The Guardian

Micky van de Ven remembers being told that he would never win a trophy in his career after he moved to Tottenham. But the centre-half, who was signed by Ange Postecoglou from Wolfsburg in the summer of 2023, says the collective determination within the club to break the silverware curse will fuel them in Wednesday’s Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao. Spurs have won nothing since the 2008 League Cup.

“It will be a big thing, of course, because everybody knows that when you join Tottenham, you get the words through of: ‘Ah, you’re not going to win a trophy, you will be trophyless for the rest of your career,’” Van de Ven said. “All the guys that came up here were like: ‘We’re going to change something about this club.’

“It was the gaffer and it was the whole squad who said: ‘We’re going to come here and change something.’ For us, it’s the job now to make this happen in Bilbao.”

Van de Ven was asked who had told him he would never win anything after going to Spurs. “It’s these people on social media, you know?” the 24-year-old replied. “These banter people that you don’t take really serious. It did not play on my mind, not even a little bit.”

The Dutch defender is among the many players who continue to fight for Postecoglou, who is on the brink of losing his job after 21 league defeats this season – the most in club history over a 38-game campaign.

“We have all been standing behind the gaffer since day one, since he joined here,” Van de Ven said. “He showed his quality, he brought us to a European final. Of course, he’s getting a lot of doubt from the media and we see these things. But I think he proved all you guys wrong and we’re standing in a European final, so hopefully we can lift the trophy. Not only for us but also for him.

“We all know we play for a big club. This club deserves trophies. That’s the truth. If you look at the quality in the squad, we deserve a trophy. It has been a tough season but we can end this perfectly by winning a prize.”

Postecoglou’s hopes have been fired since Van de Ven and his other first-choice defensive selections returned from injury. Since the second leg of the last-16 tie against AZ, the goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and the defenders Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Van de Ven and Destiny Udogie have been available.

Postecoglou picked Djed Spence over Udogie against AZ but, that apart, he has relied on the quintet en route the final, being rewarded with some assured performances, especially in the 1-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-final second leg which secured a 2-1 aggregate victory.

Van de Ven’s partnership with Romero in the middle is fundamental. “We just feel each other in the game,” Van de Ven said. “If he does something, I know how I need to cover him, how I can help him. On the other side it’s the same – when I have the ball, he knows how to cover me.

“From the beginning I felt a strong connection with him but the more games you play together the more you start feeling each other and knowing each other’s qualities. It’s an unbelievable connection that I have with him now.”

The best thing about football is what a silly, mercurial game it is. You can have all the money or political clout in the world. You can put in place meticulously thought-out projects. You can think and prepare and invest and plan, and football will still spit out a Europa League final between Tottenham and Manchester United. Strategise that.

Thousands will travel to Bilbao without tickets, many will end up sleeping rough, the phone network may collapse. It will be chaotic and anarchic and at its heart will be a game between two teams desperate for victory, whose presence in the final is utterly bewildering. And in that bonkersness may lie brilliance.

The rest of the world is entitled to disagree but for English football there’s a sense – after the lack of drama over the final three months of the Premier League season, the deferential plod to anoint Liverpool, and the almost embarrassed averting of the eyes from the relegation of Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich – that we deserve this. The Europa League final will be the biggest game between two Premier League sides this year, perhaps this season.

It’s ridiculous, of course. They’ve both been terrible this season. United and Spurs are not 16th and 17th in the league by chance. Between them they’ve won two of 18 league games since the end of February. Yet both have the chance to end the season with a night of glory, a trophy and Champions League qualification.

The sense is that for United, who have somehow lifted silverware in each of the last two seasons, what matters most is a place in the Champions League and the easing of profitability and sustainability rules pressures. For Spurs, having not won anything since 2008, the silverware perhaps matters more, although increased revenue should make the spending that is necessary more likely.

United’s journey has been truly absurd. Very few roads to European glory have involved being pegged back to 2-2 after being two goals up at Newport, as they were in the fourth round of the FA Cup last season. There followed a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest in subtle homage to Mark Robins in 1990, a 4-3 extra-time win over Liverpool that ended with Bruno Fernandes at the back of midfield and Antony at left-back, a semi-final against Coventry in which they squandered a 3-0 lead and would have lost but for the narrowest of offside decisions by the video assistant referee, and then an uncharacteristically competent victory against Manchester City in the final. It was a Cup run for the ages, so daft it felt predestined; without it, United would not even have been in the Europa League. The extra-time comeback from 4-2 down to beat Lyon 5-4, a game in which Harry Maguire at key moments impersonated both Garrincha and Dixie Dean, was simply of a ludicrous piece with what had gone before.

If these were two teams you might expect to finish fourth- and fifth-bottom of the Premier League – Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest, say, if you go by payroll – this would feel rather different: quirky, certainly, and perhaps not good in that European finals inevitably feel less special when they involve two sides from the same nation, used to routine league meetings, but equally not offensive to footballing logic and good taste.

That it is an all-English affair is not that unusual. This will be Tottenham’s sixth European final; half of them have been against English opposition. Early in the 1971-72 season, the Spurs manager, Bill Nicholson, offered his players’ wives and girlfriends a trip to the away leg of the final. They eagerly agreed, looking excitedly at possible destinations. Where would they end up? Vienna, perhaps? Madrid? Milan? Turin? Even Setúbal had an appeal. They got to go to Wolverhampton.

That was the first season after the reimagining of the Fairs Cup as the Uefa Cup. One-country finals have been a feature from the start: this year’s will be the 11th. But it is the second all-English final in seven seasons and, along with Chelsea’s saunter into the Conference League final, that fits with the more general pattern of English domination. Given the Spanish control of the competition in recent years – nine wins since 2010 – it’s perhaps worth tempering any unease, but this does feel like just another indication of the Premier League’s financial supremacy: 14 of the wealthiest 30 clubs in the world by revenue are English.

Was European competition given for this, to offer a back door into the Champions League so two giants (the fourth- and ninth-richest clubs in the world) could salvage what have been otherwise appalling seasons? Clearly it wasn’t, but then it’s a rare thing for clubs of the status and stature of United, Spurs and Chelsea to not be in the Champions League.

Hamburg, Schalke, Köln and Hertha Berlin have been in the German second division this season it’s true, and there is perhaps some broader point there about how vast old clubs can be outsmarted by nimbler and more progressive disruptors, but those four German sides have three European trophies and seven postwar league titles between them. United, Chelsea and Spurs have 14 European trophies and 26 postwar league titles. They are bigger.

Ideally the Europa League would be for big sides from the medium-sized countries and medium-sized clubs from the big countries, as it has been for the past couple of decades. Sevilla and Atlético Madrid have dominated but within all the non-Big Two Spanish success there have also been finals for teams from Russia, Ukraine, Scotland, Portugal and the Netherlands, as well as Middlesbrough, Fulham, Eintracht Frankfurt, Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen. That feels right: not the very highest level, but a good spread from the next tier down.

Ange Postecoglou surely felt like crying but at the final whistle emotions appeared to be running highest for Emiliano Martínez. The Aston Villa goalkeeper was visibly moved as he waved to supporters upon leaving the pitch and was in tears as he headed down the tunnel. Afterwards Unai Emery, mindful of the power of those profitability and sustainability calculations, did not exactly extinguish suggestions this could have been Martínez’s final game at Villa Park.

Martínez played his part in a huge win for Villa in their attempt to qualify again for the Champions League, though they may still require favours. Emery checked his phone as he entered his post-match press conference to see confirmation of Chelsea’s win over Manchester United.

“We are winning but it’s not in our hands,” the Villa manager said. Asked if this could be Martinez’s final home match, Emery replied: “I don’t know, we will see about the team, the players … we will see about everything, how we are going to try and get better for the new season.”

For Postecoglou, it was another unedifying defeat and as preparation for Wednesday’s Europa League final against Manchester United goes, this was another demoralising takeaway. By the end the early promise of their fit-again captain, Son Heung-min, had fizzled out. At this point it is intriguing to consider quite how many bruising results Spurs can stomach in one season. This was their 25th defeat of the campaign in all competitions, equalling the club record for a single season, set in 1991-92, and Tottenham have now lost eight of their past 11 top-flight matches.

Postecoglou made three changes from Sunday’s defeat by Crystal Palace but Son and Wilson Odobert, who filled in for the injured Dejan Kulusevski, may be the only ones to start both here and in Spain. The January signing Antonin Kinsky again deputised for Guglielmo Vicario, who was on the bench, and the defensive trio of Destiny Udogie, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven trained at Spurs’s base rather than travelling to Villa Park, a decision Postecoglou defended.

“They stayed at home, did a really strong session and come Wednesday they are all available and that is the most important thing,” the Spurs manager said. “When those guys play, with Vic in goal, our chances of success significantly improve.”

That soundbite was a damning if unsurprising indictment for the rest of them, including Sergio Reguilón, who was drafted in for his first Premier League start of the season and his first for Tottenham since April 2022, when Antonio Conte was in charge. His last appearance came in the FA Cup third round at Tamworth and since Spurs were taken to extra time there it has felt like a never-ending sticky patch. There seemed more bad news when Pape Matar Sarr departed early in the second half with a back problem but Postecoglou said his withdrawal was precautionary.

Until scoring Villa appeared a touch fraught, a little too keen to record a win that moves them level with Newcastle. Spurs also had a couple of decent chances, Martínez making a superb save with his foot after 16 minutes to repel Odobert’s flicked effort. Moments earlier Martínez fumed at how far Odobert was allowed to carry the ball before locating Son, who sent a powerful shot against a stanchion.

Villa had started slowly after the interval. Emery waved his players forward and hopped on the touchline. Then Kevin Danso blocked an Ian Maatsen shot and at the subsequent corner Villa sparked into life. John McGinn sent the ball towards the back post, where Ollie Watkins directed a header towards the six-yard box and Ezri Konsa, after eluding his marker, Mathys Tel, sent a shot in through the legs of the Spurs substitute Yves Bissouma. Konsa credited Villa’s set piece coach, Austin MacPhee. “We worked on that specific corner and it came off,” the England defender said.

Postecoglou, arms folded, swivelled in the dugout wearing that familiar despondent face. Things could have spiralled for Spurs but a minute later Kinsky made a smart save after the ball trickled through to Watkins. Villa’s home form has been imperious, their sole league defeat in another sparkling campaign coming against Arsenal here in August, and they assumed total control.

Spurs were shot and on 73 minutes Boubacar Kamara sidestepped Bissouma on the edge of the box before rattling a low shot past Kinsky. At the time Spurs were readying a double change. Dominic Solanke and Rodrigo Bentancur entered and Brennan Johnson, a former Villa target, was later introduced off the bench. Postecoglou has to pray that potentially wholesale changes on Wednesday will bring a happy ending to an otherwise truly torrid season. It has been that way for a while.

The pre-match postbag is here!

Jim on what the Spurs line-up tells us about next week’s final:

The front line for Spurs today is interesting. I think Tel may be playing as the striker with Son as a number 10. With Kulusevski out it’s not clear who will fill in for Madison on Wednesday, and any of Tel, Son, or Odobert could be auditioning for that role this evening.

Jeremy with some Rashford analysis:

Rashford will not be playing any part in Villa’s last two games this season, just like last season at VeryOld Trafford, but he remains a constant source of fascination for fans and neutrals, an enigma wrapped in clouds of doubt and uncertainty. If only he could deliver on the pitch as he has on the social level, let’s not forget, he shamed a government and became an overnight people-person. We all think of him as a 22-year-old with chin fuzz and great attitude, he’s nearly 28 and should be in the prime of his life, but here he is, struggling for identity, form and a club. We all want him to be brilliant/the new Harry Kane for England, but time may run out on the lad before he gets to realise his potential. Whatever, 3-0 Villa, despite their protests about the game brought forward …

And Antony hears something in the distance:

UTV. Hear that Yara? Listen carefully …. Squeaky bum time. In a season of massive games for us this is yet another. Enjoy the match.

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Villa playing Champions League football next season partly relies on results of teams around them. One of them is Chelsea, who host Manchester United at Stanford Bridge.

Rob Smyth will bring you all the updates from that game.

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Despite Tottenham’s make or break game of the season coming next week, Ange Postecoglou said he will “put out a team that hopefully gets the job done” against Aston Villa and “go out there to try to win the game.”

The head coach said tonight’s game could be a chance for his players to prove themselves for the final.

It’s an opportunity for them to put their name forward for the big game the following week because, as we have already seen in the past couple of weeks, as much as you would like to think there is an ideal starting line-up things happen and players have to be ready for that.

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Marcus Rashford is not involved tonight, as expected. The striker, on loan from Manchester United, has failed to recover from a hamstring injury he suffered last month. Rashford cannot play in Villa’s final game of the season at his parent club United on 25 May.

Rashford has made 17 appearances for Villa, scoring four goals, since joining from Old Trafford in February and earned an England recall in March after a 12-month absence. It is unlikely he will play for United again while Ruben Amorim is the head coach owing to a breakdown in their relationship. Another loan deal is an option. Villa have a £40m option to buy the player but his future remains unclear. Rashford has made clear he wants a Champions League club and is reluctant to join a team in London.

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In our 10 things to look out for this weekend Ben Fisher wrote that Aston Villa could use their “anger” and the rescheduling of this fixture to motivate them to a win. The Premier League agreed to bring forward Tottenham’s trip to Villa Park by 48 hours in order to help them prepare for a Europa League final (before they even reached said final).

The flipside to all of this is Villa can get on the front foot, kicking off 45 minutes before Chelsea entertain Manchester United and two days before Nottingham Forest head to West Ham and Arsenal host Newcastle. Victory for Villa could hoist them as high as fourth before a final-day trip to Old Trafford and, psychologically, that could prove a knockout blow.

Read more from Ben and the rest of our writers on what to keep an eye out for this weekend.

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Preamble

Hello and welcome to the penultimate matchday of the 2024-25 Premier League season. The champions have been decided. Those going back to the Championship have been decided. But second place, Champions League spots and qualification for next’s season’s Europa and Conference League still hang in the balance.

Aston Villa, who host Spurs tonight at Villa Park, have an outside chance of finishing second but they would need to win tonight and their final game of the season and hope several results go their way for that to happen.

Instead Unai Emery’s men will be targeting a finish in the top five which guarantees Champions League football next season. Only five points currently separate Arsenal in second and Villa in sixth. As things stand, Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle, Manchester City and Chelsea occupy the top five, but Villa along with Nottingham Forest are well-placed to capitalise on any slip ups.

As for Tottenham, full focus is understandably on the Europa League final against Manchester United. Ange Postecoglou’s side are a lowly 17th in the table and the manager will likely rest many of his starters tonight.

Join me for team news and buildup before the 7.30pm BST kick-off. And, as always, feel free to send me an email with your thoughts, questions, predictions, complaints and rituals. I want to hear it all!

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Son Heung-min has filed a complaint to South Korean police alleging he was the victim of a blackmail attempt, his agency said, after media reports that a woman had threatened the Tottenham Hotspur captain with a false pregnancy claim.

“The police are currently investigating, so we will let you know the results as soon as they are available,” his agency, Son & Football Limited, said. “We’d like to tell you that Son Heung-min is clearly the victim of this incident.”

Police had arrested a woman in her 20s and a man in his 40s, and were investigating allegations they tried to extort money from Son with the fake pregnancy claim, local media reported, citing police.

The Seoul Gangnam Police Station did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reports. Son, 32 is hugely popular in South Korea, not only for his success on the pitch in the Premier League but also for his dedication to the country’s national team as their captain.

Dejan Kulusevski has undergone knee surgery and will miss Tottenham’s Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao next Wednesday.

The club have confirmed the setback, which came after Ange Postecoglou raised fears on Monday about the attacking midfielder’s involvement in the showpiece.

Kulusevski was forced off in the 19th minute of Spurs’ Premier League defeat at home against Crystal Palace on Sunday, with Postecoglou saying the player was still sore 24 hours later and everybody had their fingers crossed for him.

Kulusevski’s absence against United is a significant blow given his fine form for much of the season and how Postecoglou is without his other main option for the No 10 role, James Maddison, who also has a knee injury. The manager has said previously that another midfielder, Lucas Bergvall, is likely to be out for the rest of the season with an ankle issue.

Postecoglou’s remaining options in midfield are Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Pape Sarr and Archie Gray.

The leader of Enfield council is under pressure to recuse himself from decisions over the property plans of Tottenham Hotspur, after accepting match tickets days before the felling of an ancient oak by a company financially linked to the football club.

Labour’s Ergin Erbil has been the public voice of the council’s outrage at the felling on 3 April of a 500-year-old ancient oak by contractors for Mitchells & Butlers Retail (MBR), the pub chain that runs a Toby Carvery on land leased from the London borough.

In a declaration on gifts and hospitality Erbil disclosed that on 23 March he accepted five free tickets from Spurs’ charity arm, the Tottenham Hotspur FC Foundation, to watch a friendly veterans match between the club and AC Milan.

Spurs and MBR are majority-owned by the investment company Enic. Last month the Guardian revealed Spurs had an option to lease from MBR the land where the remains of the felled tree are.

In February, Enfield granted Spurs outline planning permission to build a women’s football training academy on 17 hectares of adjacent land on a former golf course on Whitewebbs Park. The club plans to rent the land involved from the council in a £2m deal.

During the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which Spurs legends won 6-2, Erbil chatted to the club’s executive, Donna-Maria Cullen, but he said he was not lobbied by the club and they did not discuss the Whitewebbs development or the lease option on the Toby Carvery site.

Erbil and another Enfield councillor accepted the tickets after planning permission was granted to Spurs for the Whitewebbs development – a decision in which neither councillor was involved.

Erbil said any suggestion of a link between his attendance at the game and the felling of the oak “veers into conspiracy theory territory”.

He said: “I reject the idea that attending a charity event with other community stakeholders compromises my integrity. The event had no connection to council business and no bearing on any future decisions involving Spurs or MBR.”

But campaigners said the hospitality raised questions about the relationship between Spurs and the council and urged Erbil to recuse himself from future decisions involving the club property plans in the borough.

Ed Allnutt, the secretary of Guardians of Whitewebbs, a group campaigning to retain the area as a public park, said: “Erbil claims a lack of involvement in the development of the park. This is not credible. It is a major development in the borough where he leads the council. Our understanding is that in his role, he will have to sign off on the S106 conditions for the Spurs plans. Will he recuse himself from this responsibility?”

A Labour London spokesperson said Erbil would recuse himself from any possible future decisions on the development and any potential switch of the land leased by Mitchells & Butlers to Spurs.

But Erbil said such decisions were matters for his colleagues on the planning committee and the property and legal team. A spokesperson for Enfield council said: “Erbil has acted with integrity and transparency throughout. We are not going to get into speculation about whether he would recuse himself from hypothetical situations sometime in the future.”

Tree specialists commissioned by Spurs last year, as part of its Whitewebbs development, concluded that the Toby Carvery oak was a “fine specimen” that would live for at least another 50 years. MBR said it was felled for safety reasons as it was dead or diseased – a claim rejected by campaigners and experts who this week valued the tree at £960,000 due to its ecological importance.

Spurs’ tree survey suggested the oak was on council-owned land outside the area leased by MBR. Erbil said his officers had “100% confirmed” the felled tree was on council land leased by MBR.

He said: “The idea that the tree was removed to facilitate a future road for Spurs is factually wrong and geographically implausible.”

He added: “Enfield council is taking legal action against Mitchells & Butlers for cutting down the tree without permission, which breached their lease. As a result, the council has stopped accepting rent from them.”

Under the terms of the lease, MBR committed to protecting landscape and to only carry out works to trees with the permission of the council, which it did not seek before felling the oak.

A separate Forestry Commission inquiry into the felling of the tree is taking place.

A Spurs spokesperson said the charity match Erbil attended raised money for its foundation that promotes local projects on wellbeing, employment and education.

Son Heung-min says the biggest reason he has stayed at Tottenham for so long is to succeed where others have failed and win a trophy with the club. The captain will have the chance to do so next Wednesday in the Europa League final against Manchester United, and he described himself as being driven by “desperate passion”.

Son, who is fighting to regain peak fitness after a foot injury, joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015. He has scored 173 goals for the club, putting him fifth on their all-time list behind Harry Kane, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Smith and Martin Chivers. But he has been on the losing team in each of the finals he has contested with them – against Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League and Manchester City in the 2021 League Cup. Tottenham’s last trophy was the 2008 League Cup. Son is under contract until 2026, the club having triggered a one-year option on him in January.

“We’ve been talking about this for years,” Son said. “The biggest reason I stayed at Tottenham was because I wanted to do something others couldn’t achieve. That’s probably why I’m where I am now.

“You need all the pieces to complete a puzzle. I think I’ve gathered all the other pieces to make that puzzle complete. I’ve been missing that one most important, final piece and I’ve been trying to find it for the past 10 years. I really hope I can finally complete the puzzle this time.

“Every game is special and meaningful. But this game [against United] feels like an opportunity that may not come back. It feels different this time. I really want to win – more than anyone else. So many people are supporting us with the same desperate passion I feel. If we prepare well, I believe we can achieve it.”

Son has just seen his former Spurs teammate Harry Kane win the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich. It is the first team trophy of Kane’s career. “I texted Harry and he called me back on a video call,” Son said. “I was really happy to see him happy. He is one of my best friends and to see a once teammate achieve so much, I was delighted for him like he’s my family. With that positive energy I hope he can support Spurs in the game as well, so we can achieve a good result like his.”

Son returned on Sunday from a month-long layoff with ta foot problem in the 2-0 home defeat against Crystal Palace in the Premier League, appearing as a 58th-minute substitute. He said he had worked with his personal therapist, Ahn Deok-su, and Tottenham’s medical staff to come back “much earlier than expected”.

He said: “I have to say I’m OK because I want our fans, as well as those who support me, to feel at ease while watching the game. So, I will always say that I’m fine. And I will be fine.”

Tottenham are set to discuss the future of their women’s team head coach, Robert Vilahamn, in the next fortnight after their second-bottom finish in the Women’s Super League.

The Guardian understands that while no decision has yet been made about whether the Swede will remain in charge for next season, senior figures at the club will be weighing up his position after a poor campaign. Vilahamn is under contract until 2027, having signed a new deal last summer after what had been an impressive debut season in the English game. The 42-year-old guided Spurs to their first Women’s FA Cup final in May 2024 and a sixth-placed finish, but they have been unable to repeat that this campaign.

This season Tottenham finished with 20 points after five wins from 22 games, their 11th place the lowest of the surviving sides. They were winless in their last 11 matches in all competitions, a run that stretched back to late January.

Speaking to reporters in March, Vilahamn said: “I always feel the trust from the board and the leadership around me, they always give me that support. I also know that coaches in the other clubs have felt that and then they have been dropped quite quickly.

“I’m fine with that, I get it. I have a plan if I get fired, what I should do and what I should not do. If the club decides to fire in the future, you can stand and say I was professional and did everything I could for the club.”

Meanwhile, the Wolves chair, Jeff Shi, has promised the club will apply for promotion at the end of next season after criticism of the decision not to submit an application to go up to the Women’s Championship this season. That came despite them finishing second in the Women’s National League Northern Premier Division.

Commenting on the matter for the first time on Monday, Shi said: “Wolves Women remains a vital part of our football family, and we are committed to building a sustainable, competitive future for the team. We know the women’s setup requires strengthening, and we’ve already begun addressing that.

“Moving forward, we will apply for the tier 2 licence on an annual basis in line with our sporting achievements, and ensure that every on-pitch achievement is supported by the right procedures and documentation.”

Play like this at Wembley and Crystal Palace will have every chance of upsetting the odds when they face Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday. Oliver Glasner has built a clever, flexible and wonderfully mobile team since taking over from Roy Hodgson last year and it helps that an efficient collective is backed up by the dreamy individual quality of Eberechi Eze, whose double in this straightforward win over Tottenham Hotspur’s second string ensured that Palace have vital momentum before taking on City.

Before anyone gets carried away, though, it is worth pointing out that Spurs were abysmal. Nobody played themselves into Ange Postecogolou’s plans for the Europa League final against Manchester United later this month. There was also concern about Dejan Kulusevski departing with an early injury and although the Spurs fans sang about going to Bilbao there was no disguising their displeasure after their side’s 20th defeat of a dreadful Premier League campaign left them in 17th place with two games left.

This is why there were so many empty seats in the home sections. Those who reasoned that there are better ways to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon than by watching Ange Postecoglou’s B team go through the motions appeared to have made a wise choice during a first half dominated by the visitors to a comical degree. Spurs were lethargic and disengaged after making eight changes to the team that beat Bodø/Glimt last Thursday. They barely constructed a single memorable move before half-time and, given that the primary goal had to be avoiding injuries, it summed up Postecoglou’s luck when one of the few players who can expect to start against United limped off after 19 minutes.

If the plan was to build Kulusveski up after his return from a foot injury then it backfired when he came off worse in a 50-50 challenge during the early stages. The Swede seemed to hurt a knee and was soon trudging down the tunnel. Spurs will hope that Kulusevski was simply being cautious. They cannot afford to be without the midfielder’s creativity after already losing James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall for the rest of the season.

Palace were already on top before Kulusevski went off, though. There was no rotation from Glasner, who wanted his team to be sharp when they meet City. Palace were intense, imaginative and vibrant. Daniel Muñoz was as positive as ever at right wing-back, Will Hughes and Jefferson Lerma ruled midfield and Jean-Phillippe Mateta caused problems with his smart movement and link-up play up front.

Spurs lived on the edge from the start. Palace kept looking to exploit the space behind Djed Spence, who was in daydreaming mode at left-back. They repeatedly released Muñoz with clever reverse passes and thought they were in front when the Colombian crossed for Ismaïla Sarr to score after three minutes, only for the goal to be ruled out for a minuscule offside against Mateta in the buildup.

On it went. Antonin Kinsky saved from Mateta and almost spilled a volley from Muñoz. Sarr went through but failed to get his shot past Ben Davies. Mateta had a chance deflected wide by Kevin Danso. Muñoz clattered an effort against the bar. Palace had another goal ruled out when Maxence Lacroix’s goalbound header went in off Marc Guéhi’s arm.

Spurs played with an air of resignation. They were waiting to concede and duly did so when Mateta dropped deep to sweep another pass down the right channel in the 45th minute, again exposing Spence’s lack of positional awareness. Left alone, Muñoz charged through, held off Rodrigo Bentancur and squared for Eze to tap into an empty net.

The half-time boos were deserved. The punishment continued, though. Postecoglou brought Yves Bissouma on for Bentancur but Spurs remained farcical at the back. Playing through them required little ingenuity, although it must be said that Palace’s second goal was a counterattacking beauty. It began with Eze using the outside of his right foot to send Sarr sprinting past Spence. Sarr waited for support and when his first cross was blocked he made the most of a second chance to deliver by rolling the ball to Eze, ghosting into the and free to clip a composed finish past Kinsky.

Palace looked for a third, Mateta testing Kinsky and Sarr heading over. Spurs stirred and Pape Matar Sarr missed an easy header. In the end, though, the most encouraging moment for Postecoglou was Son Heung-min making a late cameo after returning from injury. Spurs will need their captain against United.