Fox Sports

Former Spurs midfielder and manager Tim Sherwood has called out Tottenham supporters who want Ange Postecoglou gone, describing the Australian as a “breath of fresh air” the team “needed”.

Watch selected NRL, AFL, SSN games plus every F1 qualifying session and race live in 4K on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

Sherwood’s passionate message to the Tottenham fan base came after Spurs stunned Manchester City 4-0 at Etihad Stadium in a result that was just as impressive as it was perplexing given the side’s inconsistency this season.

Sunday’s shutout was one of a few standout games for Tottenham, including a 3-0 victory at

Manchester United, 4-1 triumph over Villa and win against City in the League Cup.

Conversely, Spurs also dropped a home game 2-1 to Ipswich before the international break and have also suffered surprise losses to Crystal Palace and Brighton.

Those defeats have seen pressure build on Postecoglou, with some fans turning on the Australian who was a revered figure at times in his debut season at the helm.

But speaking on Matchday Live on Optus Sport, Sherwood had a very clear message of support for Postecoglou.

MORE TOTTENHAM VS CITY NEWS

CITY ON THE DECLINE? One word City won’t want to hear as Pep makes big admission

ANGE SPEAKS: There is still one flaw Spurs must ‘eradicate’ despite win

“I’m pleased for the manager because there’s probably a 50-50 split on Tottenham fans who either want him or amazingly want him out,” Sherwood said.

“It’s incredible. Shame on you guys for wanting this guy out. This guy, for me, is a breath of fresh air and what Tottenham needed.

“He needs results like this to convince a lot of the fan base that he is the main man. Give him time, give him the money, give him a few transfer windows, he’s got a clear identity — he will win trophies at this football club but he needs to be given time to be able to do it.

“Today is a good, good reminder for a lot of those fans who ring up these phone ins demanding the manager out and saying he’s not good enough. Believe me, he is good enough.

“He is a top drawer manager who’s got different ideas to the majority of managers in the Premier League.”

Ange Postecoglou believes Tottenham are “making progress” but says any judgements on his work should wait until the end of the season.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!

The Australian has experienced a rollercoaster start to his second season in north London.

A run of one win from Spurs’ opening four games was followed by five consecutive victories, including an impressive 3-0 win at Manchester United.

Postecoglou’s men have since scored impressive home wins over West Ham, Manchester City and Aston Villa, but have lost their past three away games.

Spurs sit seventh in the Premier League but are well-placed to progress to the knockout stages of the Europa League and face United in the League Cup quarter-finals next month.

“There’s still a hell of a long way to go and, for us, what’s important is we keep progressing in the way we have been,” Postecoglou said Friday on the eve of Ipswich’s visit.

“Our football for the large part has been pretty consistent, pretty good. We’ve obviously had a few stumbles along the way.

“Within that context I still think we’re making progress and that’s what we will keep doing. There’s no point looking at the table now because ultimately where we are at the end of the season is what counts.”

Postecoglou made changes for Thursday’s 3-2 Europa League defeat to Galatasaray, with a number of key players out injured.

Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, Timo Werner, Wilson Odobert and Mikey Moore will all be absent this weekend, but there is hope that Cristian Romero could return.

Captain Son Heung-min has been used sparingly in the past two games to nurse him back to full fitness.

“We’re managing his minutes, building him up,” said Postecoglou. “Hopefully we get him back and keep him back. We can’t afford more injuries in that position.” Richarlison is set for a longer spell on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury against Villa last weekend, having only recently returned to action.

“We tried to take a different approach. He worked awfully hard on his rehab and not just his rehab, his general fitness,” said Postecoglou.

“We eased him back into playing, trying not to overload him but unfortunately he broke down again.

“He’s disappointed but ultimately we’ve just got to keep getting him back in there and working with him to get him back up because he’s an important player.”

Spurs coach Ange Postecoglou has signalled his team are firmly focused on a top four finish after a thumping 4-1 victory over Champions League rivals Aston Villa.

Only a week after Tottenham went down to Crystal Palace in their last Premier League fixture, their win over Unai Emery’s men marked a crucial return to form.

Spurs also beat red-hot Manchester City in the EFL Cup midweek, and the Australian coach likened his own focus to that of a racehorse with blinkers in a timely comment amid Melbourne Cup week.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!

Villa were the team to pip Tottenham to the post and win fourth place last season, but this year Postecoglou is confident Spurs can slot into the Champions League spots.

“I don’t spend too much time thinking about it, but this year there is probably more congestion in terms of the field itself, so we will have to deal with it,” he said.

“While we’re running in the race, I don’t like looking either side of me. I keep saying to the players, if I was a racehorse, and I’m not, it would be one with blinkers.

“I’m just looking at the finish line. I think that’s right, I don’t know much about horse racing, but we have to stay true to the course we’re on.

“Seven days ago I was a grumpy old so-and-so, but we made sure not to feel sorry for ourselves and get back to being the team we want to be.”

He also hailed his team’s ability to bounce back after their loss to Crystal Palace, with a first half Jean-Philippe Mateta strike sealing their win.

“You don’t fall off cliffs and you don’t climb mountains within a week,” Postecoglou said.

“It’s all part of the same process for me. We’re going to have bumps along the way. It’s how you address them, how you cope with them, how you rebound and learn from them.

“There was no point feeling sorry for ourselves, we had to come in and get our heads straight and work back to the team we wanted to be... we still need to get better and keep pushing.”

Meanwhile, South Korean superstar Heung-min Son was taken off in the 56th minute, and he was visibly frustrated whilst sitting on the bench.

It was the Tottenham gun’s first appearance since mid-October, having sat out with a thigh injury in recent weeks.

While he spent limited minutes on the field, Son was still able to have a huge impact, delivering a pinpoint cross to find Brennan Johnson to level the scores.

“He was never going to play more than that today,” Postecoglou said when asked why Son was pulled from the field.

“He’d had an injury, and he came back it was around the 60th minute last time where he kind of got fatigued last time. So he was never going to play more than 50 or 60 minutes.

“Again, we’ve got more battles ahead and we need him... No, I didn’t see any difference in Sonny. I’d be surprised if any player likes coming off when they’re feeling all right.

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

Postecoglou was also full of praise for striker Dominic Solanke, with the former Bournemouth man scoring a brace in what was his most complete performance as a Tottenham player.

He’d not scored since late September, but was able to deliver a smart finish over Villa glovemen Emiliano Martinez before finishing a Richarlison cross.

“I just think the enormous effort he put in on Wednesday night (against Manchester City) to help us win a game of football, not just physically but mentally and his capacity to help the team in every way he can,” Postecoglou said.

“To back that up today with such a massive effort again against a pretty difficult team to play against in that sense, it’s just unbelievable.

“Yes, the goals are great and of course as a striker I am sure he loves the fact he can score a couple of goals, but even if he didn’t, I can’t speak highly enough of what he is contributing to our team at the moment.”

Dominic Solanke scored twice as Tottenham blitzed Aston Villa in the second half on Sunday, winning 4-1 to move just two points behind their rivals for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Shortly after the break, Brennan Johnson cancelled out Morgan Rogers’ first-half opener for Villa, before a cascade of home goals late in the game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!

Solanke produced a delicate dinked finish to put Spurs ahead in the 75th minute and scored another from close range before James Maddison added gloss with a sumptious free kick deep into stoppage time.

The result lifts Ange Postecoglou’s men to seventh in the table on 16 points -- two behind Villa, who missed the chance to climb into third spot.

The Spurs boss, whose side lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace last week, said his men had shown they had “other gears” in the second half, praising Solanke for his performance.

“His goals are unbelievable but his general play, his work-rate, I can’t speak highly enough of him,” he told Sky Sports.

“Seven days is a long time in football. Seven days ago I was a grumpy old so and so. We have to say true to the course we’re on.

“We made sure not to feel sorry for ourselves and are back to the team we want to be.” Villa players wore training tops reading “Fuerza Valencia” during the warm-up, in solidarity with the victims of the deadly floods in Spain, the home country of Villa boss Unai Emery, who has managed Valencia.

- Son return -

Spurs had plenty of the ball early on but showed little penetration, despite the return of captain Son Heung-min from injury.

Rodrigo Bentancur’s shot from distance midway through the half landed on the roof of the net.

At the other end, Jacob Ramsey’s shot was deflected over the bar by Radu Dragusin before Amadou Onana headed against the post.

But seconds later Villa were ahead after Spurs failed to deal with Luca Digne’s corner, Rogers poking home in the 32nd minute after Guglielmo Vicario made an initial save.

It was the only shot on target either side mustered in the first half, continuing Spurs’ habit of conceding first and emphasising their problems dealing with set pieces.

Spurs could have been in deeper trouble had Ollie Watkins not skewed his shot wide shortly before half-time.

Postecoglou opted not to make changes at half-time and his side were level in the 49th minute when Johnson steered home Son’s inviting cross at the far post.

Minutes later Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez got a strong right hand to keep out Solanke’s close-range effort as Spurs found rhythm and intensity.

Villa captain John McGinn flashed just wide before Son was substituted -- much to his surprise -- as Postecoglou introduced Yves Bissouma and Richarlison.

The Korean was visibly stunned by the call from Postecoglou as his number was shown on the board, while he held his head in his hands when sitting down on the bench.

Some were shocked by the gamble for Postecoglou to take off his star man, but the Australian explained after the match that it was always in his plans to ease in the midfielder returning from injury.

“I didn’t need to discuss it with him. What’s more important is the overall picture,” Postecoglou said.

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

“So he was never going to play more than sort of 55-60 minutes irrespective of how the game was going.”

The game became scrappy but Spurs seized the initiative when Dejan Kulusevski found Solanke, who finished cutely over the diving Martinez in the 75th minute.

Minutes later Villa lost the ball in midfield and Spurs broke at pace, with Pape Sarr feeding Richarlison, who crossed for Solanke to fire home.

Substitute Maddison made it 4-1 in the 96th minute, netting his 50th Premier League goal.

The defeat made it a miserable 53rd birthday for Emery, who had won on his past two visits to the stadium.

“When you are losing you have to try and get one step forward to try and change the result,” he said.

“But we know how difficult it is against Tottenham -- 4-1 is a tough result but the match we played was more or less in line with the expectation I had before the match.

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

MAN UTD HELD BY CHELSEA

Moises Caicedo’s strike denied Manchester United victory in their first Premier League game since sacking Erik ten Hag as Chelsea claimed a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

Interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, who will be replaced by Ruben Amorim later his month, sprinted down the touchline in celebration after Bruno Fernandes put United in front from the penalty spot 20 minutes from time.

Caicedo quickly replied for the Blues, who edge above Arsenal on goal different into fourth.

A point leaves United still down in 13th, six points off the top four. Amorim was not in attendance as he prepares to take charge of Sporting Lisbon for the one of the final times against Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday.

United were far more competitive than in 3-0 demolitions by Liverpool and Tottenham at home this season, but showed many of the same flaws that cost Ten Hag his job.

Van Nistelrooy enjoyed a 5-2 demolition of an under-strength Leicester in his first match in charge to reach the League Cup quarter-finals in midweek.

Still a hero among the United fans from his days as a prolific striker, the Dutchman’s name was chanted in a buoyant pre-match atmosphere.

However, a Chelsea side that have lost once in nine Premier League games, provided a much stiffer test for a United side still short on confidence.

Noni Madueke came closest to opening the scoring for Chelsea in the first-half when he headed Cole Palmer’s corner off the post.

It took United time to find their feet as an attacking force but they were unfortunate not to go in front just before half-time.

Marcus Rashford hit the crossbar with a cushioned volley in the last action of a disappointing first 45 minutes from both sides.

Pedro Neto’s burst of pace nearly gave Chelsea a dream start to the second period but the Portuguese winger’s shot flew just past the far post.

The Blues remain overly reliant on Palmer for inspiration.

The boyhood United fan, who began his career at Manchester City before joining Chelsea last year, was kept quiet by Van Nistelrooy’s pairing of Casemiro alongside Manuel Ugarte in midfield.

Before kick-off only Southampton had scored fewer than United’s eight Premier League goals in nine games this season.

The lack of efficiency in front of goal that Ten Hag often bemoaned was in evidence again.

Garnacho wasted a glorious chance to open the scoring from Fernandes’ cut-back with a tame effort that looped into the arms of Sanchez.

United were gifted the chance to break the deadlock when Robert Sanchez clipped Rasmus Hojlund inside the box.

Fernandes kept his cool to send the Spanish international goalkeeper the wrong way and spark wild celebrations from Van Nistelrooy.

United’s joy was short-lived as Chelsea hit back within four minutes. A corner was only cleared to the edge of the box, where Caicedo connected a sweet strike to fire into the bottom corner.

Chelsea should have struck again moments later when substitute Enzo Fernandez spooned over with Andre Onana stranded.

It was United who came closest in a frantic finale when Garnacho’s acrobatic effort flew just over.

In the other match played on Sunday, relegation threatened Wolves and Crystal Palace played out a 2-2 draw.

Ange Postecoglou “always wins things” in his second season in charge and his big statement remains on track as Tottenham defeated heavyweights Manchester City 2-1 to advance to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

The Round of 16 clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was a classic display of ‘Angeball’ as Spurs were electric early with two goals in the first 26 minutes of the game.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!

City had more of the ball with 65% possession for the night but they could only get two of their 15 shots on targets, while Tottenham constantly threatened on the counter attack.

Spurs tested out City’s second choice goalkeeper Stefan Ortega with seven of their 11 shots being on target as their speed and creativity in midfield caused headaches for Pep Guardiola.

Postecoglou’s side made early in-roads with Dejan Kulusevski picking out much-maligned attacker Timo Werner at the far post to open the scoring in the sixth minute, but it was not all smooth sailing as defender Micky Van de Ven injured his hamstring in a slide tackle in the 11th minute.

Tottenham’s advantage grew to two in the 26th minute when midfielder Pape Sarr curled a beautiful low strike home from the edge of the box after a short corner, but their Australian boss would have entered the dressing room at half time frustrated.

Spurs conceded in the fourth and final minute of added time when Savinho - who had to be stretchered off in the second half with a leg injury - crossed the ball to Nunes at the back post.

The late goal made for a nervy second half for the home fans as City have trailed many times so far this season and on each occasion they have come back and won.

But this time around it was not to be as Guardiola made a head scratching move.

Goal scoring machine Erling Haaland remained on the bench for the entire game despite City’s search for an equaliser.

Postecoglou on other hand brought Brazilian attacker Richarlison on in the 69th minute to try extend their lead, and he had the chance to bury City when he was through on goal in the 83rd minute but hit a tame shot directly to Ortega.

It did not matter in the end as Tottenham defended soundly in a scoreless second half - which included six minutes of added time - to bounce back from their disappointing Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend.

Spurs have also kept alive their hopes of claiming their first trophy since 2008 when they won this very competition.

They will face Manchester United at home in a quarter-final.

FLURRY OF GOALS MARKS LIFE AFTER TEN HAG

Manchester United interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy could hardly have asked for a better start to his new gig with the Red Devils piling on the goals against Leicester City as they won 5-2 at Old Trafford.

Van Nistelrooy said pre-game that his side “can be unstoppable” when “players, staff and supporters pull together” and remarkably there were six goals scored to half time as United lead 4-2 at the break.

Casemiro - who scored the last goal under Erik ten Hag - started the new era with a stunner from long-range and the highlights continued as the game went on.

Garnacho thumped a low cross into the roof of the net for their second, Bruno Fernandes then curled home a lovely free kick for United’s third and Casemiro scored his second from a delicate chipped cross by Marcus Rashford.

In the second half, Fernandes got a brace of his own by coolly going around the keeper and beating a defender on the line to make it two straight Carabao Cup matches at Old Trafford where seven goals have been scored.

In the previous round, United smashed League 1 side Barnsley 7-0.

LIVERPOOL HANG ON IN SECOND HALF THRILLER

Liverpool walked into the change rooms locked at 0-0 with Brighton at half time, but a flick was switched after the break as five second half goals lit up the Amex.

The Reds prevailed 3-2 to keep Arne Slot’s dream start to life at Anfield despite a late Brighton fightback.

The match looked all but over when, in the 63rd minute, Cody Gapko fired home his second of the night.

But a blunder at the back gave the Seagulls a sniff with a goal to Simon Adingra in the 81st minute before Luis Diaz added Liverpool’s third four minutes later.

A stoppage time goal to Tariq Lamptey courtesy of a wicked deflection gave Brighton hope of levelling it up at the death knock but Liverpool held firm to book their place in the quarter-finals against Southampton.

In other matches, Arsenal were far too strong for Championship side Preston North End as the Gunners won 3-0 away from home to advance to the next round against Crystal Palace.

Newcastle knocked out Chelsea 2-0 to gain revenge for their Premier League loss at Stamford Bridge last weekend, and they will take on Brentford in a quarter-final.

Crystal Palace upset Aston Villa 2-1 at Villa Park, while yesterday Southampton defeated Stoke City 3-2 and Brentford overcame Championship club Sheffield Wednesday on penalties.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou bristled in his post-match interview as he lamented a 1-0 loss away to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the only goal of the game just after the half-hour mark at Selhurst Park to seal Palace’s first Premier League win of the season.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!

Spurs defender Micky van de Ven was easily dispossessed deep in his own half before Daniel Munoz’s cross found Ebere Eze. He in turn set up Mateta, with the Frenchman on target with a low finish.

Defeat by one of their London rivals left Spurs eighth in the table, with Postecoglou’s men now having lost four of their nine league matches so far this term.

Postecoglou was in a no-nonsense mood after the match as his post-match interview took an awkward turn when he challenged the interviewer, who has just said “you’re not happy, obviously”.

“Why would I be happy?” Postecoglou responded. “Is there a question there?”

The interviewer didn’t back down, however, saying: “Only because I asked you if your level dropped below what you expected and you didn’t necessarily think that was the problem so...”

“No, but I identified another problem which was we didn’t battle today like they did,” Postecoglou replied. “So I think if you’re suggestion that our fans somehow weren’t happy with today then I think that’s a fair assessment. I’m not happy. The players aren’t happy.”

Inconsistency has been a perennial problem for Tottenham, last crowned champions of England in 1961, with Postecoglou accepting a Spurs side missing injured captain Son Heung-min had been outfought by Palace.

“It was one of those games with a lot of stoppages and battles and they (Palace) ended up winning a lot of them and coming out on top,” Postecoglou told the BBC. “There was a lot of disruption and it was hard to get any fluency. They did better than us.

“It turned into a game they were thriving on and we should have dealt with it better. It was a poor goal to concede, it had nothing to do with playing out from the back. That can happen.” The Australian added: “I’d be very surprised if they (Spurs supporters) were happy right now. Why would I be happy? If I’m unhappy then they’ll be unhappy.”

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was even more damning, telling Sky Sports: “They (Palace) fight and I think we lacked that today. We are disappointed because we have to fight. We play good football but maybe sometimes we lack the desire to fight.”

Spurs fans, rival rans and members of the English press were quick to poke fun at the disappointing day for Postecoglou and his team.

It was the sort of display that has been common place in Tottenham’s history and the term ‘Spursy’ - which is used to describe poor showings when they should win - has been thrown around.

Football writer for the UK Telegraph Nick Szczepanik was scathing in his assessment of a side that has a perfect record in the Europa League when rolling out a young side on a Thursday night, but has been up-and-down so far in the Premier League.

“If Tottenham Hotspur dislike the term “Spursy” so much, they should avoid putting in non-performances such as this,” he wrote.

“Against a winless Crystal Palace who began the game as the lowest scorers in the top five professional divisions in the country, they were careless at the back and toothless at the front. And nothing much happened in between either.

“How is it that a team on a run of seven wins in eight games in all competitions can scarcely show up for a London derby?”

Teenager Mikey Moore has been one of the shining light of their European campaign and the 17-year-old winger was rewarded for his efforts with a start against Palace.

He was compared to Neymar in a tongue-in-cheek manner by teammates James Maddison following their 1-0 win against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, and joined Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson in the front three on Sunday.

Moore’s selection came at the expense of German attacker Timo Werner - who was subbed at half time against AZ Alkmaar after missing two relatively straight forward chances - and Sky Sports pundit Jamie O’Hara believes the change was a mistake.

“I think Ange [Postecoglou] got it wrong. I think he picked the wrong team. Starting a 17-year-old away from home against Crystal Palace is a big, big ask. He [Moore] did alright but it’s a big ask to come in for that game and make something happen,” O’Hara said.

“Use him for 20 or 25 minutes, but the damning indictment of that is that Timo Werner has been so poor he [Postecouglou] has had to start Mikey Moore. But, I would have stuck with Werner and given him another game, especially away from home as he’s experienced.”

The challenges do not get more daunting for Tottenham than Manchester City in the Round of 16 of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night.

Postecoglou has discussed many times that he always wins trophies in his second year, so how they fare in the home knockout cup clash will be of great interest.

They then face Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday - also at home.

A fortnight on from their loss to Brighton, described as the worst of Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs tenure, Tottenham needed an emphatic win to ease their manager’s pressure.

An emphatic win is exactly what they got, coming from behind to beat West Ham, with Postecoglou’s “strange” halftime tactical change proving a masterstroke.

For now at least the win, as well as the performance, has silenced the noise around Spurs, providing Postecoglou with a stable foundation to continue building Tottenham into the side he wants them to be.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!

The Australian has come under fire at times during his reign in North London for a lack of ‘Plan B’, as well as some questionable in-game management decisions that have proven costly.

In the Brighton loss Postecoglou failed to make any changes until the 80th minute. Ange’s substitutes that day - Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma - were unable to effect the result and rescue a point for Spurs.

The same could not be levelled at the 59-year-old against their London rivals after Postecoglou removed attacking midfielder James Maddison at halftime for Sarr, a more traditional, physical midfield presence. He later insisted the move was purely tactical.

Sarr’s introduction provided Spurs with two deeper midfield presences, fortifying central areas against a physical West Ham side, and allowing Dejan Kulusevski to take greater attacking reign.

The move worked, with Sarr winning the ball in his own half and finding Heung-Min Son for the Spurs’ fourth goal.

Writing in the Independent, Miguel Delaney praised Postecoglou’s ‘proactive’ move, as well as Spurs’ general performance, which showed elements of a steeliness widely perceived to be lacking at the club.

Similarly, The Athletic’s Jay Harris and Liam Tharme argued Ange ‘identified a weakness in his team, corrected it and Maddison will surely come to accept it benefitted the team because it helped them achieve the right outcome.’

Generally, the mood in the English media about the substitution is positive, particularly given it could provide Spurs a potential confidence boost moving into their next three games against Palace, Villa and Ipswich respectively.

However, Delaney was quick to add the result isn’t as comprehensive as perhaps some might feel, noting it was ‘a very Spurs win.’

‘At least in terms of really going for it and looking convincing when it’s easy. Not when it’s hard.’

Such criticisms can easily be viewed as harsh. Delaney himself addresses as much, adding: ‘This was still one of those games where you can see how enjoyable a Postecoglou display is when everything works.’

That term Delaney alludes to - ‘Spursy’ - is such a common stick to beat Tottenham with that it even has its own entry in the Collins Dictionary, which defines it as: ‘To have success in reach but ultimately chuck it away.’

The Brighton loss is a fine example of this characteristic, as is Spurs’ 1-1 draw with Leicester to open this season. So too is last year’s 4-1 loss to Chelsea, or that season’s four-game losing streak between rounds 32 and 36 that played a key factor in Spurs’ failure to qualify for the Champions League.

There are countless more examples of Spurs being ‘Spursy’ dating back over a decade, with Mauricio Pochettino, Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham sides all falling victim to this characteristic that’s so deeply ingrained in the North London club.

And while the term is directly associated with Tottenham, Tim Sherwood, who coached the club in 2013-14, insisted his former club weren’t the only Premier League side that show signs of being ‘Spursy’.

“Every team is ‘Spursy,’” he said.

“Let me tell you, unless they’re the Man Cities and the Arsenals of this world, and the Liverpools, everyone has a ‘Spursy’ moment.”

Sherwood insisted Ange is a “top drawer manager,” before praising the current Spurs head coach for facets of his coaching that others have criticised him for

“I think he’s playing his own way,” Sherwood said.

‘Angeball’, as Postecoglou’s style has come to be known, sees his side press high and keep their foot on their opponents’ throat without relenting. At times, an insistence on playing their way regardless of game state has been their Achilles heel.

However, as Delaney noted above, when it all clicks Spurs are both highly entertaining and effective.

This season no Premier League side has scored more goals than Postecoglou’s side, while their widely criticised defence has conceded the same number of goals as Manchester City, and just one more than their highly pragmatic rivals Arsenal.

For this reason, Sherwood insisted Spurs “have to get behind him. Give him more finances to strengthen and let him take this team as far as he can.”

The former Premier League winning captain feels Postecoglou’s coaching should give the club confidence to back him heavily in the transfer market.

“I’ve always criticised the recruitment but I think now, because of this manager, because of the offensive players and Micky Van de Ven who’s been a revelation, I think Ange Postecoglou is shining them in the correct light,” he said.

“All of a sudden the recruitment department must be saying ‘see. We must be doing something right.’ And I think they’re working hand in hand.”

“At the moment, and I know it’s game to game and they need more consistency, because before the international break the Brighton game, second half, they were the whipping boys.

“You can’t criticise that performance.”

As Sherwood alluded to, Spurs need to carry this form into their next few games if they are to truly silence the noise around the club and it’s trajectory.

Club-record signing Dominic Solanke stated as much following their West Ham win.

“Speaking to a couple of the boys after, I think we need to play like this as much as we can because we know we can do it,” he said.

“(In) the last game before this (Brighton) we showed we can do it in one half and not in the second half, but we need to do this consistently.”

Consistency will be crucial for Spurs, and their manager. Few doubt Postecoglou’s coaching ability. He’s said many times, much to the dismay of some UK pundits, that he tends to win things in his second season.

Having laid that marker down the pressure is on Ange to deliver results, and at least one trophy, before season’s end. Doing so and breaking Spurs’ lengthy trophy drought would be a significant step in the right direction for club and manager, one which could set them up for a fortuitous future.

And, when all’s said and done, the catalyst for any success during Ange’s Spurs tenure could be a halftime substitution that showed the Australian’s pragmatic edge and brilliant in game management at a time both were seriously doubted.

On the day Spurs’ fiercest rivals’ title challenge took a significant hit, Ange Postecoglou showed his pragmatic hand to guide Tottenham to a big comeback win.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal were victims of their own ill-discipline once again, although William Saliba wasn’t the only player to see red in a wild night of Premier League football.

Read about all that and more in our wrap of the overnight Premier League action!

ANGE’S ‘EYE-RAISING’ SPURS GAMBLE PAYS OFF

Throughout this Tottenham career, Ange Postecoglou has come under fire often. At times the Australian has been perceived as lacking pragmatism, and the ‘Plan B’ so loved by English football.

Translation: Instead of taking the safe option, Ange goes for the jugular. He’d rather win 5-4 than 1-0.

And yet with his side level with West Ham at half-time Ange did something many thought unthinkable. He made a pragmatic substitution.

Off went attacking midfielder James Maddison, at times the creative jewel in Postecoglou’s Spurs crown. On came Pape Matar Sarr, a more conservative and traditional central midfielder.

Speaking on Optus Sports’ Matchday Live, Premier League legend Emannuel Petit described the move as “strange because he’s (Maddison) a really good player.”

“So I was quite surprised. It’s quite strange from the manager.”

Maddison hadn’t been poor by any stretch of the imagination. He’d created Dejan Kulusevski’s equaliser and had five key passes in the opening 45 minutes, but as Ange noted post-game he needed different profiles in midfield.

“I just felt West Ham ask you certain questions in midfield areas and I just felt Pape’s running power would help us in the second half,” he explained.

“They obviously worked hard in the first half and I thought he could give us some real energy.

“I thought he did really well and he gave us a platform to be really threatening every time we went forward and clinical in our football.”

Former Brighton striker Glenn Murray described it as an “eye-raiser” but conceded the decision ultimately worked.

“Hindsight proves it was the right decision,” Murray said.

As Murray noted, Ange’s gamble paid off. Spurs scored three times in eight minutes to win and climb to seventh on the ladder. Sarr too was strong, dispossessing Jarrod Bowen as he moved towards Tottenham’s goal and finding Heung-Min Son with a beautiful assist for his 60th minute goal.

Spurs could’ve scored more too. Son hit the post in the 61st minute while the free-flowing attack continued throughout the second half, forcing West Ham keeper Alphonse Areola into three saves.

“When they are good they are nearly irresistible, Tottenham,” Connor McNamara said on commentary.

Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood heralded the character Spurs showed during the win.

“To go behind and then come out with that character in the second half, after what happened at Brighton before the international break, I think not only the ability of his side, but the character of his side, really shone through,” he said.

Writing in The Guardian, Jacob Steinberg described Tottenham as ‘exhilarating,’ while noting ‘Ange Postecoglou was there to see another defensive implosion, but this time he would not be the coach who will have to deal with the fallout.’

Indeed the post-mortem will centralise on West Ham and new manager Julen Lopetegui, who has failed to inspire the tactical shifts expected of him in pre-season. Their second half capitulation means they sit 15th.

For Postecoglou though the win alleviates some of the pressure on his shoulders following Spurs’ bitter loss to Brighton in their last Premier League outing.

That game that overshadowed a five game winning streak and inspired further doubts about Postecoglou’s Premier League suitability.

For now at least those pressures are alleviated.

ARSENAL’S CHARGE TAKES SIGNIFICANT HIT

At the end of the season if Arsenal fail to break their Premier League title drought, Mikel Arteta will reflect on this loss as the moment the title slipped through his side’s fingers.

Arsenal were unbeaten heading into the weekend, with their defence the envy of the Premier League and their attacking improving weekly.

Bournemouth are a good side, coached well by Andoni Iraola, but their start to the season had been indifferent.

Few would have predicted the game to unfold as it did.

Arteta, and Arsenal fans, will argue William Saliba’s controversial 30th minute red card, awarded after the Frenchman brought down Bournemouth striker Evanilson just beyond the halfway line.

There was no Arsenal defender between the Brazilian and goal, a factor that ultimately led VAR Jarred Gillett to instruct referee Rob Jones, who initially awarded a yellow card, to send the Arsenal defender off.

For the third time this season Arsenal would need to see out a game with a man down.

Raheem Sterling initially shifted to right back, with Ben White moving into the heart of defence in Saliba’s place. However, Antoine Semenyo breezed by the pair twice, prompting Arteta to introduce Jakub Kiwior and return White to right back.

Arsenal, who were without Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, their two most important creators, held Bournemouth scoreless until the 70th minute, when a lovely corner move resulted in Ryan Christie’s strike breaking the deadlock.

The Premier League’s set-piece masters were breached by a set-piece.

Seven minutes later Evanilson was again involved. Fouled by David Raya in the box the Brazilian won a penalty, converted by Justin Kluivert to secure a big win for Bournemouth, a monumental loss for Arsenal.

The Gunners were not without their chances. Gabriel Martinelli had a great chance to score moments before Bournemouth’s opener, but missed the target, while Mikel Merino pushed a shot wide earlier in the game.

Speaking post-game, Arteta described the task set for Arsenal following Saliba’s send off as “impossible.”

“We are very disappointed with the result and gutted because we had to play in that context again,” he said.

Discussing Saliba’s red card, the Spaniard conceded he’s not expecting it to be overturned during the week.

“It was a decision made on the pitch. The decision was changed. I don’t think it will change twice. The decision has been made,” he said.

ETH SAFE FOR ANOTHER DAY

Boos rang around Old Trafford at halftime, though perhaps not the kind of boos some may have expected after the last fortnight at Manchester United.

Brentford’s Ethan Pinnock had just scored an injury time header from a corner to lift his side into the lead at the interval.

The strike didn’t come without controversy after United’s Dutch central defender Matthijs De Ligt was forced to leave the pitch and have some blood cleaned from his face.

Instead of waiting for De Ligt to return, referee Sam Barrott allowed play to continue, ultimately resulting in Brentford’s opener.

United’s bench erupted after the ball rifled into the back of the net. Erik Ten Hag, arguably the manager under the most pressure in world football, was booked for his protests of the decision to allow play to continue while De Ligt was sidelined.

Given the storm surrounding the future of the Dutchman’s managerial tenure, Ten Hag’s frustration was justified. In a must-win game his side entered the interval behind against a difficult to break down Brentford side.

Writing in The Athletic, Mark Critchley said Pinnock’s goal ‘felt like the end. The chances of a second half fightback appeared remote.’

At the break United, who were without six first team players, were yet to create a big chance. By full-time they’d created three, scoring two, to record a big win both in the context of their season and their manager’s future.

Alejandro Garnacho got the ball rolling in the 47th minute, meeting a sublime Marcus Rashford cross to score his first goal of the season, before a delightful Bruno Fernandes flick set Rasmus Hojlund up in the 62nd minute.

Even more impressive was the way United managed their lead in the dying stages of the contest, something Critchley noted.

‘Not only did (United) turn this game on its head, but once in front, they managed the final stages relatively well - something which has not often been said of this side in the past,’ he wrote.

Post-game Ten Hag insisted the victory “showed we are together.”

“We showed determination and scored two beautiful goals.”

Goals have been a major problem to United in what has been their worst-ever start to a Premier League season. Prior to their Brentford win they’d scored just five. That figure is now seven, two less than 19th placed Wolves.

Ten Hag will be hoping goals to Garnacho and Hojlund, as well as Rashford’s creative output, will kick his side into attacking gear as they look to kick their season into life.

“This team has the capacity to score very good goals,” he stated post-game.

“Today the two goals we scored were high quality and when you score and win you add confidence.

“At the start of the season we had some good performances but didn’t score enough, then everyone is negative.

“This result can help us, but it is only one win and we must build on it.”

LATE DRAMA SEALS FOXES COMEBACK

After half an hour Southampton were 2-0 up against Leicester, courtesy of goals to Cameron Archer and Joe Aribo, and seemingly on their way to a first win of the season.

Their lead remained after an hour, before Facundo Buoanotte’s fortunate strike found the back of the net, giving Leicester a way back into the game.

Fraser was sent off, the fifth player to see the red in the Premier League overnight, and Vardy converted the penalty, drawing the Foxes level with plenty of time to play.

Despite their man advantage, Leicester’s winner came with essentially the final kick of the game after Jordan Ayew swept the ball home from a corner in the 98th minute.

The win lifts Leicester to 14th, six points clear of the relegation zone - although both Palace and Wolves have a game in hand.

For Southampton, losing from such a winnable position has turned the pressure up on manager Russell Martin, who has constantly been accused of playing beautiful, possession-based football without getting results.

VILLA’S MARCH CONTINUES AS NEWCASTLE FALTER

Aston Villa’s towards the top of the Premier League table continued against Fulham overnight.

Unai Emery’s side fell behind to an early Raul Jimenez strike but scored three times before full-time to seal a crucial three points.

Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins both scored, continuing their fine seasons, before an Issa Diop own goal sealed the win after 70 minutes. Emi Martinez saved an Andreas Pereira penalty with the scores locked at 1-1.

Fulham lost central defender Joachim Andersen to a red card six minutes before Diop found the back of his own net.

The win leaves Villa fourth on 17 points, two clear of fifth-placed Brighton, who narrowly beat Newcastle overnight.

Danny Welbeck’s fifth goal of the season proved the difference between the two sides

Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham started their Europa League campaign with a 3-0 win against Qarabag despite playing more than 80 minutes with 10 men, but Son Heung-min gave the north Londoners an injury scare on Thursday.

Radu Dragusin’s early dismissal was no obstacle for the Australian’s side, who cruised to victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium thanks to goals from Brennan Johnson, Pape Sarr and Dominic Solanke.

However, the sight of South Korea forward Son being forced off in the 70th minute will be concerning for Postecoglou, who cannot afford to be without his talismanic captain for a long period.

Watch selected NRL, AFL, SSN games plus every F1 qualifying session and race live in 4K on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial today.

With a healthy Son, the Europa League could offer a path to silverware for Postecoglou, who boasts that he always enjoys success in his second season as he seeks to end a Tottenham trophy drought dating back to 2008.

Sterner tests await Tottenham but they delivered a confident opener, once the game -- delayed for 37 minutes after Qarabag were caught in heavy traffic -- finally got underway.

Tottenham weren’t fazed by being reduced to 10 men after just eight minutes when Romania defender Dragusin was sent off for pulling down Juninho as he raced through on goal.

They took the lead in the 12th minute through Johnson’s third goal in his last three games.

Qarabag conceded possession cheaply deep inside their own half and Solanke teed up Johnson for a composed finish from 10 yards.

The Wales forward had to delete his Instagram account after abuse from fans following a poor start to the season, but he has answered his critics in the perfect manner.

Sarr volleyed Tottenham’s second from six yards after Qarabag keeper Mateusz Kochalski made a hash of catching a 52nd-minute corner.

Yves Bissouma’s foul on Elvin Cafarguliyev gave Qarabag a penalty four minutes later, but Toral Bayramov blazed the spot-kick over.

Solanke wrapped up the win in the 68th minute, slotting home to claim his second goal since his club record move from Bournemouth in the close season.

ROMA DENIED

Troubled Roma were held to a 1-1 draw by Athletic Bilbao after conceding a late equaliser at the Stadio Olimpico.

Roma fans were furious with the club’s recent decision to sack boss Daniele De Rossi, an iconic figure during his time as a Giallorossi player, just four games into the season.

Given the unenviable task of replacing De Rossi, Ivan Juric inspired a 3-0 win against Udinese last weekend, but he was denied a second successive victory.

Artem Dovbyk put Roma in front after 32 minutes as the Ukrainian made it three goals in his last three games for his new club with a thumping header from Angelino’s cross.

But Aitor Paredes headed Bilbao’s equaliser after Unai Nunez nodded across goal in the 85th minute.

Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce beat Union Saint-Gilloise 2-1 as the Portuguese boss started his bid to win the tournament for the third time in his career.

Mourinho, who won the competition with Manchester United and Porto, watched as Caglar Soyuncu put Fenerbahce ahead in the 26th minute before Christian Burgess’s 82nd-minute own goal doubled the lead.

Ross Sykes’ stoppage-time reply for Union came after Franjo Ivanovic missed a penalty for the visitors, who had Kevin Mac Allister sent off.

Ajax thrashed Besiktas 4-0 thanks to Mika Godts’ brace and goals from Kian Fitz-Jim and Kenneth Taylor.

Olympiakos, UEFA Conference League winners last season, were beaten 2-0 at Lyon, whose second-half goals came from Rayan Cherki and Said Benrahma.

Eintracht Frankfurt blew a two-goal lead as Viktoria Plzen’s Vaclav Jemelka scored the stoppage-time equaliser.

Rangers won 2-0 at Malmo, with Nedim Bajrami scoring his maiden goal for the club in the first minute before Ross McCausland struck in the 76th minute

Tottenham needed two late goals from Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson to beat second-tier Coventry 2-1 and avoid a shock League Cup exit on Wednesday.

Spurs were headed to a third consecutive defeat when Brandon Thomas-Asante fired the Championship side into a deserved lead after 63 minutes.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou had responded to criticism after Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the north London derby by insisting he will continue his record of winning silverware in his second season at multiple clubs.

However, the former Australia boss was met with a backlash from his own supporters, who booed the decision to replace Swedish starlet Lucas Bergvall early in the second half.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!

Coventry nearly shocked Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals last season and were sensing an upset when Norman Bassette produced a superb cross for Thomas-Asante to slot in.

As Postecoglou was facing up to a second consecutive early exit in this competition, his blushes were spared when Dejan Kulusevski linked up with Spence, who prodded home for his first Spurs goal in the 87th minute.

Tottenham sensed their moment and in the second minute of stoppage time Rodrigo Bentancur played in Johnson, who rolled home the winner.

“It was a tough game. Credit to Coventry, I thought they were outstanding,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports.

“They really took it to us. We had to hang in there somehow and we did. In the end credit to the lads. It was a typical cup tie.”

He continued: “There is no easy or quick fix to where we want to get to and one result doesn’t change that.

“We showed what we have been missing the first four games. We have lacked a little bit of an edge and hopefully tonight gives the boys a little bit of belief.”

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp continued: “Spurs were so poor and going nowhere fast. Ange will be mightily relieved. But they have to make sure that this is a turning point for them.

“I didn’t like the team he picked. I’m a big fan of Ange but l thought he took liberties tonight.

“He didn’t select a strong enough team but he has got away with it.

“Tottenham were diabolical up until the goals. Coventry were the better team. Ange Postecoglou will be so relieved.

“Tottenham got away with one, they were very, very fortunate.”

Brighton also booked their place in the last 16 with a 3-2 win over Wolves. Carlos Baleba, Simon Adingra and Ferdi Kadioglu were on target for the Seagulls.