There was something entirely fitting about Tottenham winning this huge game in the Ange Postecoglou way.
It started with a Wilson Odobert interception after Cristian Romero had tried to play a pass through the lines that was cut out. The young Frenchman knocked it back to Pedro Porro who gave the ball to Romero again. Under pressure, the Argentine played it to Guglielmo Vicario who knocked it sideways to the substitute Archie Gray. The 19-year-old was pressed but let the ball run across his body before finding Djed Spence, who had come back to provide an option.
James Maddison made a clever little run back as well between two AZ players and sold one a perfect dummy which then allowed him to break the Spurs press and run into the midfield, fighting off the attentions of his chasing opponent.
Maddison then gave it back to Spence, who fed Son Heung-min down the left flank and the captain cut inside and waited for the left-back's overlapping run before knocking it into his path. Spence cut it low across the six yard box where Dominic Solanke got a vital backheeled touch that sent it to Odobert, who had sprinted the length of the pitch in the 73rd minute to prod home the goal that sent Tottenham into the Europa League quarter-finals.
The Frenchman had started and ended a move that involved nine Spurs players. It was breathless Postecoglou football at its best and in one moment it reminded everyone of what this team can do when they commit fully to the Australian's swashbuckling style.
"To be fair to the gaffer and the coaches, we’ve worked on that this week," explained Maddison after the game. "There was literally a carbon copy of that move against AZ in the group stage here that didn’t lead to a goal, but we came up low down the left-hand side and Ben [Davies] played it into me and I managed to roll away from my man and I put Timo [Werner] on the break. We didn’t score from that exact attack.
"We managed to get a cross in and get a corner [that night], but we worked on Djed going low and me supporting really low in the build-up because their midfield has a lot of distance to cover. I checked my shoulder and the defender was rushing to press me and sometimes the best touch you can have is actually not to touch it at all.
"I almost faked and a little drop of the shoulder, I let it run across me and then I have the power runners like Djed and Sonny, so I let them go because they are a little bit quicker than me.
"So, I did my job, Djed and Sonny, beautiful overlap from Djed - again credit to the gaffer and the coaches, we work on the overlaps and the winger being in at the back stick. How many times have you seen Brennan Johnson score that goal at the back stick and today it was Wilson. It’s something we work on and I think they’ll be pleased with that."
Postecoglou and his coaches were indeed delighted. The emotion was there for all to see on the bench and that it was done in the Australian's way, with high energy tackling, movement and passing so late in the game showed what the squad is capable of when the players are fit and fresh.
"I think it’s important because, look all goals are important and particularly in a game like that, but when you score something, a goal you know is so much of the core of our attacking phases and we work so hard on, I think the players get belief out of that, that it does work," said Postecoglou.
"Having Dom in there gives you a real focal point and just having his presence in the box, the ability to have guys like Madders and Sonny fresh today to be able to run at the opposition, they are just things we haven’t had the luxury of in the last three-and-a-half months.
"I think it was a really good foundational game for us to build on because I still feel like we will improve because of the nature of where people are at. I couldn't be happier with the players. They deserve to get through and now we’re into the quarter-finals of a European competition which I think is exciting."
In fact, every goal came from hard Tottenham work in winning the ball back. The first on 25 minutes had come from Son closing down the AZ left-back Wouter Goes after an over hit pass. The defender could only fire his own pass off the Spurs skipper and it ricocheted to Solanke, who rather than trying a shot as defenders converged on him, calmly knocked it sideways to Odobert to smash home the goal that set the ball rolling.
The second strike came early in the second half just seconds after a little scary moment from Vicario when a pirouette in his own box was read by the AZ attacker and he had to make an emergency clearance.
From the ensuing AZ throw-in, after a quick phase of play, Pedro Porro won the ball back with an inch-perfect steal and that set Odobert away. The Frenchman knocked it into Maddison's path and the midfielder exchanged passes with Son before curling his finish past the visiting goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro to hand Spurs control of the tie.
In the aftermath, Postecoglou roared his delight at Porro, punching his fists towards the Spaniard to let him know that he saw how important his contribution was to it all.
There was an understanding both on and off the pitch of just how important this match was in keeping a wretched season alive with the possibility of something remarkable.
The noise in the stadium seconds before kick-off was deafening and the crowd knew their part as the 12th man, including roaring the team on after AZ had snatched what could have been a morale-sapping goal in the second half.
Even the injured players alongside the bench were getting involved, perhaps knowing that a quarter-final would give them the chance to contribute to something big.
When Maddison curled home Tottenham's second goal of the night, Richarlison, wearing his club puffa jacket, surged out of his seat towards the pitch in elation. He turned with his arms outstretched to the dugout. He shoulder barged the delighted Antonin Kinsky as Dejan Kulusevski pumped his fists repeatedly at those on the pitch. Kevin Danso roared his approval before Radu Dragusin, who will not return for months from his cruciate ligament injury so has no personal gain, grabbed Richarlison's coat.
The two men grappled for a while with each other's jackets before the big Romanian decided he didn't want his nice threads ruined by the Brazilian and shoved his hand away. It was all done with affection and excitement that Tottenham had awoken.
Maddison always believed that Spurs would turn the tie around in their own backyard and he explained that he was trying to get that across to the frustrated travelling fans in Alkmaar.
"I went over to clap the fans that travelled out to Holland and we were getting a bit of stick, a bit of criticism and rightly so because the performance was poor and not good enough," he said.
"I tried to give a message of 'stay calm, it’s only 1-0' and the positive was while we played poorly, it was only a one-goal deficit because coming here, when the atmosphere is like that pushing in the second half, it is going to be tough for any team and I think AZ found it tough tonight because we pushed.
"That was the message I was trying to get across. I wasn't having a pop back at the fans, because I went over to applaud them travelling, especially after a poor performance from the team, but just to say stay calm, it’s only 1-0 and they’ve got to come to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
"I knew it would be difficult for them with how we prepared and how ready we were for the game. We have obviously got to be better going forward in the quarter-final and beyond away from home, but I knew it would be a tough night for [AZ] tonight."
There was a hiccup in the 62nd minute. Gray put pressure on former Tottenham man Troy Parrott in the Spurs half and Odobert did well to read and intercept the Irishman's pass. He passed it to Lucas Bergvall who thought the Frenchman was about to stop his run so he tried to play it back to Romero.
Instead the ball hit Odobert's ankle and bounced into the path of Peer Koopmeiners, who ran on and buried a shot inside the left-hand post.
It was unfortunate that the moment involved both youngsters Odobert and Bergvall because the pair were brilliant on the night.
Odobert was involved in every goal on the evening and it was just reward for his efforts in battling back from a serious hamstring injury, with the subsequent surgery. Initially some inside the club feared he might return only as the season was coming to a close, but he came back sooner than expected and is beginning to remind everyone what he's all about.
The key for the 20-year-old was to provide end product with undoubted skill and he did that emphatically with the two Brennan Johnson-like runs to the back post to score and also the driving run in the build-up to Maddison's goal.
After the final whistle, Yves Bissouma pushed the quiet and unassuming Odobert in front of the south stand to enjoy his moment as the matchwinner in front of the supporters, a move that delighted his team-mates gathered behind.
"Super pleased for him because he's worked awfully hard," said Postecoglou. "I was excited when we signed him. He's one of these players who has the ability to take players on, find space, great technician and super pleased for him to get his goals. He's worked hard silently and to get back in the team.
"Obviously he came to a new club, a big club and big move for him and it didn't work out for him through no fault of his own, through the injury and it's been frustrating for me not to be able to showcase him and know how much he can develop and that's just the starting point for him.
"He's still working his way to full fitness. When you look at the likes of him and Lucas and Archie and two or three others we've got, there's some enormously exciting talent there."
For Bergvall, the number six role is his this season. It's not even close. His skillset with his ease on the ball and ability to drive with it, plus his reading of the game and growing physical presence mean he's a natural fit for the role compared to senior team-mates like Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur, who are just not as disciplined as the 19-year-old despite their added years and experience.
The young Swede roared at the crowd in the north stand in the second half after one important interception on the edge of his own box.
His stats from the game said it all. He had 66 touches of the ball and won every single one of his seven ground duels, succeeded in all three of his take-ons and no Spurs player won possession of the ball more times - eight - or made more that his five interceptions.
Bergvall only misplaced four of his 48 passes, completed two tackles and created one chance, while being fouled twice.
He suffered from some cramp in the final minutes of the game and had to come off, allowing him a walk of appreciation around the perimeter of the pitch and a standing ovation as the crowd rose when he walked past.
"Lucas is a fantastic talent and you can sometimes forget how young he is. I think I misinterpreted him as a player," admitted Maddison. "I thought he was more of between the lines and technique, but he’s actually a bit of a lump and gets about. He is!
"He is a big boy, he is powerful, he is technically very good and I think the number six role really suits him because he can also drive forward, but he's learning the discipline under this gaffer of what it takes to be a number six. I feel like he is getting better game by game and relishing playing here in front of our fans. Yeah, bright career ahead for the young man."
With Spurs getting a glimpse of Archie Gray in his more natural midfield role in the game's final stages, it reminded everyone about the future and what could be a terrific double pivot midfield partnership in the years to come at Tottenham with both all-rounder teenagers able to operate as sixes or eights.
football.london put it to Postecoglou that this was a night when not only did his senior leaders point the way - the first time he's been able to start Son, Maddison, Romero and Vicario together since October - but also the young ones showed their own leadership abilities.
"Yeah, massive, brilliant for us, brilliant for the club, like I keep saying, we've got some really exciting talent," said the Australian. "Lucas is growing all the time. People are getting a glimpse of what Wilson's all about. Shame what's happened to him this year, and he's still working his way from fitness.
"I just thought the whole group handled it really well. It was great to have Romero and Mickey, we just looked so solid at the back. While they were out there, we never really looked like getting threatened. Just made us look more solid as a team. So a lot of positives there."
AZ struggled to make much of an impact, Parrott spending much of his time tussling with Romero, who had screamed in his face early on when he felt the young Irishman went down too easily.
The Dutch side's second half goal was a gift and there was a later save for Vicario from Parrott before Bissouma blocked the follow-up to earn a roar of approval and fist bump from his goalkeeper.
Otherwise it was a night of positives for Tottenham as they rediscovered their confidence and their senior men looked sharper and sharper. Romero and Micky van de Ven will have benefited from their hour-long reunion while Solanke again showed his worth with two assists to make it 19 goal involvements in 32 matches this season.
Son and Maddison looked refreshed after not playing at the weekend and now Postecoglou has the options to do such things, with more players yet to come back. Imagine what Kulusevski, Spurs' best player for much of this season but drained by his exertions, will be like after a near month-long rest.
"It's no coincidence [we looked more like ourselves]. We're getting some of our key players back. We've got guys who are getting decent recovery between games and we can change the team a fair bit. Don't forget Sonny and Madders didn't start at the weekend," said Postecoglou.
"We can do these things that allow us to prepare the team properly. We did look more like ourselves but we've still got levels to go, because I still think players like Romero, Micky and Wilson and Dom and all these guys are still building their way up to match fitness and match sharpness.
"With the quarter-final being three-and-a-half weeks away, there's an opportunity for us to get these guys up to speed for that game."
First up comes the Premier League and a quick turnaround for Sunday's trip to Fulham before the international break.
It will all feel a little after The Lord Mayor's Show but Postecoglou can make plenty of changes to inject fresh energy into the team in various positions. He will need to against a Fulham side that has not played for eight days. He might want to rest Spence but the full-back will likely want to show what an odd decision it was for him to miss out on an England call-up in Thomas Tuchel's first squad after being one of the best full-backs in the past couple of months in the Premier League and in Europe.
This week for Tottenham though was all about getting through to the Europa League quarter-finals, where they will face Eintracht Frankfurt across two legs next month, and Postecoglou might point to an upturn in form that has brought three wins and a draw in the past five Premier League matches as well as this European comeback.
It's been a difficult season but the most important thing of all is that unlike his predecessors found, the squad remains united behind Postecoglou, from his leaders to the young talents getting so much game time and education under him.
In turn he was proud of them all and the way they took on a game that had so much pressure around it.
"I think the way we handled it tonight was important. As much as you try to block out the outside noise and it doesn’t bother me but I am sure the players and the whole club was aware tonight was a big night for us," he said.
"When you are already 1-0 down you can get really anxious about it but I never felt that. Up until we sort of gave them the first goal, I thought the lads had handled it superbly. They were in control, they looked strong, they looked dominant, aggressive and looked threatening in the front third. All the things we want to be.
"I think Micky coming off disrupted us a little bit, we had to change a couple of things and we gave them a goal that changed the momentum of the game to make it more nervy than it needed to be, but yeah on what was a big night, I couldn’t be happier with the way the players tackled it and it’s a credit to them."
Tottenham's season has been a mess but somehow they've kept hope alive of something special at the end of it all and that's the message that Postecoglou has been constantly reinforcing behind the scenes.
Pressure creates diamonds and this was a night when Bergvall and Odobert shone among their senior colleagues. Postecoglou will be hoping there are more dazzling nights under the lights to come.
Wilson Odobert's starring role and how is Djed Spence not in the England squad? - Click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham
