replete with promise into a lifeless nub. Spurs have dropped to ninth in the Women’s Super League (WSL), are out of the FA Cup and searching for a purpose beyond avoiding another defeat.

This current run of six straight WSL losses is their worst in two years. That previous nine-game streak cost former head coach Rehanne Skinner (now head coach of West Ham) her job, leaving Spurs two points above the relegation zone in March 2023 and the club’s women’s football blueprint in disarray.

Last year, head coach Robert Vilahamn turned things around, leading Spurs to a sixth-place finish and a first trip to an FA Cup final. However, the success has waned and two days before the latest loss, his job security came into question.

“I’m not scared of getting fired,” the Swedish coach told The Athletic on Friday after the press room emptied following his pre-match press conference. “Overall, it’s not good enough, but it’s also not the end of the world. I know that the games coming up are the games where we should expect more from us.”

It’s a defiant declaration.

In the not-so-distant past, women’s football managers maintained their positions through torrid spells, even torrid years. But in the past six months, the life cycle has changed. Five of the 12 top-flight clubs have overseen managerial changes: Arsenal (Jonas Eidevall, October 2024), Aston Villa (Robert de Pauw, December 2024), Liverpool (Matt Beard, February 2025), Crystal Palace (Laura Kaminski, February 2025) and Manchester City (Gareth Taylor, March 2025).

Reasons for the departures are nuanced but major factors were poor runs and perceived unmet expectations. Eidevall won just one of his first four WSL matches this season. De Pauw, hired in June 2024, was sacked after one win in nine matches. Beard left after struggling to build on his side’s fourth-place finish last season. Kaminski’s newly-promoted Palace, despite positive performances, won only one game from 14 league fixtures. Taylor’s City sat outside the Champions League spots after 16.

Barring Kaminski, it should be said that none of these managers endured six-game losing streaks.

“Everything is connected to the result,” Vilahamn said. “If we lose games the way we are, then you can look at me. Or you need to look at the club. … Are (the clubs who fired coaches) actually looking at themselves in the mirror or only at the coach? Because I can do good stuff, I can do failure, but I cannot do magic.

“Success is connected to the whole project, what we do together. Right now, we’re doing this together as a club. The main thing when you look at how we’re investing is patience. If somebody else feels like this is too slow, then I’ll happily leave because I’m doing what I’m supposed to do and I’m trying to do my best according to that.”

Vilahamn knows patience is not a gripping sales pitch for fans and critics. Upon his arrival in July 2023, Spurs spoke boldly of a three-year plan to achieve Champions League qualification and establish Spurs as one of women’s football’s “most entertaining” teams.

Vilahamn’s first season ostensibly stepped in that direction and the club rewarded him with a three-year deal last summer. Yet, recent performances and results beg the question: is there really a plan?

Those within the club maintain that the plan remains the same. But there is an acknowledgment that this season has taken more steps backwards than forwards. The word “decline” is used regularly in meetings.

However, panic hasn’t settled in.

In the aftermath of Skinner’s exit, Spurs underwent an internal review of their women’s setup, appointing Andy Rogers — previously Spurs’ head of global development — to managing director of women’s football. Foundational pillars were established, and built around culture, environment and style. They headhunted a manager to fit the bill.

Vilahamn is still trusted to be the plan’s driver. While results are lacking, a breakdown in communication, trust and culture are considered triggers for sacking. Alarm bells in these departments are not ringing, with the January recruitment of goalkeeper Lize Kop from Leicester City, who was pursued strongly by Manchester United in the summer, viewed as evidence of an increasingly positive cultural reputation.

“We want to play against the top teams the way we want to, we want to be one of the top teams,” Kop told The Athletic. “It’s easy to say it but you need to support it as a club. There are improvements to make but I feel like Spurs really want to support that.”

The work behind the scenes to address the recent failures is intense. It has been likened by one source, who asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships, to a “laboratory”. Last season, Spurs’ expected goals (xG) was 27.8, the fifth-best in the league, and expected goals against (xGA) was 31.4. While the latter has improved this season (xGA: 24.0), Spurs’ xG has dropped alarmingly to 17.9, the ninth-best in the league. Big chances created and big chances missed have also dropped from fifth and fourth in the league respectively to eighth.

The loss of England midfielder Grace Clinton and Norway winger Celin Bizet — the latter whose short-term deal made her vulnerable to a buy-out clause in the final year of her deal — to Manchester United play a part. Both recorded four goals last season, the third most in the squad, while Clinton’s four assists were also a team high.

Replacing the pair’s attacking influence has been hampered by long-term injuries to key players, including midfielders Kit Graham and Eveliina Summanen, and top scorer Bethany England. Summer signings Hayley Raso (forward) and Ella Morris (defender), and January signing Olivia Holdt (midfielder), who is deemed an ideal replacement for Clinton, also began their tenures with injury.

Clinton and Bizet’s exits also coincided with the departures of head of women’s analysis and recruitment Zoe Mattheson (formally Matthews) and women’s performance analyst Alexander Adams, who joined NWSL’s Gotham FC and Leicester City men’s team respectively.

What was meant to be a season of building upwards quickly became a season of rebuilding.

“It’s a little frustrating that we cannot use everything we did in our first year in our second year,” Vilahamn said. “We did really good work last year in terms of our identity, key players, key staff, young upcoming players like Grace and Celin. They were people I invested in to make sure we all worked together. Then we lost a few of those investments to other clubs. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it takes time again to reinvest in people.

“I’m still very sure (in) what we’re doing and know what we’re doing, but it feels like we lost one year because of that.”

Spurs’ six-game losing streak includes successive matches against Manchester United (a 1-0 reverse), Arsenal (5-0) and Manchester City (2-1). The defeats exacerbate Spurs’ dismal record against the top four — the other side being Chelsea — since winning promotion to the WSL in 2019: 55 matches played, won two, drawn six, lost 47. They have also proven a precarious quagmire for squad confidence, bleeding into performances against Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham.

Vilahamn does not deny there are self-inflicted failures throughout. In the seven league matches played against the top four this season (they have yet to play Chelsea twice), Spurs conceded at least one goal in the opening 15 minutes of play in six, turning already exceptional tasks into unassailable ones.

Against Arsenal, Spurs attempted to play Renee Slegers’ side at their own game, a decision Vilahamn brands a “failure”. Spurs adapted with some success against City, albeit stumbling against their superior depth. Yet, against Brighton, Vilahamn elected to play a similarly adapted style, producing one of the most dour performances of his tenure.

“I’m learning that against the top four, you need to adapt in a certain way,” Vilahamn said. “But when you play Brighton and lower, you shouldn’t adapt. Brighton are a very high-pressing team, so there were reasons. But when you have those three games (against the top four) before, it’s hard to work with self-confidence and bravery. Ultimately, it was a wrong decision.”

Recent performances and injuries have exposed Spurs’ shortcomings in squad depth and quality. While investment into the women’s team has doubled in the past two seasons from roughly £5million ($6.5m) to more than £10million, their overall investment into the first-team squad at the start of this season ranked among the bottom five sides in the WSL.

A top-four finish is regarded as the trigger for more investment. Vilahamn’s first season led many to believe his second would achieve this benchmark. But football is not static and as United, City and clubs such as Brighton increase investment each season, the goalposts to fourth-place invariably move.

The summer is expected to bring another thorough review to reset the plan. The club is currently recruiting a football technical director for the women’s first team and academy, but improving player and staff recruitment is a key issue.

“It’s going to be big decisions,” said Vilahamn. “Last year, I was confident but everything that has happened this season, seeing other clubs smash signings, I realise, OK, this may take an extra year.”

After the West Ham defeat, Vilahamn looked dour, the players carrying a similar look of desolation. Vilahamn is, by his own admission, a ferocious competitor and this run does not come without hurt. Maintaining morale and a positive culture has become paramount.

“(This period) is difficult because media, players losing self-confidence but that’s why I was hired. It’s the fun part with this job as well. It’s not always how you win the trophy. It’s how you develop a club through this journey. That’s what I bought into when I signed for this club.”

(Top photo: Richard Pelham / The FA via Getty Images)

Tottenham’s visit to Stamford Bridge after the March international break will conjure memories of Jadon Sancho’s finest moment in a Chelsea shirt.

Enzo Maresca’s team were 2-0 down inside 11 minutes in a cauldron of hostile noise at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when the sides last met in early December. Then, in the 17th minute, Sancho received a pass from Marc Cucurella near the left touchline, surged forward and jinked infield, passing two Spurs players before whipping a crisp, low shot in off Fraser Forster’s far post from 25 yards.

His brilliant goal silenced the home crowd and provided an immediate momentum shift, validating the belief that powered a Chelsea fightback to beat their bitter rivals 4-3. It was also the most dazzling flash yet of the sublime technical talent seen regularly during four years at Borussia Dortmund, before his ill-fated transfer to Manchester United in the summer of 2021.

Where has that player gone? Sancho has not scored in his 18 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea since. He has assisted just once, courtesy of an excellent probing run and low pass into the feet of Cole Palmer to score against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in early January. More often than not, his performances in 2025 have had United fans nodding their heads in recognition.

There have still been moments from Sancho during this lean stretch. If it were not for Palmer missing perhaps his best chance of the season from the winger’s slide-rule pass at home against Southampton last month, then seeing a penalty saved for the first time by Leicester goalkeeper Mads Hermansen after Sancho had been tripped by Victor Kristiansen, the bottom line numbers would look a little better.

But it is not just about goals and assists. The impression formed when watching Sancho recently is of a footballer who retreats within himself during games, too often receiving the ball in non-threatening areas and simply passing it backwards, and some of the numbers lend concerning weight to the theory: in his nine Premier League appearances since Palace away he is averaging 10 fewer touches (47.3, down from 57.5), fewer shots (one, down from 1.2) fewer attempted dribbles (4.2, down from 5.4) and fewer passes (34.9, down from 42.2) per 90 minutes than he did in his first 15 league matches.

“He came to Chelsea and at the beginning, we saw that (version of) Sancho from Dortmund, but then he disappeared,” former defender William Gallas told Stadium Astro last week. “I don’t know what the problem is, but at the moment he can’t stay at Chelsea because he has to do more. When you play in the Premier League you have to play every game at the highest level. It’s not easy, but you can’t just play well for a few games and then chill out.”

Against this backdrop, the news that Chelsea’s obligation to buy Sancho this summer is not quite as obligatory as first thought was always going to attract attention.

The penalty fee that Chelsea would be required to pay to get out of making Sancho’s loan move permanent at the end of the season is £5million ($6.4m), as revealed by The Athletic. That would effectively serve as the loan fee that they did not have to give United to bring the 24-year-old to Stamford Bridge on a season-long loan in September.

The move included an obligation to buy for up to £25million but as part of the agreement between the two clubs it was decided that Chelsea could pay United a set fee in order to not go through with the full transfer.

But there is no indication yet that Chelsea are inclined to go down that route. Despite the dip in his production in the final third, Sancho has impressed with his professionalism and committed approach to training at Cobham, as well as his work rate with and without the ball in matches.

Sancho has also given no sign that he is unhappy at Chelsea, or with the way this season is going — though he did acknowledge in an interview with the club’s in-house media after the 1-0 home win over Leicester earlier this month that his return of two goals in 23 Premier League appearances leaves plenty of room for improvement.

“Step by step,” he said when asked to reflect on his recent form. “I know I can do better, especially in front of goal. It’s annoying not to score. I just need to take time and be patient.”

Chelsea are expected to assess Sancho’s situation in dialogue with the player and his representatives at the end of the season. There is no reason at this point to believe that agreement on a salary or personal terms will be a problem, so the conversation will focus more on whether all parties are happy to continue together. Chelsea are paying around half of the winger’s United salary for the duration of the loan.

January saw Chelsea be proactive in exploring their options for a right-footed winger in the transfer market, with Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens of Borussia Dortmund two of the more high-profile potential targets assessed. That profile of player remains a priority for the summer because of Mykhailo Mudryk’s ongoing unavailability, not because of any concerns about Sancho.

In the meantime, Chelsea need the best version of Sancho for their nine remaining Premier League matches to maximise their chances of qualifying for the Champions League. Finding top form again is in his best interests, too, not least because a glorious second act at United feels distinctly unlikely; even if Ruben Amorim unexpectedly judged him a perfect fit for his system, would INEOS really want his huge contract back on the club’s books?

The path to Sancho shining again at Chelsea might be as simple as more favourable circumstances. His descent into anonymity has coincided with the injuries to Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke that have unbalanced Maresca’s attack and also contributed to Palmer’s struggles. He is a winger who thrives in combination with team-mates whose runs in behind complement his desire to come to the ball, not in isolation against an athletic full-back.

Many frustrated supporters are minded to point the finger at Maresca’s system for stifling the attacking talent at his disposal. But that was not the case at Leicester last season, when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall enjoyed a career-best campaign while wingers Abdul Fatawu and Stephy Mavididi registered 19 and 18 goal involvements respectively in the Championship.

Then there is the fact that Sancho’s skill set, at least in theory, should lend itself more to picking apart deeper-lying defences than racing in endless transition, as he was asked to do at United.

It is hard for any player to flourish in a malfunctioning team. Chelsea should no longer be in that bracket when their key attacking absentees return after the March international break and if the version of Sancho that stunned Tottenham in December comes back with them, it cannot hurt his chances of building a career at Stamford Bridge that stretches beyond this season.

(Top photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

In a move that has been welcomed by their matchgoing faithful, Tottenham Hotspur have frozen matchday and season ticket prices for the upcoming season.

Like 19 of the 20 Premier League clubs, Tottenham raised ticket prices for the current season, citing rising operating costs. In 2025-26, they join Liverpool and West Ham among the few clubs in the division to not increase them further.

However, at least for some fans, it is not all good news. In a statement released on their website on March 12, Tottenham announced several adjustments to their ticketing framework, including alterations to their senior concession, ticket exchange, ticket share and cup scheme policies.

“While we’re pleased to see a ticket price freeze at Spurs, which is something we had called upon all Premier League clubs to do ahead of next season, we do recognise the concerns raised by Tottenham fans about increases elsewhere which will impact supporters,” the Football Supporters Association told The Athletic.

“Dialogue is key from clubs to supporters in ensuring all relevant questions and concerns are answered effectively.”

Here, The Athletic explains what has changed…

Season and match ticket prices frozen

Tottenham announced matchday and season ticket prices for their men’s and women’s teams will be frozen for the 2025-26 season. The cheapest adult season ticket at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium costs £856, with the most expensive costing £2,367.

For context, the cheapest option at the Emirates Stadium for the 2024-25 season was £1,073, although that would also have included four Champions League matches. Newcastle United (£345) and Bournemouth (£397) lead the way among clubs challenging for Europe.

This follows a six per cent increase in season ticket prices last season. For context, Newcastle have increased their season ticket prices by five per cent in three consecutive seasons, Brighton have increased theirs for next season by five per cent, and Nottingham Forest’s prices have jumped by 8.5 per cent.

Not all clubs have announced their prices for next term, but none are likely to surpass Everton. For their new stadium at Liverpool’s Bramley-Moore Dock, the cost of the cheapest season ticket has increased by 15.3 per cent compared to its equivalent seat for their final campaign at Goodison Park.

Senior concession controversy

Last year, Spurs announced they would remove senior concession season tickets (SCSTs) for newly eligible season ticket holders. Since moving to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the number of SCSTs has multiplied by four compared to their total at White Hart Lane, where the capacity was less than half. In a statement, they described this as “clearly not sustainable”.

Spurs also stated plans to reduce the 50 per cent discount on the SCSTs to 25 per cent over a five-year period, decreasing by five per cent each season. The discount reduction came into play for the current season and will run until 2029-30.

This was met with opposition by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST), which called on the club to reverse the “unacceptable” decision. It was also a motivating factor behind several demonstrations inside and outside the stadium, one of which was supported by more than 10,000 fans in last March’s Premier League fixture against Luton Town.

“We managed to help deliver the biggest protest ever seen at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium,” says Katrina Law, part of the Save Our Seniors campaign group, co-chair of THST between 2013 and 2022, and a THST board member from 2013 to 2023. “Over 10,000 fans turned their backs on the pitch on the 65th minute in line with our slogan ‘Turn your backs on 65 because that’s when the club turns their backs on you’.”

However, Tottenham have since communicated that the number of SCSTs will not change for the 2025-26 season, essentially keeping newly eligible season ticket holders on a waiting list until a space becomes available. As the number of SCSTs is limited, available tickets will be allocated to eligible season ticket holders based on who has held theirs longest.

Fans must be of retirement age to be eligible for the SCSTs (currently 66). Season ticket concessions for juniors (50 per cent discount) and young adults (25 per cent) will remain the same.

“While we welcome the headline retention of senior concessions, the devil is in the detail and many questions remain unanswered,” read a statement from Save Our Seniors. “Our primary concern is that, even after this reversal, the vast majority of those who should be eligible for a senior concession will still not be able to access that concession.”

Changes to ticket exchange

Season ticket holders who could not attend a match are able to place that ticket for sale on the matchday ticket exchange.

However, they will now receive 1/19th of their season ticket price, as opposed to the appropriate cost based on the category of that particular match.

In other words, a ticket sold on the exchange system for a Category A match (the highest Premier League category, e.g. Arsenal) will net the season ticket holder the same amount as a Category C fixture (e.g. Southampton).

Currently, six Premier League matches fall into category A, nine into B and four into C.

In the statement, Tottenham say this is to prevent season ticket holders from netting a profit by selling their tickets on the exchange.

“This sees us revert to what we did previously, bringing us in line with the majority of other Premier League clubs and preventing season tickets, which carry an inherent discount, being sold for profit.”

Restrictions on ticket sharing

In addition to this, the ticket share resource will now only be available to paid patrons of the One Hotspur membership scheme.

Before this new arrangement, season ticket holders could share their pass with friends and family through the ticket share mechanism using a customer reference number, which could be obtained free of charge. Now, the receiver must sign up to become a club member, which was priced at £45 at the beginning of the 2024-25 season.

In the ticketing statement, Spurs communicated they made this decision “in the interest of fairness to our One Hotspur members”.

Sections of the fanbase have expressed their disappointment with this, noting how this resource was often used to gift tickets to friends who may not otherwise have the opportunity to support their club at the stadium.

“This is one of the most unpalatable moves, in my opinion,” says Law. “If I’ve not been able to go to a game, it’s been a great source of joy to be able to give the ticket to somebody who does not normally get the opportunity. They may not be able to afford it. Now I will have to make a friend take out a £45 membership to receive a gift.”

Removal of Automatic Cup Scheme

Another alteration for next season is removing the automatic cup scheme, which Spurs say “had a small number of members and impacted the length of the sales window”.

The statement reads: “Removing the scheme will extend the window for season ticket holders and members to purchase tickets for cup matches, which often go on sale at short notice. It also enables us to continue our discussions with atmosphere groups around the creation of a dedicated singing section at cup matches.”

Fans who signed up for this scheme by purchasing the Gold season ticket would automatically have their payment card charged on Spurs’ progression through the cups, reserving their seat for the upcoming match. Crucially, those fans were also awarded an extra 10 loyalty points compared to the standard season ticket, which increases their likelihood of securing a seat for away matches and matches at neutral stadiums.

It can be challenging for fans to gain extra loyalty points, as securing a ticket for European away matches (worth five points) is not easy. It also means fans are subject to further small booking fees through the Ticketmaster platform and are burdened with the added inconvenience of making single purchases ahead of each cup match. The added costs currently range from £1.75 per ticket online during the member’s sale to £4.50 per ticket over the phone during the non-member’s sale.

(Top photo: EYE4images/Getty Images)

Watching Tottenham Hotspur is a strange experience.

For long periods on Sunday, Ange Postecoglou’s team were second best to visitors Bournemouth and fortunate to trail just 2-0, but Pape Matar Sarr’s cross-shot just after the hour and Son Heung-min’s penalty with six minutes of the 90 to go rescued a point.

Spurs were almost two goals down inside five minutes, and Cristian Romero would have been at fault for both on his return from three months out with a thigh injury. The Argentina defender’s loose passes were capitalised on by Evanilson and Justin Kluivert, who dispossessed Yves Bissouma, but their shots were kept out by smart saves from Guglielmo Vicario.

The home side did grow into the game from there but Andoni Iraola’s team were always on the front foot — and they took the lead three minutes before half-time with one of the assists of the season. Milos Kerkez intercepted Pedro Porro, then charged forward 60 yards before delivering a stunning cross for Marcus Tavernier to convert at the far post.

Early in the second half, Kluivert had a goal ruled out for offside following a lightning-fast break, and half-time substitute Son hit the post at the other end. Sarr wasted a golden chance on the hour when he fired wide and was soon made to pay as Evanilson clipped a finish over Vicario in the 65th minute.

Lucas Bergvall hit the post from range before Sarr’s attempted cross reduced the arrears when it went in off the far post.

Bournemouth were a constant threat on the break but paid the price for failing to take their chances when goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga brought down Son in the box and the Spurs captain converted from the spot to earn a share of the spoils. Somehow.

The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke and Elias Burke analyse the talking points.

What was Romero doing?

Expectations were high for Romero’s return. This was his first appearance since December 8, when he broke down with a quad injury early on against Chelsea in what was his return from a groin problem that had kept him out since early November.

It has been a frustrating three months recovering from an injury head coach Postecoglou described as a “slow burner”, with Tottenham obviously missing not just Romero’s defensive work but his ability on the ball.

But this game was a stark reminder about what to expect from a player after a long lay-off.

Romero was strikingly rusty in the early exchanges, nearly costing Spurs two goals. After just 10 seconds, he passed straight to Evanilson, who was denied by Vicario. And then he put Bissouma in an impossible position, leading to a Kluivert shot which Vicario also saved.

Bournemouth’s pressure from the front was relentless, and Romero was clearly struggling to play through it.

Clearly, if Tottenham are to save their season here on Thursday against AZ Alkmaar — they trail the Dutch club 1-0 on aggregate in a Europa League last-16 tie — they will need Romero back to his best. As well as Micky van de Ven, who replaced Romero in the second half five weeks on from an injury comeback of his own that led to a new spell on the sidelines.

But this match was a reminder it can take returning players time to get that match sharpness back.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

A fractured fanbase on edge

Given the disappointing 1-0 first-leg defeat at AZ in the Europa League on Thursday, it was not going to take much for the home fans’ patience to wear thin against Bournemouth.

Several banners in the South Stand displayed their general discontent with Spurs’ ownership. One, which appeared as Sunday’s kick-off approached, read “Built a Business, Killed a Football Club”.

The nervous energy around the stadium wasn’t helped when Romero immediately gave the ball away to Evanilson. It took an excellent save from Vicario to prevent the Brazilian opening the scoring before thousands of fans had taken their seats, following public-transport delays in London.

Spurs calmed the atmosphere as they settled into the game, but after Tavernier scored the opener, the frustrations spilt out again. When half-time arrived minutes later, the home team were booed off the pitch.

You could then hear a pin drop as the crowd sat anxiously to open the second half… at least until Evanilson scored Bournemouth’s second. Even excitement after Sarr quickly got a goal back was tempered by Vicario letting the ball slip under his foot and needing to be cleared off the line moments after. The next time the Tottenham goalkeeper got a touch, the crowd greeted his long kick up the pitch with a sarcastic cheer.

With every misplaced pass from that point, and there were more than a few, the sense of nervousness was palpable. After Son converted the penalty to put Spurs back on level terms, the game broke into an end-to-end affair, with the home fans cheering every Tottenham attack and throwing their hands up in despair when they lost the ball.

At full time, those banners came out again. It was a better second-half performance by Spurs than the first, but it will take more than that to get a fractured fanbase back onside.

Elias Burke

Does Maddison need to start?

This game was another reminder that when Tottenham play their best football, James Maddison is usually involved.

They offered very little for the first hour or so without him, after Postecoglou opted to start with a more physical midfield of Rodrigo Bentancur, Bissouma and Sarr. It was only when Maddison came on after 61 minutes that Spurs started to play with any quality.

With his first involvement, he created a chance for Sarr, which was skewed wide. And then it was Maddison’s perfectly-weighted pass through to Son which led to the penalty which the latter converted for the late equaliser.

It goes to show Spurs’ reliance on Maddison. He has not always been at his best this season, and it is no longer a big surprise for him to begin games as a substitute, as he did today. But especially now with Dejan Kulusevski out with a foot injury, Spurs cannot cope without the former Leicester man either.

And it is surely inconceivable he will be on the bench again when AZ visit on Thursday.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

What did Ange Postecoglou say?

“A chaotic game, for sure. We added to the chaos, a bit. Some of it was self-inflicted, particularly in the first half. With the ball, we were careless with our passing. That allowed the game we played on the terms Bournemouth would like with their transition football. At 2-0 down, it would have been very easy, particularly with the atmosphere as it was, for the boys to let the game get away from us. But credit to them, they found a way to get back in the game, and we got something out of it.

“Not a lot of control from our perspective, which is not ideal for the way we want to play. Obviously we looked nervous and anxious, especially in the first half. But within that context, to come from 2-0 down, the positives of that, the lads showed a really strong mindset to get something out of the game. To be fair, that’s probably what we’ve been missing this year. There’s been a lot of games we’ve lost where games have just petered out. Had we turned more of those single-goal defeats into draws like we did today, we’d be in a better position in the league.”

On Romero’s rusty return: “Not surprised. He hasn’t played for a very long time. He’s hardly played this year, to be fair. Yeah, he will be disappointed with that but, at the same time, what was much more important for me is how he grew into the game. His defensive work, his aerial ability. He was on the end of just about every cross we put in the box from corners, and defensively.”

What next for Tottenham?

Thursday, March 13: AZ Alkmaar (home), Europa League last-16 second leg, 8pm UK, 3pm ET

Recommended reading

Tottenham must find some creativity and momentum – or their season is done

I spent a week reading the books footballers read – this is what I learned

What teams think of the 2025 Club World Cup: Opportunity, concerns and financial benefits

How to produce 1,698 matches in a season – inside the EFL’s global broadcast hub

(Top photo: Son after scoring from the spot; Andrew Kearns – CameraSport via Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou is hopeful Dominic Solanke could feature against Bournemouth on Sunday.

Solanke was forced off in second-half stoppage time in Tottenham’s 1-0 Europa League defeat to AZ in their last-16 first leg on Thursday. He had only come on as a substitute 20 minutes prior in what was his first match since sustaining a knee injury in January that caused him to miss 10 games.

The 27-year-old went down holding his left hip after a collision with AZ defender Wouter Goes and goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro while jumping for the ball.

Solanke had to be helped off the pitch by medical staff but Postecoglou said on Friday that it appeared to be no more than a “knock”.

“With Dom, I think he got a knee into the back so it’s probably a bit sore,” said Postecoglou. “It’s a knock so hopefully it settles down pretty quickly.”

Solanke, who joined Spurs in a £65million transfer from Bournemouth last summer, also missed two games after picking up an ankle issue on his Tottenham debut against Leicester City. He also missed the 1-0 loss against his former club with illness earlier this season.

In total, Solanke has missed 13 games for Tottenham, despite featuring in all 38 Premier League matches for Bournemouth last season.

Spurs have been bolstered by the return of several players from injury, including centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. Both defenders were on the bench against AZ, though Postecoglou said that he opted to not play the pair because of concerns he had over the playing surface at the AFAS Stadion in Alkmaar.

“When I saw the pitch the night before I made up my mind that I wasn’t going to risk them,” Postecoglou said.

“It wasn’t a great pitch, it wasn’t steady underfoot and it wasn’t the sort of game I thought I needed to expose them. A couple of extra days training and recovery and hopefully both are in line to feature.”

A toe injury and a hamstring issue have meant that Romero has only played 15 minutes of club football since November 10, while persistent hamstring and fitness issues have seen Van de Ven miss 28 games for Tottenham this season.

Postecoglou confirmed that Ben Davies has returned to training and could feature against Bournemouth, while Richarlison remains out with a calf injury.

GO DEEPER

Tottenham must find some creativity and momentum - or their season is done

(Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Given Tottenham Hotspur were behind and had not yet tested AZ goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro, a free kick from 25 yards just after the half-hour mark appeared a welcome opportunity to conjure a shot on target.

Instead, James Maddison attempted to work a routine with Son Heung-min on the edge of the box but miscued his lay-off. After awkwardly bouncing the ball between them, moving further away from goal in the process, the sequence culminated with Kevin Danso chipping a hopeful but aimless pass out of play. Audible groans echoed from the corner of AZ stadium where the travelling fans stood.

As it transpired, it was about as good an opportunity as Tottenham would create in Thursday’s 1-0 defeat.

“It wasn’t great for us tonight in pretty much all facets of the game,” Ange Postecoglou said in his post-match press conference. “We didn’t get to grips with any part of the game. We struggled to gain any momentum with the ball.

“I don’t have any doubt about their ability to break them down, but we obviously have to play a little bit differently than we did tonight. Not just with the ball; without the ball, too. It’s got to be a lot more aggressive than what we were tonight.”

For all the discussion that rages over Postecoglou’s defensive naivety, this team’s most pressing concern is their lack of spark in attack.

True, the Spurs academy graduate Troy Parrott led AZ’s attacking line with more conviction than a Tottenham striker has managed since Dominic Solanke sustained a knee injury in January — and would have put AZ 2-0 up in the first half if not for a great save from Guglielmo Vicario — but Danso and Archie Gray in central defence is a short-term stopgap.

More concerningly, Spurs registered just one shot on target in the entire game; a mishit cross from Wilson Odobert, who was aiming to hit Brennan Johnson on the far post.

Son manufactured a half chance after dribbling inside from the left wing but unleashed a wayward shot that flew high and wide of the AZ goal. In the dying embers, Odobert, yet to open his Spurs account, missed a headed opportunity. Aside from that, AZ held Spurs at arm’s length, content to sit back and let their midfielders knock the ball between them.

There were only ever glimmers of the attacking vigour Spurs could possess, mainly when Lucas Bergvall picked the ball up in his own half and drove at AZ’s defence, opening up the pitch and allowing Johnson, Son and Mathys Tel to stretch their legs.

Tel was largely tidy in possession but cut an isolated figure at the point of attack, and was substituted at half time. Still, while there’s probably enough sample size to have doubts over his ability to be Spurs’ primary striker in Solanke’s absence, it should be remembered that he is 19 and learning the position.

Besides Bergvall, the players who started alongside and behind Tel have pedigree at the highest level and must be better, particularly against a side who currently sit sixth in the Dutch Eredivisie.

Although Dejan Kulusevski’s form has dipped this year, Spurs lack a final third creator in his absence. Maddison operated in the left No 8 role and did not craft anything of note before being substituted in the 72nd minute along with Son.

Given Tottenham were chasing a result at the time, Postecoglou substituting his most experienced attacking players is an indictment of how their recent performances have not reflected their status.

Maddison has not had a consistent run as a starter since October. If Kulusevski’s absence created any positive it was the opportunity for the 28-year-old to step into his shoes and potentially force his way back into the England squad.

Anyone who has watched the Premier League since Maddison joined Leicester City is aware of his quality — only seven players have created more big chances since his debut top flight campaign in 2018-19 — but he has largely flattered to deceive since sustaining an ankle injury in the 4-1 home defeat to Chelsea in November 2023.

The onus was on him to step up in a tie which can make or break Spurs’ season, and he was largely anonymous.

With Kulusevski unlikely to return before the international break, it will fall on the same crop of attackers to step up in the second leg.

Odobert stood out in last week’s 1-0 home defeat to Manchester City largely due to his ability and drive to take on opposition defenders.

Given Johnson’s outstanding attribute this season has been the timing of his runs to convert from close range, and Son’s ability to take players on has declined in his 30s, having a player with the willingness to push the team forwards may be what Postecoglou pins his creative hopes on in the second leg.

Unfortunately, who he may be creating for is in open to doubt once again.

Just 20 minutes into his first match in almost two months, Solanke was helped off the pitch and substituted after a clash with the AZ goalkeeper.

Whether it is Tel, Son, Solanke or perhaps even Dane Scarlett, the most pressing issue is the lack of creative spark around whoever leads the line. A 1-0 deficit is far from insurmountable at home, but Postecoglou will need more from his creators to save the tie, the season — and possibly his job.

(Header photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)