The Mirror

When you're a cut above the rest against Manchester City - that is a glowing reflection of your quality.

And in rejuvenated playmaker Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham truly have unlocked a superstar attacker. The stylish Swede showed huge glimpses of promise under Antonio Conte upon arrival in north London on loan from Juventus when he struck five goals and registered eight assists in the second half of the 2021-22 campaign.

But since then he has blown hot and cold - with the exception of this season - and now there can surely be no doubt about his ability, class and equally, his importance to Ange Postecoglou's rip-roaring revolution in N17.

The £25.6million reduced fee Spurs shelled out to Juve in 2023 to make Kulusevski's loan into a permanent deal looks an ever greater steal with every performance that goes by. While they also paid an £8.3m loan fee in 2021 - they have still robbed the Old Lady blind.

Because not only has Kulusevski grown as a player but he has also grown in stature and here against Manchester City, he was Tottenham's indispensable leader that helped drag them over the line and into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

His daring dribbling spurred Tottenham on and tormented Guardiola's Premier League champions, lifting the crowd while also injecting belief and confidence into Postecoglou's side.

City did not know how to live with Spurs' creative dynamo, who did not stop running and driving at Pep Guardiola's backline. They struggled for answers all evening until the forward inevitably ran out of steam.

This was the kind of dazzling, majestic performance that will not be forgotten anytime soon and it's precisely why Kulusevski is so popular in these quarters.

He is right at the heart of everything that is currently exciting about Tottenham, their aggressive pressing, their speedy counter-attackers, their endeavour and the lingering sense of anticipation that Spurs possess the power to hurt you at any given minute. He also deeply cares about the club and it shows.

Players of the Kulusevski mould are hard to come by and in the modern transfer market, they are also certainly not cheap. He is now surely worth £50m at the very least, if not close to £75m - which effectively means his valuation has tripled in the past year or so, though Juve will now be living to rue their decision to offload the player on the cheap.

First he assisted Timo Werner's thunderous opener before he was also involved in Pape Matar Sarr's second for the hosts.

His link play with Werner before the German attacker got injured was a sight to behold, there was real natural chemistry and Spurs looked dangerous every time the pair collaborated and went through the gears.

Kulusevski could have killed the game once and for all when he raced through on goal after a sensational counter-attack after the interval but Stefan Ortega was equal to his curling effort.

Tottenham may not end their trophy drought this season, they may not make the top-four but they are certainly going to enjoy the ride all the while Kulusevski is fit and firing.

In fairness, at least Tottenham fans actually wanted their team to win this time.

Six months ago, a ludicrous faction found solace in a home defeat by Manchester City because it denied Arsenal the title. The duplicity outraged Spurs messiah Ange Postecoglou, who branded it his “worst experience as a manager.”

But on a stirring night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Postecoglou could have few complaints about the quality of a riveting cup tie. Even the loss of talisman Micky Van de Ven could not diminish the effervescence of Spurs’ attacking thrusts. Storming into a two-goal lead poked the bear, and City’s response was thrilling.

But rich entertainment deserves to be played at a sensible hour, and on their crusade to make sure nobody gets the last bus home, Sky Sports drew a new line in the sand with their absurd designation of an 8.15pm kick-off.

And when the M25 was shut at the main gateway to north London before kick-off, thousands of fans faced another scramble to reach N17 like the chaos before last month’s Europa League game with Qarabag.

City made it through the gridlock, and in a competition which has brought him more joy as a manager (four winners’ medals) than any other apart from the Premier League, Pep Guardiola felt emboldened enough to make six changes.

But the trouble with changing half a team is that you often get a half-baked response, and City had not been allowed to settle before they fell behind after six minutes.

Brennan Johnson’s exquisite flick set Dejan Kulusevski free down the right flank and the Swede’s low cross was swept home first-time by Timo Werner.

It was a superb goal, only the German’s third in 26 appearances for Spurs, and his first of the season. Tottenham’s early momentum was stalled, however, by the loss of defensive kingpin Van de Ven with a hamstring injury.

The crowd favourite was fighting back tears after being forced to retire hurt. Spookily it was a year, almost to the day, that his hamstring gave way against Chelsea in a madcap 4-1 home defeat.

But Spurs, biting in the tackle and moving the ball with purpose, made light of Van de Ven’s setback to surge 2-0 ahead inside 25 minutes. City were slow to close down a short corner routine and Pape Matar Sarr, lurking 25 yards out, whipped his shot inside Stefan Ortega’s near post.

If the City keeper was caught out, let’s give Sarr due credit for immaculate geometry: His effort started a yard outside the post and was only on target for the last 6ft of its flight path.

Phil Foden volleyed over from eight yards - a big chance, and he should have done better - as the champions finally pinned Spurs back around their own box. Tiring and increasingly in retreat, Tottenham were desperate to make it to the break with their two-goal cushion intact - but they fell seconds short.

In the fourth minute of aded time, Savinho’s darting run and cut-back picked out Matheus Nunes at the far post, and the Portugese forward’s assured finish provided Guardiola with a lifeline.

But no sooner had City gained a foothold in the contest than another injury blow landed in Guardiola’s in-tray.

Savinho, who had given Destiny Udogie a guided tour of the visitors’ right flank, was carried off with a damaged right ankle, and Spurs Werner, running half the length of the pitch, fired agonisingly wide and Ortega - surely the best understudy in the country - made alert low saves to deny Johnson and Kulusevski.

Micky van de Ven was left in tears as he was forced off injured early on in Tottenham's Carabao Cup clash with Manchester City.

Van de Ven appeared to suffer a hamstring injury after making a challenge and he was quickly replaced with Destiny Udogie. The Dutchman missed several months of action with a hamstring injury last season and he was absolutely distraught as he left the field.

Van de Ven could be seen in tears as he hobbled off the pitch, before covering his face with his shirt. "You don't take any chances with hamstrings," former Everton midfielder Leon Osman warned on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

"They can't get better, they can only get worse. If you're looking at this Spurs team at the moment Micky van de Ven is arguably the one player Ange will not want to lose."

The 23-year-old was filling in at left-back and an extended absence will come as a huge blow for manager Ange Postecoglou. He has been absolutely delighted with Van de Ven's impact since he joined Spurs from Wolfsburg last summer.

"With Micky, fair to say he developed late but very quickly," Postecoglou said when asked about Van de Ven earlier this month. "Because I think even at Volendam, there was a period when they were unsure about him.

"You could tell once physically he grew and the kind of player he was, his journey went very quickly at Volendam and the year he had in the Bundesliga he adjusted really well. For us last year he was outstanding in his first year in the Premier League.

"Obviously he had an injury which set him back a little bit but he's growing all the time, maturing and I think he will become more of an influence at national team level. He's now played a couple of games at left-back, left centre-back.

"The more he plays with the national team will give him even more belief but he's going very well and I'm sure he'll be an important member of our team but also the Dutch international team."

Antonio Conte maintains he got the "maximum possible" out of Tottenham and pointed to their decline after his departure.

The Italian spent just shy of 18 months at the helm in north London but left after he took aim at the club, its chairman and their culture. Conte arrived and was tasked with guiding Tottenham into Europe and finally ending their lengthy trophy drought.

He was able to lift them into the Champions League in his first season before things rapidly declined in his final weeks. He inherited a team that included the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min but claims he was asked to perform "miracles".

Conte maintains he did all he could to rinse the most out of the squad, enjoying one summer transfer window, but could only work within the limits of his squad and has referenced their failure to make the Champions League following his abrupt departure.

He told DAZN: “I realise there are expectations, but if you go where there are difficulties… I think Tottenham did incredibly well, because they were ninth when I arrived and we got into the Champions League. The two years after I left, which was for personal reasons, they did not qualify for the Champions League.

“I think I achieved a lot there too. If people ask me for miracles, then I can speed them up and get the best out of the squad, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we can win. I think I got the maximum possible out of that Tottenham side.”

In his final weeks Conte became increasingly rattled and looked to blame others. Tottenham were dumped out of the FA Cup by Sheffield United and his frustration peaked when they gave up a two-goal lead at Southampton before drawing 3-3.

The Italian let rip at the club, chairman Daniel Levy and the culture that existed within north London - with his words eventually giving the club no option but no move him on.

He said: “They don’t play for something important, yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress. It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this, 20 years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench."

Conte's first job post Tottenham has been at Napoli, who are currently sat top of Serie A. The club won the Italian title two years ago, but then finished 10th last year and the former Tottenham boss believes they are ahead of schedule with their position.

As Manchester City prepare to face Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup last-16 tie, the dynamics of priority and opportunity play a significant role for both clubs. For City, the EFL Cup holds a lower priority compared to their Premier League and Champions League ambitions.

Pep Guardiola's side, currently leading the Premier League, has enjoyed a successful weekend by capitalising on their rivals' slip-ups. However, with injuries affecting key players, Guardiola may opt to field a mix of youth and experience, providing academy talents a chance to shine on a prominent stage.

Tottenham Hotspur, on the other hand, view this competition as a vital opportunity to end their prolonged silverware drought. Under new management with Ange Postecoglou, Spurs have experienced mixed fortunes. The recent 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Premier League has added pressure on Postecoglou to deliver results and restore confidence among fans. His earlier assertion of winning trophies in his second season at clubs adds an extra layer of expectation for this cup run.

For Spurs, this match against Manchester City represents more than just progression in the EFL Cup; it’s about regaining momentum and belief. The North London club's recent struggles, including a disappointing loss after leading against Brighton, highlight their need for resilience and composure. A victory over a formidable opponent like City could serve as a catalyst for improved performances across competitions.

Manchester City's potential use of academy players presents Tottenham with both an opportunity and a challenge. While facing a potentially less experienced City side might seem advantageous, it also means dealing with unknown quantities eager to prove themselves. Guardiola's tactical acumen ensures that regardless of personnel changes, City will remain competitive and strategically sound.

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Draw - 15/8 (Betfair)

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City to win to nil - 5/1 (Betfair)

Over 2.5 goals - 1/2 (Betfair)

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Tottenham 'keeper Guglielmo Vicario slammed the “attitude and fight” of his tame team after a horrible defeat at Crystal Palace.

And Ange Postecoglou admitted his side lost “the battle” against their South London rivals. Jean-Philippe Mateta netted the only goal of the game to see the Eagles lift themselves out of the bottom three.

But Italy star Vicario said: "They 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. They show a real desire to fight for something. I think we lacked a bit of energy and to be better than them.

Captain Son Heung-min was out injured but Vicario added: “He is the captain but we have a big squad and we have to deal with that. We have to be able to win games without Son. We lacked in something, not in football, but attitude and fight."

Head coach Ange Postecoglou said his team had fallen into the “trap” of trying to play Palace at their own game .

“It turned into a bit of a battle,” said the Aussie. “They dealt with it better than we did. It was a big game for Palace - they were always going to be desperate to get a win and that happens. It was a game we needed to stay composed and not sort of fall into the trap of trying to play the game ultimately Palace wanted to play.

"It turned into a game that was battle after battle, duels, stop starts, waiting around. We need to be a lot more clear-headed about how we deal with that rather than fall into the trap of doing what we did today.

“I just felt when we had control of things, we could have dealt with it better. We ended up doing silly things, giving away silly fouls and losing our composure, which just adds to that sort of game when you can't get any traction.

"So I think we directed our frustration in the wrong way rather than dealing with it like we should have.”

Like every Tottenham supporter, Ange Postecoglou is excited about the development of Mikey Moore. Understandably so. Moore is as exciting an English attacking prospect as we have seen for some time.

After the Europa League win over AZ Alkmaar, in which Moore was outstanding, Postecoglou tempered his praise with a little caution, warning of over-exposing a 17-year-old to excessive physical rigours too quickly. But he could not disguise his thrill at the prospect of Moore taking centre-stage for Spurs.

“Sometimes, young players are exciting but you can see pitfalls down the road, but I don’t see that with him,” said the Spurs manager. “At 17, you think …what is he going to be like at 21? And hopefully, I am the manager then!”

Considering Spurs had four big-name managers in the five years prior to Postecoglou’s arrival, that is a big hope. But don’t forget, Mauricio Pochettino lasted five and a half years at Tottenham so there is definitely a precedent for the current manager to last that long.

Not only that, it is not hard, after a little less than a year and a half of the Aussie being at the club, to have a strong sense that Spurs and Ange is a very good fit. Ok, their position in the Premier League table - eighth, with four wins from eight games - is unremarkable.

But in each of their three losses - all by a single goal - Spurs have dominated possession and had more attempts on goal than their opponents had. It was hardly an eye-catching victory over AZ Alkmaar but the single goal success was, across all competitions, Tottenham’s eighth win of the season.

In 12 matches, they have scored 27 times. Such is our obsession with Manchester United’s struggles, one of THE performances of the season went heavily under-acclaimed when Spurs won 3-0 at Old Trafford. United might have been poor that day but Spurs were outstanding - and that was without Heung-min Son, who will again be missing when Tottenham face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park today.

Postecoglou has a very decent set of attacking options and Moore, despite the manager trying to keep a lid on expectations (and James Maddison likening the youngster to Neymar does not help), is now very much one of them. They are exciting times at Tottenham.

The obvious caveat to any prediction of Spurs success this season is that exactly one year ago, Tottenham travelled to Selhurst Park, beat Palace 2-1 and were top of the table with 26 points, having won eight of their opening ten Premier League games. They then lost three of their next four and drew the other, eventually finishing fifth in the table.

But despite that implosion at Brighton, this feels like a Spurs team that is progressing under Postecoglou and it feels like he is growing into the job. There were a lot of sarcastic responses when Postecoglou recently said that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club. But there are enough signs from this Spurs team to suggest that trend will continue.

Ange Postecoglou has revealed he is a disciple of Dutch Total Football - and claimed their high defensive line in the 1970s was “even more radical than me”. The Aussie joked: “I've got a bit of a way to go.”

Tottenham welcome AZ Alkmaar tonight looking for a third consecutive win in the Europa League. Yesterday (wed) was the 20th anniversary of the death of double-winning manager Bill Nicholson - and Postecoglou said his “legacy” lives on at the club. But the former Celtic boss said Dutch football has been a “great influence” on his high-pressing footballing Angeball philosophy since staying up to watch Johan Cruyff and his fellow Dutch masters as a schoolboy.

“The whole 'Total Football' era was when I first fell in love with the game and the 74 World Cup, probably the pinnacle of 'Total Football', was also Australia's first time in a World Cup,” said Postecoglou, 59.

“At 2am I was up watching a grainy black and white TV and fascinated by the way the Dutch went about their football. Johan Cruyff I think was a genius in many respects, not just as a footballer but also a football thinker, so a great influence. That sort of filtered into Australian football, we've had Guus Hiddink who took us to the next World Cup and many Dutch coaches have come through there.

"People talk about my high line but watch the Dutch in 1974 and you'll see something even more radical than me. I've got a bit of a way to go! I've always loved Dutch football and followed it keenly.”

Dutchman Micky van de Ven said he was rejected as a youth by AZ Alkmaar where his father - TV star Marcel - still lives. And the steaks will be high tonight as his favourite eatery is De Koning steakhouse in the North Holland city famous for its cheese market.

"The owner of this restaurant is a good mate of my dad's,” he said. “I don't think I will get a discount if I play well tomorrow because then probably we will beat them!”

Postecoglou said captain Son Heung-min felt “a bit sore after the weekend” but the captain was always going to be rested against AZ. Richarlison is set to lead the attack.

Up front for the Dutch will be former Spurs striker Troy Parrott, who made four appearances in 2019-20 under Jose Mourinho. The Republic of Ireland star, 22, played on loan at Excelsior Rotterdam last season before joining AZ in July.

“I don't think I have any regrets,” said Parrott. “I am grateful for how the club treated me, helping me to grow up as a person and a player.”

Tottenham Hotspur have been fined £20,000 after accepting a charge of failing to control their players during Saturday's derby win against West Ham.

West Ham and winger Mohammed Kudus have until Thursday to respond to the FA after been charged with violent conduct by the FA following his tantrum in Saturday's defeat. Spurs admitted the charge immediately after it was received and received a swift punishment but West Ham's response remains unclear.

Ghana star Kudus faces the prospect of an even longer ban after being investigated for "acting in an improper manner" following the offence that he was sent off for.

Kudus has already been handed a three-game suspension that keeps him out of action until after the next international break but that could end up being tripled - such as when Joey Barton received a nine-game ban in 2012 for hitting out during a QPR game versus Manchester City.

Kudus was shown a red card, which was upgraded by VAR following an initial yellow, after kicking out and then shoving Spurs defender Micky van de Ven in the face during Spurs' 4-1 win.

The Ghana star then pushed Pape Matar Sarr in the face, while Richarlison hit the deck after charging in to Kudus during an incident involving more than a dozen players. The FA confirmed on Tuesday that both clubs and Kudus had been dealt charges.

"Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Mohammed Kudus have been charged following their Premier League match on Saturday, 19 October," an association spokesperson said.

"Tottenham Hotspur allegedly failed to ensure that their players didn't behave in an improper and/or provocative way around the 82nd minute. West Ham United allegedly failed to ensure that their players didn't behave in an improper and/or provocative and/or violent way at the same time.

"Mohammed Kudus allegedly acted in an improper manner and/or used violent conduct after the offence that he was sent off for. Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Mohammed Kudus have until Thursday, 24 October, to provide their responses."

West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui said he will speak to Kudus about the incident but claimed that he did not see the altercations.

“It's not good for him, it's not good for the club, for the team,” Lopetegui said. “But I can't say anything more because I don't see the action.”

Max Kilman said West Ham only had themselves to blame for their second-half horror show. Lopetegui’s team delivered an exhibition in defensive disorganisation before Kudus was sent off for violent conduct.

But with Hammers fans growing increasingly agitated by their new head coach’s failure to provide consistency, summer signing Kilman conceded: “It wasn’t good enough. There was a spell in the second half when we let the game slip.

“It was a bad spell for us. We lost concentration as a team at important moments and let them get ahead of us. “Obviously it’s not good enough for the level we are and the quality we have. We need to be doing much better. We need to be much better than that and make sure we’re ready for the next one.”

West Ham, already trapped in a lower mid-table morass, host Manchester United next Sunday and Kilman added: "For sure we need to get our heads down and put in a good performance next week.

"We need to compete with the best teams in the league and we have the quality to do that. We need to keep going and hopefully things will change."

West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus has been charged with violent conduct by the FA following his tantrum in Saturday's defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

And the Ghana star faces the prospect of an even longer ban after being investigated for "acting in an improper manner" following the offence that he was sent off for.

Kudus has already been handed a three-game suspension that keeps him out of action until after the next international break but that could end up being doubled.

He was shown a red card, which was upgraded by VAR following an initial yellow, after kicking out and then shoving Spurs defender Micky van de Ven in the face during Spurs' 4-1 win.

The Ghana star then pushed Pape Matar Sarr in the face, while Richarlison hit the deck after charging in to Kudus during an incident involving more than a dozen players.

And the FA have now confirmed that both clubs and Kudus have two days to respond to the charges.

"Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Mohammed Kudus have been charged following their Premier League match on Saturday, 19 October," an association spokesperson said.

"Tottenham Hotspur allegedly failed to ensure that their players didn't behave in an improper and/or provocative way around the 82nd minute. West Ham United allegedly failed to ensure that their players didn't behave in an improper and/or provocative and/or violent way at the same time.

"Mohammed Kudus allegedly acted in an improper manner and/or used violent conduct after the offence that he was sent off for. Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Mohammed Kudus have until Thursday, 24 October, to provide their responses."

West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui said he will speak to Kudus about the incident but claimed that he did not see the altercations.

“It's not good for him, it's not good for the club, for the team,” Lopetegui said. “But I can't say anything more because I don't see the action.”

Max Kilman said West Ham only had themselves to blame for their second-half horror show. Lopetegui’s team delivered an exhibition in defensive disorganisation before Kudus was sent off for violent conduct.

But with Hammers fans growing increasingly agitated by their new head coach’s failure to provide consistency, summer signing Kilman conceded: “It wasn’t good enough. There was a spell in the second half when we let the game slip.

“It was a bad spell for us. We lost concentration as a team at important moments and let them get ahead of us. “Obviously it’s not good enough for the level we are and the quality we have. We need to be doing much better. We need to be much better than that and make sure we’re ready for the next one.”

West Ham, already trapped in a lower mid-table morass, host Manchester United next Sunday and Kilman added: "For sure we need to get our heads down and put in a good performance next week.

"We need to compete with the best teams in the league and we have the quality to do that. We need to keep going and hopefully things will change."