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Tottenham Hotspur booked their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday with a 3-0 win over non-league side Tamworth away from home.

The scoreline does paint the full picture of the afternoon, however, as all three of the goals came in extra-time and their opening strike came via an own goal.

It was a disappointing performance from Ange Postecoglou's side, who failed to find the back of the net against the National League outfit in the first 90 minutes.

One player, in particular, who struggled throughout the tie was centre-forward Timo Werner, after he was selected to lead the line ahead of Dominic Solanke.

Timo Werner's performance in numbers

The Germany international had the opportunity to show Postecoglou that he deserves more minutes in the Premier League in the second half of the season, but failed to do so.

Werner did make two key passes and created one 'big chance' for his teammates in the game, yet let himself down with a distinct lack of quality in his final action at the top end of the pitch.

As you can see in the table above, the former Chelsea man missed his two 'big chances' to find the back of the net, the biggest of which saw him go clear through on goal only to slide the ball straight at the body of the goalkeeper.

Werner was far from the only player to flop against the non-league side, however, as another Spurs star who struggled to cope with the lower league outfit was teenage winger Mikey Moore.

Why Mikey Moore should be dropped

The 17-year-old forward was named in the starting XI to make his first appearance since the 2-1 win over Manchester City in October, after months out with a virus.

His lack of game time in recent months was apparent as the teenage winger lacked in match sharpness and struggled to impact the game in the final third. For that you can forgive him but it's for that reason that he cannot afford to start in the North London derby either.

Moore lost possession more times (15) than Werner, despite playing 22 minutes less, and created as many 'big chances' (one) as the German attacker, whilst he did not register a single shot on target.

Across his 68 minutes on the pitch, the England youth international simply failed to offer much of a threat in the final third, which is why he was just as bad as Werner against Tamworth, although the Leipzig loanee does not have the mitigation of missing months through illness to excuse his display.

With a trip to The Emirates to take on Arsenal in the Premier League on Wednesday night in mind, Postecoglou must instantly ditch both players from the starting line-up because of their struggles against the non-league outfit.

But it is to be expected with Moore, due to his fitness issues this season, and he should still be a part of the matchday squad as a potential super sub option for the manager to call upon in the second half against the Gunners.

Tottenham Hotspur extended their winless run to three games yesterday afternoon, conceding late on against Wolverhampton Wanderers, dropping yet more points in their quest for a top four spot.

The 2-2 draw against the West Midlands outfit will be all the more disappointing given the fact Ange Postecoglou’s men held the advantage with just minutes to play before Jorgen Strand Larsen fired home the equaliser.

Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson both found themselves on the scoresheet, but it wouldn’t be enough to secure all three points, with the injury-hit Lilywhites remaining in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

Such a result will pile added pressure onto the shoulders of the Spurs boss, with Champions League football now looking a distant prospect given the huge gap between them and the top four places.

Undoubtedly, there’s still half a season for the club to turn around their recent fortunes, but the damage may have already been done given their recent slump in form.

Spurs’ defeat against Wolves in numbers

Yesterday’s draw with Wolves at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was the sixth time this campaign that Ange’s side had dropped points on home soil, highlighting their struggles in recent months.

The clash was an even affair in terms of possession, with the visitors slightly edging the aforementioned area, having 52% of the play during the contest.

However, despite the lack of possession, Spurs had four times more big chances than Vitor Pereira’s side, with Heung-min Son missing a penalty - undoubtedly their biggest opportunity to claim all three points.

Spurs also managed to have more efforts during the encounter, managing ten shots inside the penalty area, showcasing the amount of opportunities they had to walk away from the clash victorious.

Ultimately, it was a case of missed chances that cost the Aussie all three points, with his job likely on the line after the failure to win for the third straight outing.

One player in particular failed to impress in the meeting with Wolves, leaving Postecoglou with a brutal call to make over his long-term future at the club in North London.

The player who should never feature for Spurs again after Wolves

Goalkeeper Fraser Forster has had to play his part for Spurs in recent months after the ankle injury sustained by number one shot-stopper Guglielmo Vicario in the victory over Manchester City.

The 36-year-old has since made ten appearances for the Lilywhites, often coming under fire for his lack of ball-playing skills, handing the opposition the chance to fire home after his wasteful distribution.

His display against Manchester United was by far his most forgettable, being caught in possession and ultimately being punished by Amad Diallo and Joshua Zirkzee, but Ange’s side still managed to reach the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.

In his ten matches between the sticks, he’s conceded 21 times, including games against Chelsea and Liverpool where he shipped four and six respectively.

The defeat yesterday was the fifth time he had conceded two or more goals in a game since he returned to the starting lineup due to the absence of the Italian.

Albeit, his performance against Wolves yesterday was nowhere near his worst performance since deputising, but he certainly could’ve done more to prevent Strand Larsen’s effort from finding the back of the net from close range.

Forster only managed to complete 13 of his 21 attempted passes, once again looking wasteful with the ball at his feet, costing Postecoglou’s side dearly in the long run.

He was handed a 5/10 match rating by Football London’s Alasdair Gold, highlighting how disappointing he was for Spurs once again in North London.

With January just around the corner, Ange may be tempted to look for a replacement in January - with a move reportedly a priority - or even show faith in young talent currently within the ranks to cover until Vicario returns to action.

However, given his recent displays, it’s evident that Forster simply can’t be trusted if they are to return to their best form and have any chance of qualifying for any form of European football come the end of May.

Tottenham Hotspur have the chance to sign a summer transfer target for half-price in January, and it could be a golden opportunity for Ange Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy to reinforce the club's defensive options.

Speaking in his latest pre-match press conference ahead of their looming Premier League clash with Wolves on Sunday, just days after their 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, Postecoglou shared an update on Radu Dragusin and his condition.

The Romania international was forced off in the dying minutes of their loss at the City Ground with an ankle injury, dealing a serious worry to Postecoglou, who faces the prospect of being without a single fit senior centre-back for their next game.

Postecoglou says it is still too early to tell the severity of Dragusin's problem, with the defender now facing a late fitness test to determine whether he can feature against Wolves, or if the issue is more long-term.

"A bit early to tell," said Postecoglou on Dragusin's injury.

"He tweaked his ankle last night and felt like he couldn't continue. So we'll just have to wait and see. Kind of wait until he gets in today and then assess it from there.

Meanwhile, the Australian remains without Ben Davies for another couple of weeks, as it is believed the defender has suffered a setback in his own recovery from injury.

"No, he's ruled out," said Postecoglou on Davies' recovery.

"Unfortunately he had a setback in training, and he's probably out for another couple of weeks. So yeah, he's gone."

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero aren't expected back until after the New Year, with Postecoglou completely bereft of central defensive choices as Archie Gray's presence becomes more crucial than ever.

Tottenham have reportedly been looking at signing new defenders as we fast approach the January transfer window, and it is now believed that a summer target of theirs is available at a seismic discount.

Tottenham can sign Fiorentina defender Michael Kayode for half-price in January

As per Firenze Viola, via Sport Witness, claims that Spurs had a summer bid rejected for Fiorentina's Michael Kayode in the summer transfer window.

Previously valued at around £25 million, La Viola are now expected to entertain offers of around half that fee next month - gifting Levy an opportunity to snap up the 20-year-old Italian at a 50 per cent discount in January.

Tottenham can sign Kayode for around £12.5 million in the winter, according to Firenze Viola, who also report that the full-back is considering his future at Fiorentina and the Serie A side could offload him once we reach January 1.

“This one is really strong,” said Italian agent Pino Vitale about Kayode, in an interview with Radio Firenze Viola, after he once kept Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia quiet.

“Incredible. He forced Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to chase him. Kvaratskhelia had to change wings due to the way Kayode controlled him! There is no need to worry about him."

Tottenham Hotspur were defeated by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in a damaging blow to Ange Postecoglou's season.

Form and performances have been choppy of late, and while Postecoglou's grumbling about injuries carries weight, there's no excusing the in-game management and obstinate grip on a tactical approach that won't work with the tools on hand.

Square pegs in round holes? Tottenham certainly have the feel of an outfit struggling to marry its players with its identity. Yet again, Spurs suffered defeat in the Premier League. Nine losses from 18 fixtures - only Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton have picked up more.

For Nuno Espirito Santo, this must have felt like retribution after his woeful - and brief - stint down N17, whereas Ange has stepped deeper into a mire that is on the cusp of swallowing him up, injury crisis or not.

Interestingly, patchwork centre-back duo Archie Gray, 18, and Radu Dragusin can hold their heads higher than most. Tottenham were failed by a lack of belief, energy and inspiration.

The Tricky Trees have shot 11 points clear of the 11th-place Lilywhites, who may drop deeper still before the matchweek concludes.

Spurs' worst performers at Forest

While some would describe Tottenham's Boxing Day performance as 'abject', Nuno's regimented troops deserve a nod. They stuck to their game plan, executed it professionally, and defended as one. They outfought and outthought the struggling Londoners.

Six defeats from ten top-flight fixtures. Tough times for Tottenham. Defensively, Spurs have been terrible at times this season, albeit with most of its core parts sidelined, but it was the attack that served as the crux of the drama for the visitors.

Heung-min Son is a modern club legend and still one of the elite Premier League forwards - on his day. But he is declining. Aged 32, the South Korean's deficiencies were exposed against a physical and organised Forest backline, with journalist Mitch Fretton even commenting that the skipper had been "absolutely awful again" in a numb and toothless effort.

At number nine, Dominic Solanke struggled but lacked any meaningful service. On the right, Brennan Johnson was his lively self but flattered to deceive in front of goal, testing Matz Sels three times, as per Sofascore, but failing to really take the chances with confidence.

Tough times all over. Tottenham have the quality, the attacking intent and the long-term vision, but something has got lost somewhere, something important and indefinable. Is it tactical inflexibility that is letting Tottenham down? Or are the players and their manager being foiled by injuries that have exacerbated concerns and stripped a thrilling brand of football down to its bare bones?

Things need to improve, to be sure, and there's one man above all others who can serve as the catalyst for positive change. Dejan Kulusevski is shaping into a superstar, but he wasn't at the races in Nottingham.

Dejan Kulusevski's worst display of 2024/25

Playing in the number ten role, Kulusevski failed as Tottenham's attacking conduit, limiting Solanke in front of him and failing to impress himself upon the sturdy hosts' defence.

He's a dynamic player, confident across a range of positions, but Ange's first-class utility man was foiled against a Nottingham Forest system that marshalled and minimised his noise and threat.

Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold has been a vocal advocate of Kulusevski this season, championing the Sweden star's ascent to the uppermost echelon of Premier League players, but he could only award him with a 5/10 match rating yesterday, noting that lethargy claimed him as the match dragged into the crucial later stages.

Kulusevski's lack of defensive effort on the day proved particularly problematic, losing 11 duels and failing to even win a single tackle or interception. Sure, he was in an advanced role and Tottenham dominated possession, but Forest excelled in their hemmed-in positions, absorbed the rubbery firepower and struck through Anthony Elanga, masterfully countering.

Better days lay ahead, but the 24-year-old - who also lost the ball on 26 occasions - will be frustrated after assuming a sort of talismanic burden this term. It's scary to think that the north London club would be consigned to a more miserable and perhaps managerless position were Kulusevski not in the picture.

He wasn't solely to blame - not at all. Had Son not spurned that glorious chance on the counter, it could have been a different tale indeed.

Football is stuffed with such variables, and dissecting them with an analytical lens can only get you so far. What's clear is that Kulusevski failed to harness the giddy quality that has been on show so often this term. It was his worst display of the campaign, but given that he has carried the ugly rocks of collective disharmony, such a performance was always going to lurk round the corner.

And now we find the root of the problem: is this a reflection of the Swede's struggle or a comment on how Tottenham are letting him down? He can't play this role every single week, not with his peers failing to hold their weight.

And so then. We sit and wait for this interminable winter streak to finish up. Ange waits for his injured stars to return to the brood. How much will change, when that fateful day arrives?

Kulusevski and co failed to turn up today, and no amount of absent personnel can detract from the fact that capable and tested Premier League players couldn't shift their weight.

So then. Tottenham sit and wait. Sit and wait. Something needs to change - what will it be?

Tottenham Hotspur are now plotting an "important" bid to sign a star from Serie A champions Inter Milan, with their CEO Giuseppe Marotta now seriously considering his sale.

Tottenham shock Man City with 4-0 win at the Eithad Stadium

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou was an extremely happy man on Saturday, with the Australian watching on as his side caused a huge upset against Premier League champions Man City on enemy turf.

The Lilywhites were imperious in an attacking sense - dismantling Pep Guardiola's men courtesy of goals from James Maddison (2), Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson - and teams beating City by that type of scoreline is usually unheard of, especially in Manchester.

A clean sheet at the Etihad was made all the more impressive by the fact Postecoglou was minus star central defensive duo Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, with Postecoglou thrilled by Tottenham's performance.

"Yeah, you don't come to a place like this thinking that it's going to be probably as convincing as it was for us in terms of just the way we handled it," said Postecoglou on Tottenham's shock win over City.

"I've said it before, City test you in every football way possible. You've got to do a bit of everything. You've got to defend, you've got to work hard, be disciplined, and you've got to play football. I thought in all four areas we really got to a really strong level today where the players were really determined, after a really disappointing game last time and we just got back to our core beliefs as a team. Credit to the lads. I thought they were just outstanding out there today.

"We knew that in the first 10 minutes they'd come out flying, especially with the four losses they've had were away from home. So being at home, there'd be an energy in the stadium. We were going to have to weather the storm, which I thought we did fairly well and then we just grew into the game and I'm just so pleased for the players."

Off the field, Spurs' recruitment team are planning ways to strengthen Postecoglou's squad in 2025, with Inter midfielder Davide Frattesi on their radar. Tottenham have already been linked with Frattesi, but another update has emerged today.

Tottenham plot "important" £29m bid for Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi

According to InterLive, Tottenham could make an "important" £29 million bid for Frattesi, and Nerazzurri CEO Marotta is seriously considering the possibility of his transfer next summer.

The Italy international, who's bagged three goals and an assist over 16 appearances in all competitions this season, has featured as both a traditional central midfield player and an attacking midfielder.

It's been a bizarre season for Tottenham Hotspur so far this year.

Ange Postecoglou's side have looked hopeless at times, such as in their losses to Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town, but simply electric in others, like the wins over Manchester United and Aston Villa.

However, the North Londoners' 4-0 win over Manchester City on Saturday was so emphatic and so incredibly impressive that it could just be the catalyst for them to now go on a genuine run of good form.

That said, for all the brilliant displays on the side of the Lilywhites, there were plenty of abject ones on the side of the hosts, including former Spurs ace Kyle Walker, although as bad as he's been this season, there is a former Tottenham defender who has been even worse.

Kyle Walker's dreadful season

Walker left for Spurs in the summer of 2017 to join City for a whopping £53m, which was a record for a full-back at the time, and while there was an adaptation time for the Englishman, it would be fair to say it's been a move that's since worked out.

For example, in the seven and a half years since, the 34-year-old has made 311 appearances, in which he's won six league titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, two Community Shields, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and, of course, the Champions League.

However, time catches up with us all, and to say the former Spurs ace has deteriorated this season would be a massive understatement.

His decline was on full show against his old club on Saturday when he looked miles off the pace and was comfortably beaten by Timo Werner for the Lilywhites' fourth goal.

Moreover, former professional Tony Cascarino described the Englishman's performance as being similar to when Gareth Bale ran "Maicon, the great Brazilian full-back ragged," and that it was a similar situation against Brighton & Hove Albion's Kaoru Mitoma earlier this month.

In all, it's hard to look at Walker's performances this season and not come to the conclusion that his career at the top level is coming to an end. Yet, there is another former Spurs defender who is younger and is having an even worse season than him this year.

The former Spurs player who's been worse than Walker

So, to cut straight to the point, the player in question is fellow full-back Emerson Royal.

The 25-year-old, who was described as a "liability" during his time with Spurs by Jamie O'Hara, joined Italian giants AC Milan in the summer for around £13m, in a transfer that Italian football writer Kaustubh Pandey described as "a deal for the ages," but not for the right reasons.

Instead, he was shocked at how much the Italian giants were willing to pay for the Brazilian defender, as aside from very few glimpses here and there, he's been dreadful since leaving N17.

For example, in the club's game against Juventus over the weekend, Football Italia gave him a paltry 4/10 match rating, while he didn't do much better in the clash with Cagliari either, with Gazzetta dello Sport giving him a 5.5/10.

In all, the São Paulo-born ace has made 14 appearances for Milan, 12 of which have been starts, of which six have ended with victories, three have ended in draws, and five have been defeats.

Ultimately, it's hard to look at Emerson's time at the San Siro as anything other than a complete disaster, especially when experts like James Horncastle write that his transfer to Milan 'looks like the biggest donation in the history of Fondazione Milan as the club charitably tries to make his wish to become a footballer come true.'

Therefore, while Walker is having an undeniably poor season, another former Spurs full-back is having an even worse one.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly monitoring a Premier League star whose manager thinks he is an "incredible" part of their team.

Spurs' season so far

Spurs have been hit-and-miss this season. On one hand, they've recorded memorable wins over Aston Villa, Manchester United and Manchester City - twice.

On the other hand, however, they've slumped to shock defeats at the hands of Galatasaray, Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town.

Despite their mixed form, one thing Ange Postecoglou's side haven't struggled with this season is finding the net. Spurs have hit 27 goals in the Premier League already, which is three more than any other team in the league.

While in the past, it was Harry Kane who bore the weight of Tottenham's goalscoring responsibilities, the burden has been shared around this season.

James Maddison and Brennan Johnson have five goals apiece in the top flight, while Dominic Solanke has four and Son Heung-min has three.

Postecoglou said earlier this month that without Kane as a focal point, he hopes Spurs can become a better all-round team than they were with the Englishman in the side.

"Part of him leaving is that opportunity for people to grow," the Greek-Australian coach said, adding: "There’s more that the guys have in them. I keep saying that some of them have a really high ceiling."

Spurs want long-term target Cunha

Despite their impressive goalscoring form this season, Spurs are reportedly keen to add even more firepower to their roster.

According to TBR Football, Tottenham are currently monitoring Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Matheus Cunha, who has been the West Midlands club's outstanding performer this season.

It appears that Spurs have been impressed with the forward for some time, with the Lilywhites among a number of clubs who have scouted him extensively over the past year - with the others thought to be top-flight heavyweights Liverpool and Chelsea.

Speaking after Wolves' win over Southampton earlier this month, a game in which Cunha scored a screamer from outside the box, Micah Richards heaped praise on the former Atletico Madrid player.

"His football IQ is absolutely sensational," Richards said. "He's the one who can unlock the doors. He finds the little pockets of space and makes the right decisions at the right times."

"He's always scanning where he needs to be and always plays the right pass. He is so key in what Wolves are trying to do. He is the best at everything."

Meanwhile, manager Gary O'Neil labelled him "incredible" following his exploits at the weekend.

TBR Football claims that Manchester United, Newcastle and Napoli are also keeping tabs on Cunha, with the Magpies and the Serie A giants having sent scouts to watch him score twice in Wolves' 4-1 win over Fulham.

Tottenham Hotspur are now set to allow one of their wantaway players to depart in the January transfer window, according to a report.

Latest Tottenham transfer news

Tottenham are on the lookout for new additions to their squad this January, with it recently emerging they have touched base with the agents of Manchester City's Jack Grealish, who retains a good relationship with sporting director Johan Lange.

Grealish is not the only attacking option in Ange Postecoglou's sights this winter, with the Lilywhites being named as potential suitors for Real Madrid's Arda Guler, while FC Midtjylland's Dario Osorio is also on the radar.

As ever, Spurs are also likely to receive interest in some of their star players this winter, with The Boot Room recently revealing that Son Heung-min is emerging as a player of interest in the Saudi Pro League, given that he is not in line for a new contract in north London.

Considering the impact Son has made at N17 over the years, his potential departure may be a worry for the Tottenham faithful. However, one player they may be less concerned about is Sergio Reguilon.

It was recently reported that Reguilon could completely terminate his contract this January in order to force a move, as he is not deemed to be a part of Postecoglou's plans going forward.

According to the latest update from CaughtOffside, the 27-year-old wants to leave Tottenham this winter, and the club, and by extension chairman Daniel Levy, are all too happy to grant his wish, given that Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies are now ahead of him in the pecking order at left-back.

The Spaniard could be set for a return to his home country, with Sevilla and Getafe keen to take him to La Liga, and both clubs are now ready to start negotiations with Spurs and his representatives.

Reguilon set to leave Spurs

News of the left-back's departure is unlikely to be a concern to a great number of Spurs fans, given that he is yet to make an appearance for the club in any competition this season.

The former Sevilla man has also spent time on loan at Manchester United and Brentford over the past two seasons, having fallen out of favour at N17, in light of Udogie's emergence as a first-team regular under Postecoglou.

During his time at Brentford, the £53k per-week defender was lauded as "superb" by journalist Sam Tabuteau, indicating that he could still make an impact for a club lower down the Premier League table, but it is clear he is surplus to requirements in north London.

With any luck, Postecoglou will be able to get Reguilon off the books in the upcoming transfer window, freeing up vital funds which can be used to reinforce other areas of the squad.

Tottenham Hotspur's performance against Galatasaray in the Europa League last night might just have been their strangest of the season so far.

We say strange, as for moments here and there, especially once Dominic Solanke had been introduced in the second half, they looked quite dangerous, but for most of the game, the North Londoners were dismal.

There was a positive in the fact that Will Lankshear scored his first goal in Spurs colours but his red card ultimately meant it was a rather sour evening not just for the club but the young striker, in particular.

Ange Postecoglou's side were wasteful in attack and utterly hopeless at the back, and while there were several genuinely dire performances on the night, two of the worst came at the back, between Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies.

Dragusin & Davies' performance in numbers

Playing Galatasaray away from home in European competition will always be exceedingly tricky.

The atmosphere will be fierce, and the fans will be on you from minute one, so visiting defenders must remain composed and do the basics right, which is the complete opposite of what Davies and Dragusin did.

The latter was crashing into the back of the attackers, constantly out of position, a constant source of problems his teammates had to deal with and was directly responsible for Victor Osimhen's goal as he gifted the Nigerian the ball with a dreadful touch.

Davies was only marginally better than his Romanian teammate as he seemed less intent on getting himself sent off, but like the former Genoa ace, he too was easily bypassed by the Turkish giants with seemingly every attack, and was at least partially to blame for their second goal, as his pass to Bucharest-born defender was poorly timed.

This might all sound quite harsh, but it's an opinion shared by the press, as the Express' Sam Smith awarded Dragusin just a 3/10 on the night, writing that he 'must just want this Europa League campaign to end' and gave the Welshman a 4/10.

In short, it was a horror showing from the centre-back pairing, although they weren't the only ones who seriously let down Postecoglou.

James Maddison's performance in numbers

Yes, it was Spurs' co-vice-captain, James Maddison, who was one of the other starters who seriously let down the Australian last night, as he put in what might just be his worst performance of the season.

The former Leicester City star failed to make anything positive happen for his side from the middle of the park, and when he was shifted out wide in the second half, he was somehow even more ineffective.

In fact, the only impact the Englishman had on the encounter was consistently giving the ball away in dangerous areas and giving away the free-kick that led to the opening goal.

Unsurprisingly, the Express' Smith was equally unimpressed with the Coventry-born star and awarded him just 3/10 on the night, writing that he 'was wholly anonymous in Turkey' and that he 'must step up more often when Spurs' backs are against the wall.'

This scathing appraisal of the 27-year-old is backed up by his statistics, as in his 66 minutes of action, he produced an expected assists figure of 0.01, misplaced 100% of his crosses and long balls, failed to take a single shot, failed in 75% of his dribbles, lost 50% of his duels, lost the ball 11 times and was dribbled past once as well.

Ultimately, it was a terrible day at the office for Spurs last night, but it's hard not to look at Dragusin, Davies and Maddison as three of the worst offenders.

Tottenham Hotspur will want to forget about last weekend’s defeat against Brighton as quickly as possible, but the current international break has given them no time to make amends.

Ange Postecoglou’s side fell to a 3-2 defeat after leading 2-0 at the break, after goals from Brennan Johnson and James Maddison, but a second half collapse saw Spurs leave the AMEX empty-handed.

The Lilywhites currently sit ninth in the Premier League, largely thanks to Johnson, who has now managed to score in six consecutive outings despite his early season form which saw him widely criticised on social media.

However, summer signing Dominic Solanke has only managed three goals since his move from Bournemouth during the summer transfer window, enduring a steady start to life in North London.

Undoubtedly, he will need time to settle and adjust to life in the capital, but it’s safe to say they could be missing the presence of one player who departed the Tottenham Hotspur stadium last summer.

Harry Kane’s time at Tottenham Hotspur

Harry Kane is a player who will always remain a key player in Tottenham’s history, bursting through the academy before making a huge impact on the club’s first team.

After various loan spells at lower league clubs, the striker made his breakthrough during the 2014/15 season, scoring 31 goals in all competitions throughout his 51 appearances.

The now 31-year-old would remain a constant source of goals during his time at the club, registering over 20 goals in all competitions during each one of his nine full seasons as a first-team member.

He notched a total of 280 goals for Spurs, making him the club’s all-time leading scorer, with his tally of 213 Premier League goals putting him second to only Alan Shearer in the goalscoring charts for the history of the division.

However, he would depart his boyhood club last summer, joining European giants Bayern Munich for a reported £86m which could rise to £100m with add-ons.

Undoubtedly, losing such a huge number of goals would impact Postecoglou’s side, but there is hope that Solanke will be able to fill the void left by the England international.

However, they may have been better off signing a player who has thrived already in the opening months of the new campaign, producing some incredible figures in the process.

The man who’s outscoring Kane in the Bundesliga

A striker was top of the club’s shopping list this summer, as they tried to break into the Premier League’s top four and secure a place in the Champions League for next season.

Solanke was the chosen one, arriving from Bournemouth in a £65m transfer - a club-record deal which demonstrated the intent of the hierarchy to reach the next level.

However, they were also heavily linked with a move to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush during the same window, but no move for the Egyptian ever materialised.

Nottingham Forest were also interested in landing the 25-year-old, but despite coming close to agreeing a deal, the forward decided to stay with the Bundesliga outfit.

Since remaining in Germany, he has been a revelation, finding the net on a regular basis for his club side.

The decision appears to be a phenomenal one, with the “outstanding” talent, as dubbed by his agent Michael Reschke, registering eight goals in his first six league outings, a tally higher than former fan-favourite Kane who’s only notched five in the same number of fixtures for Bayern.

Marmoush, who’s now valued at £40m according to reports, is undoubtedly enjoying a purple patch in front of goal, demonstrating his talents on a regular basis, with his goalscoring exploits undoubtedly improving Postecoglou’s side.

Whilst there’s no denying Solanke’s talent, the Egyptian’s goalscoring record this season is hugely impressive, with the club potentially living to regret not pushing to complete a deal for the talisman.

However, unfortunately for Spurs, Marmoush will go down as another player who slipped the net, leaving the forward to demonstrate what the North London outfit could’ve had.