The Athletic

“This is probably as low as we have been this year.”

Ange Postecoglou’s comments after Tottenham Hotspur lost to Leicester City on Sunday afternoon were an understatement. Spurs have lost four successive games in the Premier League and are on their longest winless run in the competition (seven matches) since 2008. The only team they have beaten in their last 11 fixtures is bottom-side Southampton.

Everton were on a six-game winless run until they faced Tottenham at Goodison Park on January 19. Leicester were in an even worse situation following seven defeats in a row. Spurs gifted both sides three points. The memes and jokes about ‘Doctor Tottenham’ have flooded social media. Their recent run of results is similar to that of clubs fighting against relegation. They are second-bottom of the six-game form table, with only Southampton below them.

Tottenham took the lead against Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side through Richarlison’s header but imploded in a manic five-minute period at the start of the second half. It means they have dropped more points (21) from winning positions than any other team this season.

GO DEEPER

The Briefing: Spurs 1 Leicester 2 - Nightmare for Postecoglou and Levy protests in embarrassing defeat

It feels like everything is spiralling out of control. Senior players are underperforming, the injuries are piling up, fans are angry with the board and Postecoglou is struggling to find a solution. How much longer can Spurs go on like this?

Tottenham’s form has been inconsistent ever since that 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in November 2023 when Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie were sent off but they stuck with a high defensive line. Since then, they have won 19 games, drawn seven and lost 25 for a total of 64 points from 51 games. That is not good enough when you consider Aston Villa finished fourth last season with 68 points from 38 matches.

The first week of February feels defining. In the league, Tottenham face Brentford, who have an impressive record at home, and then play Liverpool at Anfield in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. They finish off a punishing eight days away to Villa in the FA Cup.

If Spurs are dumped out of both cup competitions and lose to Brentford, then Postecoglou’s job will surely be in serious danger. If he manages to beat Liverpool and take Spurs one step closer to winning a first trophy since 2008, then maybe you could argue all the pain and humiliation of the last few weeks was worth it.

Tottenham’s injury crisis is a complex issue with lots of factors. Djed Spence and James Maddison are the latest to pick up injuries, while Yves Bissouma was only fit enough for the bench against Leicester. It is an almost impossible situation to manage as the moment one player comes back, another seems to suffer an injury.

GO DEEPER

Inside the injury crisis that threatens to wreck Tottenham's season

However, Postecoglou admitted that Pape Matar Sarr — who started and came off in the 54th minute — should not have played because “he obviously was not fit”. Why did Postecoglou start Sarr in central midfield, and risk him suffering more damage, when Archie Gray could have performed there with Sergio Reguilon at left-back?

Home supporters booed the decision to take off Richarlison at the same time as Sarr. Postecoglou revealed the Brazilian striker “was feeling his groin” and that “he should have come off at half-time but he wanted to give another 10 minutes”.

Richarlison has only just returned from a hamstring injury that kept him out for two months. The 27-year-old had limited involvement in pre-season because of a persistent calf issue. He has not been fully fit and match-sharp at any stage this season. Asking him to start two matches in four days was questionable, but should Postecoglou have let him play for another 10 minutes if “(he) could see he was not running well”, as the manager said?

Lessons seem not to have been learned from the defeat to Chelsea in December when Romero and Micky van de Ven went off injured on their return from toe and hamstring injuries respectively.

Many fans directed their frustration at the chairman, Daniel Levy, throughout the game against Leicester. Postecoglou deserves some sympathy for the fact Levy and technical director Johan Lange have failed to sign any players, apart from goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, in the transfer window.

Tottenham’s squad was struggling to cope with the demands of European competition even before it was decimated by injuries. Tottenham’s best players over the last month have been Gray and Lucas Bergvall. It is amazing these two 18-year-olds are shining in difficult circumstances, but it tells you everything you need to know about the lack of options and quality running through the rest of the squad. Spurs desperately need reinforcements and it is not Postecoglou’s fault that none have arrived.

A brief confrontation between Postecoglou and a supporter was caught on camera at full time. The 59-year-old appeared to attempt to respond to the fan before he was dragged away in scenes that echoed what happened after the defeat to Bournemouth in December. Levy is bearing the brunt of the fanbase’s anger, but they are turning on Postecoglou in increasing numbers.

So where do Tottenham go from here? The problems are mounting as they slowly limp towards the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool. Postecoglou spoke about potentially having “significant players back” in the next two weeks before that fixture, but was asked directly if he would still be in charge by then.

“Who knows?” he said. “I reckon there is probably a fair chunk (of people) that will say no. When you are the manager of a football club you can be very vulnerable and isolated. I don’t feel that. I feel like this group of players, not for me, are giving everything for the club. I have a group of staff that is really committed. I focus on that.

“My role within that is to try and support these players. I can even see in training when the guys who are coming back it is going to give everybody a lift. As I keep saying to the players, there is a fantastic opportunity this season to make an impact and I know we can.”

Postecoglou might be convinced that Spurs can achieve something special this season but all of the evidence suggests they are heading towards disaster.

(Top photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur suffered a defeat at home against Leicester City, who had lost their previous seven games, as more pressure was piled on manager Ange Postecoglou.

Richarlison put Spurs ahead after 33 minutes in his first league start of the season, but Leicester shocked the home crowd with two goals in the first five minutes of the second half to turn the game around.

While Tottenham pushed for an equaliser, there were protests against chairman Daniel Levy, boos for Postecoglou and a general unease among the Tottenham fans. Their side sit 15th in the table, with 24 points from 23 games. Spurs have now dropped 21 points from winning positions this season.

Here, Jay Harris and Nick Miller break down the talking points.

The Athletic‘s match dashboard, showing how Spurs dominated possession and territory but could not make it count

What does this mean for Postecoglou?

Most of the fan frustration on Sunday afternoon was aimed towards the chairman Levy but Postecoglou is rapidly running out of time to reverse this situation.

In the last eight days, Tottenham have been defeated by two teams fighting to avoid relegation, taking their league record to 13 defeats from 23 games.

It did not help that James Maddison missed this game through injury but Spurs have to perform much better. Maybe Postecoglou can feel aggrieved that his players did not score more in the first half. Son Heung-min impressed up against James Justin and had one effort saved by Jakub Stolarczyk while another hit the crossbar. Pedro Porro hit the woodwork in the second half from a deflected free kick. The margins are not going in their favour.

Over the last couple of months, Tottenham’s progress in the cup competitions has been a tonic to their woes in the league. They are into the fourth round of the FA Cup, have a slender advantage over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final and should progress directly to the Europa League round of 16.

They face Liverpool in their second leg on February 6 and three days later take on Aston Villa away in the FA Cup. Those two matches feel like the only things keeping Postecoglou in charge because this miserable form in the league cannot continue any longer.

Jay Harris

What went wrong at the start of the second half?

Spurs have not kept a clean sheet in the Premier League since they beat Southampton 5-0 over a month ago and Hoffenheim, who are fighting to avoid relegation from the German top flight, demonstrated on Thursday evening in the Europa League that Tottenham’s defence will fall apart at the slightest bit of pressure.

Even with all their absentees, Spurs should have secured all three points after going 1-0 up. Instead, they wasted all their hard work with an error-strewn start to the second half that allowed Leicester to turn the game around, reflected in the expected goals (xG) timeline below.

Opta’s X account highlighted how it was the first time since 1912 (vs Notts County) that Tottenham had lost against a team on a seven-game losing streak in the league.

It all started when Rodrigo Bentancur clattered into a tackle on Victor Kristiansen on the right wing. Bentancur was out of position and Boubakary Soumare drove into the space. He slipped the ball to Bobby De Cordova-Reid and goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky missed his cross. Jamie Vardy then scrambled the ball over the line.

The second goal was arguably even worse. Porro misplaced a pass and De Cordova-Reid pounced on it. He played it to Bilal El Khannouss, who dribbled to the edge of the box completely unopposed. Spurs’ defenders were almost encouraging him to shoot. The Morocco international obliged and curled a shot into the bottom corner.

Spurs are low on confidence and missing their best players but these were basic mistakes that allowed a team with even less confidence than themselves to win. If you think this sounds like a familiar story, it is because Tottenham did the same thing against Everton last weekend.

Jay Harris

Is Levy feeling the heat?

Arguably football fans’ protests are more valuable and hold more weight when they aren’t governed by events on the pitch.

If you’re unhappy with broader issues at your club, it’s important to make the point and not be distracted by whether the team is winning, as counterintuitive as that might seem. That way, you don’t seem as fickle, and the people you’re aiming your protest at can’t hide behind the short-term salve of a couple of wins.

With that in mind, the Tottenham fans who expressed their displeasure towards Levy should be commended for doing so even when their team was winning, and not just when things turned against Leicester.

The “We want Levy out” chants were certainly audible in the first half, combined with banners in the stands expressing their displeasure at the man with whom they have emphatically lost patience: the common factor in a quarter of a century of disappointment and underachievement. One of those banners read, “24 years, 16 managers, 1 trophy: time for a change.”

After the break, as the game started going the other way, the anger only escalated, the chants graduating to, “Daniel Levy, get out of our club.” The problem is that Levy is among the more stubborn men in football, so the chances of him bowing to their wishes any time soon seem remote.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a toxic place at the moment and unless something extraordinary happens, it’s hard to see how it will change in the coming months.

Nick Miller

What did Ange Postecoglou say?

Speaking after the match, Postecoglou said: “For the most part, we controlled the game pretty well. We certainly created enough opportunities to win the game. We had that five-minute spell after half-time where we were punished but either side of that, there was enough there for us to win the game.

“The players are giving everything. From my perspective, I can’t get away from the fact that this group of players are trying as hard as they possibly can to turn our fortunes around.

“I have felt all along that the players are still very committed to what we’re doing. That’s important to me, because I firmly believe in it and I really believe that this is as low as we’ve been so far this year but I still think that in these last three months we can do something really special and these players believe that.

“Right now it’s very hard to visualise that when the current circumstances we’re in, you just have to look at our absences today. They’ll all be back. Even missing Madders (James Maddison) today, he was so good the other night. All these little things that are not allowing us to get any momentum I’m sure will change and when they change I’m really confident we can make an impact.”

What next for Tottenham?

Thursday, January 30: Elfsborg (H), Europa League, 8pm GMT, 3pm ET

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(Top photo: Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur are adrift.

In truth, they have been blindly drifting for weeks, if not months. Their appalling league form has been dismissed as a sideshow, an irrelevance, an inevitability given their injury crisis.

Everyone was happy to suspend judgement. Wait until the players get back from injury. Wait until the cup games. Wait until the resumption of European football.

But the problem with investing everything in the future is that you take your eyes off what is happening in front of you. And if you do that, you slip from league defeat to league defeat, from the European spots to mid-table to potential disaster, never confronting the reality of the situation.

That has been the story of Tottenham’s league campaign, their worst for a generation. They are — and this really has to be repeated until it sinks in — 15th in the Premier League table. They are only four points ahead of yesterday’s opponents Everton, who have a game in hand. They have lost more than half of their league games.

We could do this all day, listing all the different ways this season is a disaster, a catastrophe, without modern precedent. But all that can wait until May. Right now, Tottenham just need to save their season.

Usually, the league is Spurs’ priority but for much of this season, everyone’s attention has been on the three cup competitions. This squad are desperate to win a trophy for Tottenham this season. It is all the players talk about, which is in part why they have stuck together through such obvious difficulty.

That is why they could hit such heights when they really wanted to. They have won only three of the last 15 matches in 90 minutes: Manchester United and Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, Southampton in the league. For the rest of the time, the league games have looked like they were just the spare time between cup games, a chance to stay fresh and sharp ahead of the next one. And with the squad stretched so thin by injuries, and with the manager’s tactics under fire, the players have always had excuses to hide behind.

So Spurs drifted from defeat to defeat, moderating their approach to avoid a repeat of the 6-3 defeat to Liverpool, every defeat written off as unavoidable, their competitive edge increasingly blunted. That culminated on Sunday at Goodison Park, where Spurs were demolished in the first half by an Everton team who had been drained of all confidence in front of goal in recent years. Everyone reading this will be familiar with the concept of Dr Tottenham, but this was surely the greatest example in history. All of the belief, skill and conviction that Everton had lost surged back into their game. This was football alchemy at work.

At half-time, with Spurs 3-0 down, it felt like the trip to Newcastle United in April 2023. It had that same morbid end-of-era energy, the same glazed eyes and dazed players, the same dark humour from fans. That day, Spurs were 5-0 down at the break, after a desperate tactical switch by the manager. Spurs lost 6-1 and Cristian Stellini was removed as caretaker the next day. This time, at least, Spurs’ second-half fightback gave the scoreline (3-2) a degree of respectability no one would have predicted at the break.

GO DEEPER

The Briefing: Everton 3-2 Tottenham - How long can Postecoglou survive?

But at least that day at Newcastle, there was an acceptance that it was a nadir, and things needed to change. Tottenham must now find another fix to avoid spending the rest of the season glancing anxiously into their rear-view mirror at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town.

It is easy to blame the manager, but he is far from the only one at fault. Daniel Levy spent the afternoon listening to Spurs fans calling for his departure from the club. When the fans turn the heat on the chairman, the manager often pays the price — but if Levy sacked Ange Postecoglou, the attention would still be on the chairman rather than the sacked head coach. Levy has to find a way to fix this.

Tottenham need to go into the market now and give Postecoglou some more players. Dominic Solanke’s knee injury and Brennan Johnson’s calf strain have further damaged their already thin squad. Their only attacking player in any sort of form is Dejan Kulusevski, but he has done so much this season he needs to be helped and protected rather than asked to do even more. Richarlison and Mikey Moore both came on against Everton but Spurs cannot try to squeeze too much out of them too soon.

In defence, again, Spurs clearly need another player. They cannot just sit on their hands and wait for Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven to come back and save their season. Radu Dragusin and Archie Gray have done everything asked of them recently but both struggled at Goodison. Dragusin looks like he needs a spell out of the team.

Postecoglou started this season with a thin squad and now he has 11 senior players out. The calendar is not giving him any respite. Without at least two new players, it is hard to see how this situation does not get even worse from here.

Perhaps this is where there needs to be a change of emphasis. For too long, the cups were seen as the way for Spurs to save their season but who could claim now, with a straight face, that Tottenham are going to win a trophy? If they show up to Anfield and play like this in the Carabao semi-final second leg, they will lose by a cricket score. When they go to Villa Park three days later they will find it very difficult to stay in the FA Cup too. They could be out of both domestic cups within a few weeks.

The Europa League is a different prospect, but this Thursday’s game at Hoffenheim will be a struggle given Spurs’ injuries. If they do not finish in the top eight of the league phase, and end up in the play-off round in February, then there is every chance they will go out of that too. And then their whole season will be over within a month.

If that sounds like a grim prognosis, it is the only conclusion to reach after watching this, Spurs’ 12th and worst league defeat of the season and a game that should have ended even worse than it did. This is a Spurs team in the midst of a football disaster. They need to stop dreaming about being saved by returning players. They need to stop fantasising about cup competitions where they will likely lose. Someone needs to take control of the situation and keep this ship afloat. No one is going to do it for them.

GO DEEPER

Postecoglou says Spurs' form 'can’t be accepted by anyone'. So where does that leave him?

(Top photo: Ange Postecoglou and Archie Gray, who scored an own goal; by Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)

Towards the end of Ange Postecoglou’s press conference, after his Tottenham Hotspur side lost the north London derby away to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, he was asked if the only positives to take from the game were the performances of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.

It was an opportunity to acknowledge two teenagers excelling in difficult circumstances and end a bad evening on a hopeful note. Gray prefers to play in midfield but has started the past 10 games in all competitions at centre-back, while Bergvall has arguably been Spurs’ most impressive performer in recent weeks.

Instead of praising Gray and Bergvall, who 12 months ago were playing in the second tier of English football and Sweden’s top flight respectively, Postecoglou fired a warning shot.

“I hope not. I want them disappointed,” he said. “This can’t be accepted by anyone at the club. Us losing so many games in a league season is not right. I know we are going through a tough trot and are asking big jobs (of people), but I hope they are hurting, the 18-year-olds, as much as anybody else in terms of us not being able to deliver on a big night.”

Postecoglou’s frustration was understandable.

Tottenham withstood 20 minutes of intense pressure from Arsenal, then took the lead through Son Heung-min, only to concede twice just before half-time. There was an element of misfortune about Dominic Solanke’s own goal but Yves Bissouma was easily dispossessed by Thomas Partey in the build-up to Leandro Trossard’s winner. Postecoglou said his team were “too passive” and “nowhere near the level they needed to be”, describing the one they are playing at as “not acceptable”.

It was a complete contrast to how Declan Rice talked about Arsenal’s display on TNT Sports, the game’s live UK broadcaster. “Tonight meant more than anything, from the first minute,” Rice said. “First 45 minutes was pure domination. We showed that intent, that pressure, that desire. You could tell it was a derby. We are unlucky we didn’t score 10 tonight, that’s the feeling.”

This is the 11th time Spurs have lost in the Premier League this season in 21 matches — the only teams who have suffered more defeats are Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leicester City (both 13) and Southampton (16). Or, to describe them another way, the three sides in the relegation places.

Tottenham have taken only 24 points from those 21 games and are closer to the bottom three than the four Champions League qualification spots. They have won once in nine league games, and that was against a Southampton side currently eight points adrift in last place. All of the goodwill from beating league leaders Liverpool in the home first leg of a Carabao Cup semi-final this time a week ago has slipped away following Wednesday night’s flat display.

In the first few minutes of the game, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jurrien Timber made interceptions high up the pitch that led to Arsenal attacks. Gray, Bissouma and Djed Spence found it difficult to progress the ball up Spurs’ left wing. Then Kai Havertz blocked goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky’s pass in the box and nearly scored.

Tottenham were overwhelmed and struggled to string a sequence of passes together. Son, Dejan Kulusevski and Solanke were peripheral figures. Bissouma and Pape Sarr were replaced with Brennan Johnson and James Maddison at half-time as Postecoglou tried to find “a different intent in our football”.

“It’s not who we are,” the head coach said. “Allowing Arsenal to play to their tempo. It just wasn’t good enough.”

This is not the first time Postecoglou has made drastic changes at the break. Injuries have hit Spurs but their midfield has been left relatively unscathed, apart from Rodrigo Bentancur suffering two separate concussions. Halfway through his second season, Postecoglou is still trying to figure out his most effective midfield combination.

In the Premier League, Maddison is leading the way, with Son, in the squad for direct goal involvements (12), yet has started the past four games on the bench. The 28-year-old England international has not completed a full 90 minutes in the league once this season and has been substituted more times (14) than any of his team-mates. Paradoxically, Maddison is either the first to be taken off when Spurs are underperforming or is asked to perform a rescue act coming on from the bench.

Bergvall is showing promise as the deepest-lying midfielder but it is a lot of responsibility to place on a young and inexperienced player. Kulusevski is often tasked with switching between a central role and the right wing in the same game and has racked up Spurs’ second-highest number of league minutes (1,681) this season after only Pedro Porro (1,716) and needs a rest.

If Postecoglou only tweaked his midfield on certain occasions, you could argue he was tailoring his approach to nullify the strengths, or capitalise on the weaknesses, of specific opponents. Instead, it feels like he tinkers too much and it is difficult for the team to build any consistency.

Postecoglou’s comments about how this poor run of form “can’t be accepted by anyone at the club” can be interpreted in two ways.

Was it a brutally honest admission he is running out of time to change this dire situation? Or was he applying soft pressure to chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange to seek solutions to their problems in the final two weeks of the winter transfer market? Richarlison made his first appearance since the beginning of November last night after recovering from a hamstring injury but Solanke needs more help up front. Tottenham were interested in signing France international forward Randal Kolo Muani on loan from Paris Saint-Germain but he is now expected to join Juventus.

It is always frustrating to lose a derby but Postecoglou has now failed to beat Arsenal once in his four attempts. Spurs have looked more solid when they defend set pieces but this is the second time this season that Arsenal have scored from a corner against them.

Mikel Arteta’s side came into last night’s match reeling from back-to-back defeats in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, and the long-term loss of Gabriel Jesus to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury.

If Spurs had reached half-time in the lead or level, the frustration and nerves inside the stadium would have increased. Tottenham could have capitalised on the tension by sitting slightly deeper and hitting Arsenal on the break. Instead, they made costly individual errors and failed to create high-quality chances, things that have happened on countless occasions over the past six months.

If Manchester United beat Southampton at Old Trafford tonight as expected, Spurs will be 14th in the 20-team Premier League table.

Postecoglou can only lean on their impressive performances in the Carabao Cup for so long before serious questions are asked about his long-term future.

As the 59-year-old admitted, their form “is nowhere near good enough and it needs to change”.

(Top photo: Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)

Arsenal beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Wednesday night to move to within four points of the top of the Premier League.

The hosts dominated the early exchanges, but Spurs scored with one of their first opportunities of the match. A deflected Son Heung-min strike went past goalkeeper David Raya to give the visitors the lead.

But Arsenal turned the game around in the space of four minutes. First, Gabriel’s header from a corner hit Dominic Solanke before travelling into the back of the net. Then Leandro Trossard drove forward and scored from range for Arsenal.

An end-to-end second half yielded no further goals.

The Athletic’s experts Art de Roché, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Jay Harris and Anantaajith Raghuraman analysed the game.

How important was this win to Arsenal’s title hopes?

Arsenal had missed opportunities to make up ground on Liverpool in recent weeks — which made this north London derby win even more important. The league leaders still have a game in hand, but closing the gap to four points should give Arsenal encouragement for the second half of the season.

The weight of the game could be felt in the ground throughout the game. After two disappointing cup defeats, the stadium was the loudest it had been all season, driving the players on.

Encouraged by the noise of the home support, Kai Havertz set the tone with a tackle on the touchline. The fans didn’t go silent after Son put Spurs ahead either, feeding an urgency onto the pitch that was key to the turnaround at the end of the first half.

From a footballing perspective, that helped Arsenal attack with much more purpose than in recent games. That was seen in their second goal, with Martin Odegaard and Trossard making their decisions to pass and shoot much earlier than they have done in previous matches.

This result will only truly matter if they back it up, however. Losing against Aston Villa at home was fateful last season, so meeting them this weekend is an opportunity to set the record straight and start a run necessary to catch Liverpool.

Art de Roché

Where does this loss leave Spurs?

An 11th Premier League defeat of the season for Tottenham leaves them 14 points behind fourth place. Quite remarkably, they are two points behind West Ham United, who have barely played well all season and just changed their manager.

This was by no means the worst Tottenham performance of this season. They had some good moments on the break in the second half, took the lead, only to let the game escape them just before the break. Then they had plenty of openings in the second half but were never sharp enough to take advantage. Pedro Porro even hit the post in added time.

The problem for Spurs is that every team has injuries and yet few teams in recent memory have underperformed as badly as Tottenham currently are. They don’t know how to find a way to win games they do not dominate. And, frankly, with better finishing from Arsenal, this would have been a more embarrassing scoreline than it was.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Should Arsenal have been given the corner in the build-up to their first goal?

Tottenham survived an onslaught from Arsenal in the opening half an hour to take the lead through Son but their bubble burst in the 40th minute when Solanke scored an own goal from Declan Rice’s corner.

It was a well-worked move as Gabriel made a darting run towards the back post and his header bounced off Solanke past Antonin Kinsky but Spurs will feel understandably frustrated as the corner should not have been given.

A through ball released Trossard down the left wing and Porro, who had slipped awkwardly a few minutes before, did well to keep up with him. Porro blocked Trossard’s left-footed cross and it appeared to hit the Arsenal winger’s right leg before it went out of play. The officials awarded Arsenal a corner, though, and less than a minute later all of Tottenham’s hard work was undone.

Tottenham’s record at defending set pieces has improved but it would have been irritating to concede from a corner for the second time against Arsenal this season.

Jay Harris

How errors from both teams defined first half

Fixtures such as these are often welcomed with the understanding that the margins for error are low and neither team helped themselves, conceding as a product of avoidable mistakes.

In the moments before Spurs’ opener, Arsenal committed plenty of men forward but did not track enough with equal energy, allowing goalkeeper Kinsky to find Pape Matar Sarr in acres of space. Sarr obliged by carrying the ball about three-quarters the length of the pitch before winning a corner off Thomas Partey. As Tottenham played a short corner, Arsenal were slow to react again from their initial clearance and did not close down Son, who scored with a tame effort via a deflection.

The hosts’ equalizer came in fortuitous circumstances with the referee wrongly awarding Arsenal a corner when the ball went behind off Trossard’s leg from Porro’s tackle. But Spurs did not do themselves any favours from the corner. Kinsky completely misread an excellent delivery from Declan Rice, while Radu Dragusin lost Gabriel, who got to the far post and applied enough pressure to force a Solanke own goal.

Spurs will not want to watch the third goal back either. Yves Bissouma was lazy on the ball in his own half, allowing Partey to win it and find Odegaard. With Spurs having pushed men forward when in possession, Odegaard could easily set up Trossard, who finished the move, though some will rightly question if Kinsky, who got a hand to the shot, could have kept it out.

Mikel Arteta and Ange Postecoglou would have been far from pleased.

Anantaajith Raghuraman

How did Sterling perform on his return to Arsenal’s starting line-up?

After Gabriel Jesus joined Bukayo Saka and Ethan Nwaneri on the injury list, this was a big night for Raheem Sterling on the right wing.

This was his first league start since October, when he was sacrificed to replace William Saliba after his red card away at Bournemouth, and unfortunately, it was summed up by an action inside the opening minutes of the game.

Played in by Myles Lewis-Skelly, Sterling was in a great position to apply a first-time finish but decided to take a touch and the chance was gone. He had a similar moment when played in by Havertz inside the box in the second half, only to fluff his lines. The effort was there for the most part, but confidence and clarity seemed to be lacking at the crucial moments.

For example, the winger worked well to regain the ball in loose duels but struggled to get the better of Djed Spence on the right. His driving runs made an impact against Manchester United but Spence’s frame, and little support on the overlap, made the task harder for Sterling.

That became more noticeable in the first half as fans in the West Stand urged him to take his man on at every opportunity, but the burst just wasn’t there.

Sterling did have some bright moments, with backheels to Jurrien Timber inside the box and driving runs through the centre of the pitch. This being his first league start in three months could make the inconsistency in his performance understandable. Moving forward, however, more decisiveness (and potentially support) could be needed when Arsenal attack through him.

Art de Roché

Kinsky’s struggles a reminder of need for patience

It has been a rapid introduction to English football for Kinsky, but this was a reminder that maybe people should be more patient with Tottenham’s new goalkeeper.

Kinsky was put under pressure throughout and struggled to cope with it. No one could question his confidence with the ball at his feet but he had to scramble in the first half when Havertz charged down one of his kicks. It did not help that Archie Gray and Dragusin were struggling to build up from the back, so tended to pass the ball back to Kinsky every single time. Kinsky was under more pressure than he needed to be.

But then Kinsky’s problems were not just with the ball at his feet. When Arsenal equalised it was in part because Kinsky got pinned in at a corner and could not get a hand on the ball.

Four minutes later, the crucial moment in the game came when Trossard drove a hard shot to the bottom corner and Kinsky got a hand on it, but could not keep the ball out. It was not how he would have envisaged his first north London derby.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

What did Mikel Arteta say?

Arteta told BBC Sport: “We were outstanding today. From the first minute we were really at it, really intense. We played with a real purpose to hurt them. We created an unbelivable atmosphere.

“We know how important the game is. It’s a gift we can make the supporters very happy.

“The attitude we played with, not feeling sorry for ourselves, was phenomenal.”

What did Ange Postecoglou say?

Postecoglou said: “There’s no magic cure. You’ve got to get up tomorrow, work hard and go into Sunday and prepare to go into battle and turn around our fortunes and our season. There’s nothing magical that’s going to change it. There are always reasons for all these things to happen.

“The reality is that our results and our form in the league have been nowhere near good enough. That needs to change.”

What next for Arsenal?

Saturday, January 18: Aston Villa (H), Premier League, 5.30pm GMT, 12.30pm ET

What next for Tottenham?

Sunday, January 19: Everton (A), Premier League, 2pm GMT, 9am ET

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Alfie Dorrington has signed a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur and will spend the rest of the season on loan with Aberdeen.

Dorrington joined Tottenham’s academy when he was 13 after spending time in the youth-team set-up of non-League side Cockfosters. The 19-year-old centre-back made his Premier League debut for Spurs as a substitute in last month’s 5-0 victory over Southampton.

Tottenham are struggling with an injury crisis at the moment with senior centre-backs Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Ben Davies unavailable. Archie Gray, who prefers to play in midfield, and Radu Dragusin have started together at centre-back in the last nine games in all competitions. When Dragusin was substituted against Newcastle United and Tamworth, full-back Djed Spence partnered Gray.

It means opportunities have been slim for Dorrington and, with Van de Ven and Romero returning in the near future, head coach Ange Postecoglou said last week they were looking to send him out on loan.

“Alfie is training with us and he has been around the first-team squad and part of the first-team squad,” Postecoglou said. “He had a pretty significant injury which kept him out of football for quite a while. He probably needs to get some game time so we will look for a loan for him.”

He will hopefully receive more playing time with Aberdeen who are fourth in the Scottish Premiership. The England Under-19 international’s new deal runs until 2029. Dorrington signed his previous deal in June 2023 and it was due to expire in 18 months.

GO DEEPER

Tottenham Hotspur Transfer DealSheet: What to expect from the January window

(Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

Tamworth’s forward Beck-Ray Enoru works for the fashion retailer Zara, goalkeeper Jas Singh is a building surveyor and midfielder Tommy Tonks runs a sandwich business.

Tottenham Hotspur progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 3-0 victory over their part-time opponents but it was an underwhelming performance which raises uncomfortable questions about the individual quality of certain players. Ange Postecoglou rotated his team but Timo Werner, Sergio Reguilon and James Maddison are experienced internationals who should have easily sliced open the non-League side.

It was an awkward and tight artificial pitch which sloped slightly. A few hundred Tamworth fans were packed tightly into the stand behind the dugouts. They were barely a couple of metres away from Postecoglou and the substitutes who would have had splitting headaches because of the noise they created.

There was not enough space on the bench so Tottenham’s coaches and medical staff were perched on plastic chairs on the side of the pitch. The dressing-room facilities were cramped and it was bitterly cold.

Yet none of that should have prevented Spurs from comfortably beating Tamworth in 90 minutes.

It took them two hours to break down Tamworth, which is the last thing this squad needed before Wednesday’s north London derby against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium when they are already running dangerously low on energy.

Pedro Porro, Dejan Kulusevski, Dominic Solanke and Johnson have registered the most minutes for Spurs in the league this season. Porro and Johnson played the entire game on Sunday afternoon while Kulusevski and Solanke came off the bench in the second half to prevent an embarrassing exit. Radu Dragusin has started 18 games in a row and was replaced at centre-back by Djed Spence before extra time.

Tottenham had 77 per cent possession and 65 touches in the box but found it difficult to penetrate Tamworth’s defence. There were too many occasions when Porro, Reguilon or Johnson aimlessly launched crosses into the box. Werner started in a central role and struggled to hold the ball up while he wasted a promising one-v-one situation in the second half. Maddison had a couple of good opportunities to score but Singh made excellent saves.

Enoru caused Porro a few problems with his speed and trickery. It seemed like Tamworth’s main tactic was to hit the ball long into the channel for the forward to chase and it earned them a corner in the first minute. Tottenham’s defence never looked too troubled from Tamworth’s set pieces, apart from one of Tonks’ throw-ins which struck the post. New signing Antonin Kinsky looked confident claiming the ball from corners and crosses.

It would have been a disaster for Spurs and Postecoglou if they had been eliminated.

They would have become a laughing stock, four days after an impressive victory over Liverpool in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie. And considering they did not even take the lead until the 101st minute, when Solanke’s shot bounced over the line via a deflection from Nathan Tshikuna, then there will still have been a lot of football fans enjoying Spurs’ predicament.

Centre-back Jordan Cullinane-Liburd spoke after the game about feeling deflated when Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski, South Korea and Sweden’s captains respectively, came on. Tottenham outlasted their opponents like a heavyweight boxer winning a fight on points instead of delivering a knockout blow.

“Firstly, credit to Tamworth, I thought they gave everything and gave a really good account of themselves,” Postecoglou said. “We knew it would be a challenging afternoon for us with the surface making it really difficult for us to play in the manner we wanted to. It is easy to get frustrated on days like this but the lads kept their heads clear and calm and persisted and eventually overpowered them.”

If there was one positive (in addition to not going out) from the afternoon, it was watching Mikey Moore make his first appearance since October after recovering from a nasty virus. Moore walked off the pitch after 68 minutes and there was a small chorus of boos from Tottenham’s supporters who were unhappy with the decision.

The winger’s first action of the afternoon was to hit a cameraman in the head with a wayward shot during the warm-up and things did not immediately improve. Reguilon moaned at the 17-year-old when he did not drop to receive a pass and then he was wiped out on the touchline by Ben Crompton. But Moore was electric during a 15-minute period in the second half when Spurs produced their best spell. He picked up the ball on the left wing, drove past Tamworth’s full-back and hit a fantastic cross with the outside of his boot into the box. Werner’s header was cleared off the line by George Morrison.

Maddison kept drifting over to the left and linking up intelligently with Moore. It speaks volumes of Moore’s ability that Maddison seems to trust him more than some of their other team-mates. A couple of minutes before he was substituted, Moore dazzled Tom McGlinchey with a series of body feints and stepovers which led the midfielder to fall over. He walked off with a bloody right knee after putting in a couple of fierce tackles too.

“Great to get him some game time,” Postecoglou said. “I think he’s itching to get back as well. He’s missed a fair bit of football. It just adds another attacking threat to us and I’m sure after today he’ll feel a lot better. As I said, I think he was a bit rusty at the start but he definitely grew into the game.”

It was not a good performance from Spurs, and it could have been a disastrous day, but they remain in three different cup competitions.

They need to be significantly better when they face Aston Villa in the next round but Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Richarlison will hopefully return from injury by then.

For now, Postecoglou has to hope his players will still have enough energy to take on Arsenal in less than 72 hours.

(Top photo: Andrew Kearns – CameraSport via Getty Images)

Ange Postecoglou praised Tottenham Hotspur’s players reaction to the “adversity” of a worrying injury to their team-mate Rodrigo Bentancur.

The Uruguayan midfielder was stretched off with an oxygen mask on after suffering a head injury in the eighth minute of the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Liverpool, being replaced by Brennan Johnson.

Spurs, who were without multiple players through injury and illness, won the match 1-0 thanks to Lucas Bergvall’s late strike.

“It was worrying and that (a head injury) is always concerning, but we think at this stage he is going to be ok,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports of Bentancur after the match. “He was conscious on his way to the dressing room.

“It is our luck at the moment in having to deal with adversity. We almost scored just before that moment and he is a key player for us. Our players kept going and they did that today.”

Speaking to reporters of the nature of the injury after the game, Postecoglou added: “I don’t want to speculate because I don’t really know either. All I know is he was concious when he came off.

“Obviously it was some sort of head injury, but he was conscious when he was coming off the field. And he’s been taken to the hospital for observation. But I’m not really clear on how it happened.

“Unless I get a doctor out here, I’m not going to speculate because it’s just not fair on people around him. There was concern from players out there so obviously there was something going on.”

Spurs are back in action on January 12 with an FA Cup third round tie at Tamworth with the second leg of the Carabao Cup tie at Anfield on February 6.

GO DEEPER

The Briefing: Tottenham 1 Liverpool 0 - Bergvall's winner, Bentancur stretchered off, Slot's side toothless

(Top image: John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)

Lucas Bergvall’s first Tottenham Hotspur goal edged his team ahead of Liverpool in the race to reach the Carabao Cup final after he fired them to a 1-0 victory in north London.

In Wednesday’s semi-final first leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Ange Postecoglou and Arne Slot’s sides largely cancelled each other out until, after Dominic Solanke had been denied by a VAR offside call, 18-year-old Bergvall swept home the only goal of the game in the 86th minute.

Spurs’ evening had got off to a worrying start, with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur having to be stretchered off after challenging for an early corner, but ahead of next month’s second leg at Anfield, they will hold a slender advantage.

Jack Pitt-Brooke, Jay Harris and Andy Jones break down the main talking points from Wednesday’s opening semi-final leg.

What happened to Rodrigo Bentancur?

The first half was dominated by a lengthy stoppage after just six minutes when Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur went down and required treatment.

Bentancur had gone down while flicking the ball on with his head at the near post, and the attention of the crowd was initially on the attempts of Son Heung-min and Radu Dragusin to capitalise on the opportunity.

But it soon became clear that Bentancur was down on the ground in the penalty area, and the players hurriedly called over the medical staff.

After a long time attending to Bentancur, the staff moved him onto a stretcher and then took him off, with the Uruguay international wearing an oxygen mask. At half-time, Bentancur was reported to be conscious and talking, and he was taken to hospital for further checks.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Bergvall’s big moment

Since Lucas Bergvall made his first start for Spurs in the Premier League against Southampton last month, he has grown in stature with every game.

The 18-year-old clearly needed a few months to adjust to the physicality of English football after joining Tottenham from Swedish side Djurgarden in the summer. He was exceptional against Newcastle United on Saturday and followed that up with another impressive performance against Liverpool.

The midfielder is so comfortable at receiving the ball under pressure and confidently drives forward with it. He has also formed an excellent understanding with his close friend Dejan Kulusevski.

He can be rash, though, and was extremely lucky to stay on the pitch on Wednesday evening. He was booked for a wild challenge on Luis Diaz in the 67th minute and 10 minutes later, nearly wiped out Ryan Gravenberch. Then, when Liverpool were on the counter, he dived into a tackle on Kostas Tsimikas. Virgil van Dijk protested but the referee did not send Bergvall off.

A minute later, the Sweden international swept the ball past Alisson after fantastic work from Solanke to turn Ibrahima Konate. Liverpool head coach Slot went mad on the touchline and was booked for complaining.

Bergvall did not care as he jumped in front of the Spurs fans with sheer delight on his face. The teenager’s first goal for Spurs could not have come at a better time.

Jay Harris

Were both teams pulling their punches?

The last time Liverpool were here in the league, it was a thrilling encounter: a 6-3 away win which could have seen even more goals.

But this was a much tighter affair, a narrow 1-0 win for Spurs. Very little happened in the first half and the second half steadily improved without ever fully opening up.

It felt for a long time here as if both teams were happy to play a patient game, conserving resources and focusing on getting through to next month’s second leg at Anfield.

This would make perfect sense for both teams. Tottenham, of course, do not want to risk too much until they have players back and can play something more akin to their natural high-tempo game than the slower, modified brand they play at the moment. Liverpool will want to get back to Anfield, in front of their own fans, and take advantage of the atmosphere there.

And with both teams struggling with injuries as they try to compete on multiple fronts, neither side can afford to lose any more players.

But while Liverpool never fully got going, it was Spurs who were able to turn it up with their physicality in the second half. Solanke had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside but he still had the energy to dominate Konate and set up the winner for Bergvall, who never stopped running all night.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Alexander-Arnold provides a response

The big talking point of Liverpool’s team selection was the inclusion of Conor Bradley at right-back, with Trent Alexander-Arnold dropping to the bench.

Alexander-Arnold was subjected to a lot of criticism following his disappointing display against Manchester United on Sunday. The build-up to that game saw him cast as the centre of attention too as speculation about his future increased following Real Madrid’s enquiry.

Having played a lot of football due to Bradley’s absence, Slot took the opportunity to rotate both of his full-backs, with Tsimikas picked instead of Andy Robertson.

Alexander-Arnold, who is into the final six months of his contract, watched from the bench as Bradley impressed. In his first start since returning from injury, the Northern Ireland international produced the typical high-energy, tough-tackling display we have come to expect.

Slot introduced Alexander-Arnold on the hour mark and the 26-year-old looked much more like his normal self, particularly in possession as he helped improve what had been a toothless attacking performance from Liverpool.

He came closest to scoring but his effort was cleared off the line by Radu Dragusin and although Liverpool conceded, there was little he could do to prevent it. With Bradley back fit, Alexander-Arnold now has competition, but this was a cameo which should help build his confidence.

Andy Jones

How did Antonin Kinsky fare on his debut?

Antonin Kinsky had only trained with his new team-mates twice after officially joining Spurs on Sunday, before he was thrown into the starting XI against Liverpool. It would have been understandable if the 21-year-old was nervous on his debut but he oozed confidence.

This is only his first appearance for Tottenham so it’s important to not get carried away, but he is far better with the ball at his feet than Fraser Forster or Brandon Austin and, potentially, Guglielmo Vicario. He sprayed passes around the pitch with ease and frequently chipped the ball over Mohamed Salah into the path of Djed Spence.

He pulled off a pinpoint long-range pass to Son Heung-min in the first half, which nearly led to a goalscoring opportunity for Dominic Solanke. Ange Postecoglou turned to Kinsky and applauded him.

GO DEEPER

Neuer comparisons and incredible reflexes - what sort of goalkeeper are Spurs getting in Antonin Kinsky?

The Czech Republic international stayed high off his line to sweep up any loose balls and there was one moment where he backtracked into the box, kicked the ball over Diogo Jota’s head, and calmly plucked it from the air.

He made a few routine saves too from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo, and a very good one from Darwin Nunez. Tottenham have signed Kinsky to provide Vicario with competition and, considering the quality of the opposition, he passed his first test with flying colours.

Jay Harris

How big a blow is Quansah’s injury for Liverpool?

With Joe Gomez picking up a hamstring injury against West Ham United on December 29 and Konate still building match fitness after only just returning from injury, the last thing Liverpool needed was another injury at centre-back.

The sight of Jarell Quansah sitting down on the turf less than 30 minutes into the game against Tottenham was not what head coach Arne Slot wanted to see.

Konate was on the bench but with Slot keen not to overuse the French international and risk another injury, he opted to get creative by bringing on defensive midfielder Wataru Endo to replace Quansah and partner Virgil van Dijk.

Endo, who also operated in that role in the second half against Southampton in the previous round, adapted to the role well. His calmness on the ball helped Liverpool gain better control of a game that saw them create their own problems with a number of mistakes in possession.

It is a disappointment for Quansah, who had the opportunity to impress following Gomez’s injury. It has been a difficult campaign for the 21-year-old — and he did not start the game in a confident manner — and he might now be set to miss a period where he would have played more regularly.

The problem for Slot is, with a busy January schedule ahead, he is reduced to only two recognised senior centre-backs. Van Dijk and Konate have been Slot’s first-choice partnership when all have been available, but he will have to get creative if he wants to rest them at any point.

It is now likely that Endo will play at centre-back against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup but the question to be answered is: who will partner him?

Andy Jones

What next for Spurs?

Sunday, January 12: Tamworth (A), FA Cup third round, 12.30pm GMT, 7.30am ET

What next for Liverpool?

Saturday, January 11: Accrington Stanley (H), FA Cup third round, 12.15pm GMT, 7.15am ET

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(Top photo: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)

Liverpool travel south to face Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie.

The Premier League leaders continue their defence of the trophy against a team whose wait for a trophy closes in on 17 years. Given their recent form, Tottenham will likely have to record a positive result today if they are to keep alive their hopes of reaching the Wembley final.

The second leg of this tie will be played on Thursday, February 6.

Kick-off time: 8pm local time (GMT), 3pm ET, 12pm PT

How to watch: Sky Sports (UK), Paramount+ (U.S.)

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

Tottenham line-up: Kinsky; Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence; Bissouma, Bentancur, Bergvall; Kulusevski, Solanke, Son.

Liverpool line-up: Alisson, Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Jones, Gakpo; Jota.

Subscribe to The Athletic on an exclusive offer here.

There will be a lot of focus on Arne Slot's decision to leave out Trent Alexander-Arnold after his struggles against Manchester United last Sunday and the ongoing speculation over his future.

However, Conor Bradley did start in the previous rounds of the Carabao Cup against West Ham and Brighton before missing the trip to Southampton during his spell out with a hamstring injury.

This are far from unchartered territory for Tottenham and Liverpool as they are the two teams that have reached the League Cup semi-final more than anyone else in English football.

Liverpool have played at this stage of this competition 20 times, while Tottenham have 18 semi-final appearances.

It's an interesting looking Tottenham bench too.

Yang Min-hyeok, the January signing from the South Korean league, is on for the first time.

So is Mikey Moore, who has not played for more than two months after suffering a mystery illness.

Tottenham's Ange Postecoglou, speaking to the media ahead of the match, admitted how difficult he expects the match to be.

He said: "It hasn't been an easy route to the semi-finals. We've got an opponent that has been the standout team in all competitions.

"So it is a great test for us, but it is a semi-final first leg and should be exciting. I am looking forward to it."

Liverpool's last time out was on Sunday, in a brilliantly entertaining derby against historic rivals Manchester United which finished 2-2 at Anfield.

United's Lisandro Martinez lashed it into the roof of the net from a clever Bruno Fernandes pass to give the visitors the lead, Cody Gakpo equalised.

Mohamed Salah put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot after a bizarre Matthijs de Ligt handball, and it seemed like Liverpool would end up victorious... until Amad steered home a late leveller as Liverpool dropped two points in the title race.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, without doubt, played poorly, with head coach Arne Slot defending him post-match and insisting he hasn't been affected by transfer speculation linking him with a free summer move to Real Madrid.

Wonder if Trent's deputy Conor Bradley will get a game tonight...

Mikel Arteta isn't the only manager of a north London club to kick off after his side has lost recently.

An infuriated Ange Postecoglou said he was 'the angriest I have ever been in my career' because Anthony Gordon's goal was allowed to stand after hitting Joelinton's hand in the build up in a match his side eventually lost 2-0.

In a fiery five-minute press conference afterwards, he said: “I’m just really, really angry — the angriest I think I have ever been in my career that (the players) were denied the right rewards for a fantastic performance.”

Were Tottenham denied a 'fair and even' playing ground? The Athletic's Jay Harris analyses the gruff Australian's complaints, below.

It was another defeat for Tottenham against Newcastle in their most recent match on Saturday, albeit one that threw up more positives than negatives.

Goalkeeper Brandon Austin played OK in his first competitive match in six years at the club, Lucas Bergvall was excellent in midfield, and Tottenham could easily have won if Newcastle's first goal was ruled out (as it very much could have been) or if they took more of their numerous chances.

Dominic Solanke gave the hosts the lead inside five minutes, but Anthony Gordon levelled in controversial circumstances two minutes later, after the ball had struck the hand of Gordon's team-mate Joelinton in the build-up.

Newcastle striker Alexander Isak then scored his 13th Premier League goal of the season from close range before half-time to give the visitors a narrow lead, one they retained until the final whistle.

The result saw Tottenham remain marooned in the bottom half of the table, in 12th place to be precise.

Dominik Szoboszlai is ruled out once again due to illness. Fellow Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton, who has featured in earlier rounds, also unavailable tonight after rolling his ankle in training.

Four changes from Sunday's draw with Manchester United. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate replaced by Conor Bradley, Kostas Tsimikas and Jarell Quansah in the backline.

The other change sees Diogo Jota come in for Luis Diaz in the central attacking role. This will be Jota's first start since he was hurt against Chelsea on October 20.

Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick against Crystal Palace in the quarter-final, was unable to add to his goals tally in this season's Carabao Cup yesterday as his side lost 2-0 against Newcastle thanks to strikes from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon.

So here's how the race to be the top scorer in the competition is playing out, with Liverpool's Cody Gakpo getting the chance tonight to become the outright leader.

Of the players to have scored three or four goals, only Jesus, Gakpo and Nwaneri remain in the Carabao Cup.

Tottenham may have triggered a one-year contract extension for skipper Son Heung-min, taking his stay at the club until summer 2026, but the questions are far from over.

Will next season be the South Korean's last at Tottenham? Is this his last contract in north London? And how will the club manage and mitigate for the eventual exit of one of their most crucial players in the modern era?

The Athletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke attempts to answer some of those questions, below.