The New York Times

West Ham United forward Mohammed Kudus’ suspension has been upgraded to five games by the Football Association (FA) after his red card against Tottenham Hotspur in October.

The 24-year-old was shown a straight red card for violent conduct following a video assistant referee (VAR) review in the second half of West Ham’s 4-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on October 19.

The suspension means, in addition to the games against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest that Kudus has already missed, he will also be unavailable for West Ham’s upcoming fixtures against Everton (November 9), Newcastle United (November 25), and Arsenal (November 30).

Kudus had initially been shown a yellow card by referee Andy Madley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after appearing to kick out at Spurs defender Micky van de Ven before pushing the Netherlands international in the face.

He then went on to push opposition midfielder Pape Matar Sarr in the face before VAR official Chris Kavanagh recommended Madley reviewed the incidents on the screen.

Kudus was issued a three-game suspension, of which he has already served two games, but after an FA hearing, where it was alleged he acted in an improper manner and/or used violent conduct, he will miss a further three games.

The independent commission agreed the two offences should be treated as two separate incidents and therefore deemed an additional ban was necessary.

As stated in the FA’s written reasons, Kudus submitted a letter to the FA on October 24, where despite believing Van de Ven had exaggerated the altercation, he apologised for the incident and stated that he was “deeply embarrassed” by his behaviour. The independent commission deemed his apology sincere, and also noted his acceptance of the charge and his previously clean disciplinary record when determining the length of his ban.

Kudus also stated that his preparation for the game against Tottenham had been “physically and mentally challenging” after playing 90 minutes in Ghana’s 2-0 defeat to Sudan in Libya just four days before, a defeat that left Ghana on the brink of failing to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

However, the FA said that because the game was a high-profile London derby, the “sustained and public nature” of Kudus’ “aggressive behaviour” as well as the level of force used by the Ghana international, a two-game suspension was a necessary punishment. Kudus has also been fined £60,000 ($77,294.69)

West Ham are 14h in the Premier League with just three wins from their opening ten league games of the season. They return to action against Everton on Saturday.

(Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Tottenham handed Aston Villa only their second Premier League defeat of the season on Sunday, with Ange Postecoglou’s side coming from behind to thump Unai Emery’s team 4-1.

The first half was a slow burner but it was the visitors who crafted the clear-cut chances (three of them in fact) and the only goal — Morgan Rogers poking home a close-range, high-xG chance from a corner.

Television stations dream of broadcasting half-time team talks because sometimes that 15-minute discussion really can make a difference. And so it proved in this game, with a revitalised Spurs equalising just four minutes into the second half via a trademark back-post Brennan Johnson finish.

And things only got better from there, Dominic Solanke scoring a four-minute brace and James Maddison adding a fourth from an added-time direct free kick to take Spurs up to seventh, just two points behind both Villa and Arsenal.

Jay Harris and Mark Carey analyse the game.

Dominic Solanke’s decisive impact

Dominic Solanke had not registered a shot on target in his previous three league games for Tottenham before they faced Aston Villa on Sunday. He works incredibly hard off the ball and likes to drop deep to set up his team-mates but Ange Postecoglou was asked on Friday if he was concerned about Solanke’s lack of goals.

“I am delighted with him, mate, I couldn’t be happier with the way he is leading that front line,” Postecoglou said.

And everything came together for Solanke in the second half against Aston Villa. He is an intelligent and selfless runner who will often open up gaps for other Spurs players to exploit.

He was the biggest beneficiary of his own hard work in the 75th minute when he made a brilliant curved run behind Villa’s defence. Nobody followed him and the England international delicately chipped the ball over Emiliano Martinez. It was a tense and fractious contest but Solanke remained composed to provide the match-turning moment.

When Pape Matar Sarr intercepted Pau Torres’ pass to initiate a counter, Solanke burst into the box again to score from Richarlison’s cross. It was the forward’s fourth goal in the top flight since joining Spurs in August from Bournemouth.

Solanke scored the third goal in September’s victory over Manchester United but this was the first time he had acted decisively to win his side the game.

His tackle on Torres in the 93rd minute just underlined how hard he works for this team, and he even managed to win the free kick from which James Maddison made it 4-1. It was a fine day’s work.

Jay Harris

That Tottenham back-post threat

Tottenham came flying out of the blocks in the second half after an opening 45 minutes that failed to meet expectations. Brennan Johnson’s back-post finish bagged the equaliser on 49 minutes, and it was a goal that will be familiar to Spurs fans.

Back-post goals have has been a theme of Ange Postecoglou’s methods long before he joined Spurs. With the focus on his striker occupying central areas between the width of the goalposts, it is the job of his wingers to ensure they are occupying the opposite side when a team-mate is crossing. They are the sort of positions that can get you double figures in your goal tally by making such runs consistently.

Johnson has developed a knack for popping up in those areas well under Postecoglou, and it was another well-timed run that saw him finish first time from Son Heung-min’s teasing cross from the left flank — much in the same way that he arrived in the perfect place to finish against Manchester United this season.

A right-footed right-sided winger can look jarring at times, given that the player is unlikely to drive inside onto his weaker foot.

There were long periods where Johnson was barely involved in Spurs’ attack, but his consistent off-ball runs to the back post are a key reason why he is in the team.

Mark Carey

More defensive injury concerns

Cristian Romero wiped out Morgan Rogers in the 60th minute with a heavy challenge as Aston Villa tried to counter. Rogers picked himself up seconds later but Romero stayed down on the floor. He eventually limped off the pitch and threw his right boot onto the floor as he walked down the tunnel.

It was a nightmare moment for Tottenham who were already without Micky van de Ven until after the international break due to a hamstring injury.

It places a lot of pressure on Radu Dragusin, who started a Premier League game for the first time since September’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United. It was a big test for the Romania international coming up against Ollie Watkins and there was an early warning sign in the sixth minute. John McGinn whipped a cross into the box which Dragusin let go past him only to see Watkins miss it.

Dragusin won plenty of aerial duels but there is room for improvement in possession. The 22-year-old took a free kick deep in Spurs’ half, received the ball back from Destiny Udogie and was then pressured into running the ball out of play. Romero and Van de Ven are far more composed on the ball and if Tottenham are without them both for an extended period, Dragusin will need to improve on the ball.

Ben Davies partnered Dragusin for the final half an hour and there is a strong chance they will start together against Galatasaray in the Europa League on Thursday. To their credit, the pair did well to cope with the dual threat of Watkins and substitute Jhon Duran in the closing stages.

Jay Harris

What did Ange Postecoglou say?

The Tottenham manager was pleased with how his side dealt with one of the Premier League’s best sides. “You’re playing a top team and you know with Villa that they’re always going to have a real strong performance because they’re very, very consistent. They rarely have off days and you’ve got to be ready for that.

“I thought we had to match it with him in the first half. We had to sort of draw on their energy and make them work really hard. Obviously we concede a goal, but I still felt like we made them work really hard in that first half.

“And, you know, the thing with us is we’ve got another gear in us, two or three gears and we keep going and we felt like we could really break them open in the second half if we just really stayed focused on making sure the football was up tempo and there was intensity in the game and credit to the players after a massive effort on Wednesday night, at least they know that physically they did it again.”

Postecoglou also praised two-goal Dominic Solanke: “I just think the enormous effort he put in on Wednesday night to help us win a game of football, not just physically but mentally and his capacity to help the team in every way he can.

“To back that up today with such a massive effort again against a pretty difficult team to play against in that sense, it’s just unbelievable. Yeah, the goals are great and of course as a striker I am sure he loves the fact he can score a couple of goals, but even if he didn’t, again I can’t speak highly enough of what he is contributing to our team at the moment. And long may it continue because with him playing that way, it just makes us a better team.”

What next for Tottenham?

Thursday, November 7: Galatasaray (A), Europa League, 5.45pm UK, 12.45pm ET

Recommended reading

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(Header photo: Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has been ruled out until after the international break with a hamstring injury.

The 23-year-old picked up the issue in his right leg during Spurs’ Carabao Cup victory over Manchester City on Wednesday, which booked their place in the last eight of the competition.

“The main one is Micky and he has sort of strained a hamstring,” said Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou. “It is not too serious but probably after the international break for him.”

It means Van de Ven will be unavailable for Sunday’s Premier League match against Aston Villa, their Europa League clash with Galatasaray next Thursday and Ipswich Town on November 10.

Van de Ven, who joined Tottenham from Wolfsburg on a six-year deal in August 2023, missed nine Premier League games last season with a separate hamstring issue.

Fellow centre-back Cristian Romero was also brought off in midweek before full-time but Postecoglou said he was removed as a precaution and still has a chance to feature this weekend.

Postecoglou added Son Heung-min trained on Friday and should be available to make his return from injury on Sunday having missed Tottenham’s last two outings.

Spurs are eighth in the table, five points adrift of Villa, who occupy the fourth and final Champions League qualification spots.

(Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur will host Manchester United in the quarter finals of the Carabao Cup, while holders Liverpool travel to Southampton.

United, who won the tournament in 2023, will play Spurs — who eliminated Manchester City in the last 16 on Wednesday evening. Tottenham’s last major trophy was the 2008 EFL Cup.

Southampton, who edged out Championship side Stoke City on Tuesday night, will host Liverpool. The south coast club defeated Liverpool at the semi-final stage in the 2017 tournament.

Elsewhere, there is a London derby between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at the Emirates, while 2023 finalists Newcastle United — who defeated Chelsea 2-0 on Wednesday — play host to Brentford.

Carabao Cup quarter-final draw in full

Ties will be played across the week beginning December 16.

Arsenal vs Crystal palace

Newcastle United vs Brentford

Southampton vs Liverpool

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United

Carabao Cup 2024-25 dates

Quarter-finals: Week starting December 16

Semi-finals: Weeks starting January 6 and February 3

Final: Sunday, March 16

(Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester City to advance to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, but both teams were left to rue multiple injuries during the game.

Timo Werner swept a fine goal past Stefan Ortega to give Tottenham an early lead and Pape Matar Sarr curled a brilliant shot home from long range to make it 2-0.

Just before the break Savinho set up Matheus Nunes to pull a goal back for City but Pep Guardiola’s side failed to level after the break.

City lost Manuel Akanji to injury in the warm-up, and Savinho was taken off on a stretcher in the second half, to add to their considerable injury list.

For Tottenham, Werner went off due to what Ange Postecoglou described as “fatigue” and, more worryingly for the club’s fans, Micky van de Ven, had to be replaced because of a hamstring injury.

Jack Pitt-Brooke, Thom Harris and Jay Harris (no relation) analyse the key talking points…

Should Spurs focus on the cups?

There was something familiar about this Spurs performance, if only because in recent years they have been very good at winning big games against Manchester City, especially here. This was their sixth win over City in eight attempts here, and it felt like some of those big nights under previous managers.

You might argue that, if Spurs are going to be a serious team this season, they need to play like this every week, to show up and compete in games like Crystal Palace away, or Brighton away, both of which they have painfully lost in recent weeks.

But there is still a lot to be said for being a cup team, one that can reach their top level when they need to, especially against top sides. Realistically, Spurs are not going to win the Premier League this season. Even top-four qualification will be difficult, given the teams ahead of them.

They are now down to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup though, and very well set in the Europa League too. The FA Cup is still to come. If they can just string a few more big performances like this together, and win a trophy, or even get close to one, this season can be a stirring success.

Even if they do not have in them to do it every week in the league.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Guardiola asked for no injuries. Instead he got two

Guardiola might have tempted fate with a request for the footballing gods at his pre-match press conference yesterday. “No injuries, please!” he smiled.

Instead, City lost a player before the game had even begun, Akanji dropping out of the starting line-up at the last minute, replaced by Ruben Dias after a suspected knock in the warm-up. An even darker twist came as Savinho passed Guardiola on a stretcher on his way down the tunnel early in the second half.

That now leaves eight of his players absent with injuries, including all three natural wingers: Savinho, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, Akanji, Kyle Walker, Rodri and Oscar Bobb.

While they have coped well with the season-ending blow to Rodri, tonight’s developments — especially with the young Brazilian winger hitting his best form for the club — will leave a bitter taste in the mouth for City fans, particularly if news surrounding Akanji is worse than initially thought.

Thom Harris

Spurs are half the team without Van de Ven

It was the sight that no Tottenham fan wanted to see: Van de Ven leaving the pitch in tears just 14 minutes into the game after sustaining what appeared to be a hamstring injury. He had just put in a thumping slide-tackle on Savinho, one that had lit up the whole crowd, part of Spurs’ ferocious start to this game. But when he stood up afterwards, he clutched his muscle in pain.

Everyone here thought back to last season and the damage done to Spurs’ campaign by a Van de Ven hamstring injury. He pulled up during Spurs’ calamitous 4-1 defeat to Chelsea, one year ago next week. The Dutch centre-back missed the next two months and Spurs’ season collapsed.

It is no secret now how important Van de Ven is to Spurs. His pace allows them to be as aggressive as they want to be. His skill on the ball helps them to build out from the back. He is a unique player and Spurs are half the team without him.

No wonder, then, that Ange Postecoglou withdrew Cristian Romero, seemingly to protect him, early on in the second half. Tottenham cannot afford the same centre-back crisis this autumn that they had last year.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

City will miss Savinho’s inventiveness from out wide

Guardiola singled out this fixture as one his team would not “waste energy” on well over a month in advance, and their first-half showing did little to suggest that he had gained any more enthusiasm to win it. Their build-up was routinely smothered by an aggressive Spurs press, and there was a worrying catalogue of mis-hit passes from Ilkay Gundogan and Nico O’Reilly in particular, even in instances when City had more time and space.

Instead, the zip to City’s play was provided by the wide players. While Matheus Nunes was again deputising on the left — notably racing past Archie Gray and squaring agonisingly ahead of Phil Foden late in the first half — Savinho was back making the right side his own, offering the kind of dynamism and freestyle dribbling that took La Liga by storm last campaign.

Aside from three outrageous nutmegs, Savio’s forward thrust has caught the eye in recent weeks — he carried the ball into the penalty area 10 times against Southampton last weekend, more than any player in a single game in Europe’s top five leagues this season. He managed four tonight before being taken off by a stretcher, providing the assist for City’s only goal with a perfectly stood-up cross to the back-post.

That was his party trick for Girona — bursting to the byline before clipping the ball to the far side — only he routinely did it from the left. That the 20-year-old is continuing to make that move look easy on the opposite flank is Savinho’s unpredictability in a nutshell.

Even when City return to full strength on the weekend, they will desperately miss his inventiveness from the flanks.

Thom Harris

Werner gives a reminder of his quality

When Werner was substituted at half-time in Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar last week, it felt like Ange Postecoglou was finally losing faith in him. Mikey Moore’s thrilling second-half performance, and flashes of brilliance on his first Premier League start against Crystal Palace at the weekend, seemed to confirm a changing of the guard.

With Son Heung-min and Wilson Odobert both injured, Werner was given another opportunity against Manchester City and it only took him six minutes to remind everybody of his quality.

Tottenham played out from the back and when Brennan Johnson flicked the ball into Dejan Kulusevski’s path, Man City were left wide open. Kulusevski crossed the ball into the box for Werner, whose first-time shot beat Ortega with a slight deflection from Rico Lewis. It was the 28-year-old’s first goal since March and only his third in 26 appearances for Spurs since he joined them in January from RB Leipzig on loan.

Tottenham supporters responded by chanting Werner’s name and that moment clearly filled him with confidence, as he was their biggest attacking threat throughout the first half. He kept driving past Lewis and drilling crosses into the box, and he helped Kulusevski set up Sarr’s stunning long-distance strike.

It was Werner’s best performance for a long time but there were still a few occasions where he was guilty of erratic finishing. He wasted an excellent chance to score right at the start of the second half when he raced away from Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias but fired wide.

It was a shame to see him limp off in the 68th minute clutching his inner right thigh but he was warmly applauded for what turned out to be a match-winning display.

Jay Harris

Carabao Cup quarter-final draw

Tottenham vs Man Utd

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

Newcastle vs Brentford

Southampton vs Liverpool

What did Ange Postecoglou say?

On injuries: “Micky (van de Ven) felt something in his right hamstring. He definitely felt something so will see how he is. Cuti (Romero) was a bit tight… I was contemplating changing him at half-time, obviously with losing Micky as well we didn’t want to lose another centre-half. He said he felt ok but my gut was telling me there was no point taking a risk, with Ben who could come on.”

“Timo hasn’t played a lot so it was more fatigue, hopefully, than anything else.”

On taking Sarr off: “He’d been booked, I just thought the way the game was going, I didn’t want to take a risk there. I thought Biss (Bissouma) would help us in our build-up, it got a bit sticky for us in the back end of the first half, playing out. And i thought having Biss and Rodri (Bentancur) in there would give us more of a foothold to try and play out from the back. I think it helped us in the second half. It was tactical more than anything else.”

What did Pep Guardiola say?

On Savinho’s injury: “It was the knock in the 18-yard box. We’ll have to see tomorrow if it’s a knock or something else.”

On not using Haaland: “The plan was always for him not to play, The game against Southampton was really demanding and I didn’t want to take the risk with him in this competition.”

On suffering defeat: “I don’t like to lose, but I like to see how the team behaves, the courage, the solidarity. I like it! Still I like it!”

What next for Spurs?

Sunday, November 3: Aston Villa (H), Premier League, 14:00 (GMT), 10:00 (ET)

What next for City?

Saturday, November 3: Bournemouth (A), Premier League, 15:00 (GMT), 11:00 (ET)

Recommended reading

Rodri is a deserved winner of the Ballon D’Or – no matter what Real Madrid might think

To continue their progress, Postecoglou’s Spurs must learn to win ugly

What Pep Guardiola really means when he is nice about a struggling manager

The tragedy of Pierre Bolangi, the promising footballer who died on a pre-season Army camp

(Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Manchester United interim head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy has said he will “help and serve” the club for as long as he is needed after he oversaw a 5-2 win against Leicester in his first match in charge after the club sacked Erik ten Hag on Monday.

United are working on a deal to appoint Sporting Lisbon head coach Ruben Amorim, but Van Nistelrooy insisted on Sky Sports post-match that he would be keen to remain at Old Trafford in a new coaching setup.

When asked if he would stay if United wanted to keep him on, he said: “Of course. I came here as an assistant, to help the club, and now on this role I’m helping as long as I’m needed.

“In the future in any capacity I am here to help the club further, to build towards the future. That’s what I’m here for. I’m here to help, I’m here to serve, I’m here to give my everything for the club. There are so many people round me that want the best for the club and that will never change.”

Tottenham Hotspur will host Manchester United in the quarter finals of the Carabao Cup, while holders Liverpool travel to Southampton.

United, who won the tournament in 2023, will play Spurs — who eliminated Manchester City in the last 16 this evening. Tottenham’s last major trophy was in 2008 in this competition.

Southampton, who edged out Championship side Stoke City on Tuesday night, will host Liverpool. The south-coast club defeated Liverpool at the semi-final stage in the 2017 tournament.

Elsewhere, there is a London derby between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park, while 2023 finalists Newcastle United — who defeated Chelsea 2-0 on Wednesday — play host to Brentford.

United’s interim boss was delighted with his team’s performance.

He said: “I couldn’t ask for more. The first goal was unbelievable, top goal, top corner. Then you also need some luck. The double post, came back to Casemiro. But the first one is in then you see more goals are coming. Good goal by Garna, good assist by Diogo. Do I have all five covered? Bruno… great night.”

Van Nistelrooy was particularly pleased for Casemiro: “I was delighted for Case. The way he’s been training, helping the team and the club, It’s such an example. You also see the crowd’s reaction, you see what he’s about. I’m delighted to have him around. He is an example for us. I was happy for him.”

The manager also singled out Bruno Fernandes for praise, adding: “It’s fantastic. I wasn’t worried about him because I see him every day in training, the way he’s helping the team. He’s taking a lot on his shoulders.

“He’s so responsible for everything within the club. Today he was free, go out and play well. I was delighted for him. Hopefully there are more to come.”

Manchester United’s negotiations with Sporting Lisbon centre on the date Ruben Amorim will be allowed to start working at Old Trafford, but progress is being made.

Sporting want Amorim to stay in charge for the next important games, including against Manchester City on Tuesday and Braga on November 10. They are also demanding extra compensation to allow the departure of the coaches Amorim would like to join him.

Should Sporting be allowed to keep Amorim as desired, he would join United during the international break, with his first game being away to Ipswich on November 24.

Ruud van Nistelrooy would then have four games in charge, as well as Leicester City in the Carabao Cup, adding in Chelsea in the Premier League, PAOK in the Europa League, and Leicester again in the Premier League.

Former United striking legend sees his club score five goals in his first match as temporary manager? Old Trafford in October 2024 had the feel of Cardiff City Stadium in December 2018 with Van Nistelrooy cast in the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer role this time.

Nearly everything United touched turned to goals against Leicester, starting with Casemiro’s screamer that kissed the angle of post and bar.

Later on Van Nistelrooy put on Rasmus Hojlund to join Joshua Zirkzee, and gave a run out to 18-year-old striker Ethan Wheatley.

He was making his mark while he has the chance.

Ruud van Nistelrooy certainly looked the part as he strode down the touchline before kick-off. Gone was the tracksuit he wore as Erik ten Hag’s assistant, and in came a polo neck, trousers and smart winter coat, very visibly a man in charge.

How long he has the United reins remains to be seen, and it is not yet clear what Amorim’s intentions would be with Van Nistelrooy, who has impressed people at Carrington. His first game in charge was certainly entertaining.

Van Nistelrooy’s arms shot skywards after Casemiro's opener, and three more celebrations followed in the first half as United remembered how to finish. Ten Hag must have been sat wondering where this shooting was at West Ham.

After the second goal, they sang Van Nistelrooy's name to the tune of Karma Chameleon, and after the fourth it was the more rudimentary “Ruud, Ruud, Ruud”. Either way, these supporters enjoyed having him in the Old Trafford hot seat.

Supporters have been having their say in The Athletic's discussion tab at the top of the page and clickable here.

United fan Burhanuddin S says: Feels so good to finally see them win honestly 🫠

Kevin F continues the optimism: Bring on Chelsea! 👍🏻🤞🏻 Let’s see if we can shackle Palmer and beat them… Not taking a lot from that match tbh but glad we’re in the next round. C’mon United!

While Paul S concludes: These players are a disgrace, but yes Dalot still can't defend so hopefully backup for the rest of the season 🤞 If I was Ineos I would withhold their wages for a while to show this is unacceptable no matter who is in charge, fuming!

They won 5-2, Paul!

Mikey Moore’s thrilling second-half performance in Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League victory over AZ Alkmaar last week appeared ominous for Timo Werner.

When Moore then started in the Premier League for the first time against Crystal Palace on Sunday, it seemed to confirm a changing of the guard. With the 17-year-old now providing backup to Son Heung-min and Wilson Odobert on Tottenham’s left, would Werner even make it into their matchday squad?

Since Werner joined from RB Leipzig on an initial six-month loan in January — a deal that was extended by a further year in the summer — he has only scored twice in 20 top-flight appearances. The last time he found the net for Spurs was in the 4-0 away win against Aston Villa on March 10. According to Opta, those two goals have come from an expected goals (xG) score of 4.4, and Werner has missed seven big chances in the Premier League as a Tottenham player.

He wasted a couple of great one-on-one situations in the 3-0 away win over Manchester United last month, and was substituted at half-time against AZ after another underwhelming display.

“He is definitely down in confidence, you can see that,” Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou said after their 1-0 win in the latter game. “It is a difficult thing to get out of sometimes. It can feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. All we can do is try to support him and keep trying to get him to a place where he feels a little bit more confident with certain things.

“He has played a great ball in for Mikey to score early on, and if that goes in that’s an assist for him, it gives him a lift, but it doesn’t happen. It happened at Ferencvaros as well (in the previous Europa League tie): he played a great cross that Will Lankshear just missed. But these things happen.

“He needs to find a way out of it, because for us, in those positions, we need players to make an impact. I thought in a couple of moments he lacked some self-belief that we need to try to restore in him somehow.”

Moore’s promotion into the first-team group, combined with the anticipated returns to fitness of Son and Odobert, appeared to leave Werner with limited chances to make that impact. But in football, things can, and do, change quickly.

Son’s recovery from the hamstring injury he suffered last month has not been as smooth as hoped.

He missed three club games in all competitions, and South Korea’s two World Cup qualifiers this month, before scoring as he made his comeback in the 4-1 win against West Ham United. But he has not played in either of Tottenham’s two matches since, and is unlikely to feature when they host Manchester City in the Carabao Cup tonight (Wednesday). Postecoglou is “confident” Son will be available when Aston Villa visit on Sunday, however.

Odobert injured a hamstring in the first half of the 2-1 win against Coventry City in the previous round of the Carabao Cup on September 18 and only returned as a late substitute in the AZ game. However, the 19-year-old signed from Burnley for an initial £25million ($32.5m) in the summer has suffered a setback, which “seems like a serious one” according to Postecoglou.

All of the above means Werner is in line to receive more playing time in the next few weeks than was previously anticipated.

Even when Son and Odobert are fully fit, there is value in keeping Werner.

Son is 32 years old now, and his minutes need to be managed carefully to ensure he can perform at the top level in the biggest games. Odobert, 20 next month, is still learning the intricacies of Postecoglou’s style of play and forging relationships with his new team-mates. Moore is younger still, having only turned 17 in August, and it is important not to heap too much pressure on him. He certainly cannot be expected to play every week and it will take time for him to adjust to the physicality of senior football.

Moore showed flashes of his quality in the 1-0 defeat at Palace but struggled to find space and get into threatening areas consistently. James Maddison compared the academy graduate to Brazilian superstar Neymar last week but Postecoglou is cautious of letting the hype around Moore build to an unsustainable level.

Richarlison is another option out wide. That is where he played most of his football in his 2022-23 debut season at Spurs, but now he is primarily needed as a backup striker to Dominic Solanke.

Werner’s lack of composure in the final third is frustrating but his explosive speed is still a dangerous weapon.

The 57-cap Germany international’s performance in his second Premier League appearance for Spurs back in January is a prime example of that. He attacked the space behind Brentford’s right wing-back Mads Roerslev to create Destiny Udogie’s equaliser and then sent in a low cross for Brennan Johnson’s goal to make it 2-1 in a memorable 3-2 win. Werner’s pace on the counter led to Maddison scoring against Brighton last month, to make it 2-0 to Tottenham, too.

He blows past defenders with such ease that it prompts other opposition players to try to intervene. The benefit of that is space opening up for Werner’s team-mates to exploit.

It is important to remember that Johnson has at times been criticised for his decision-making and erratic finishing, and yet the Wales international has been one of Spurs’ better players this season with six goals in 13 appearances across all competitions — already more than he managed (five) in 38 matches in the previous one.

A similar upturn for Werner in 2024-25 may feel unlikely at the moment but those flashes of brilliance last season should offer some belief it can happen.

Before that Brighton game, Postecoglou was asked about Werner’s form and said, “Where we are at in this world, people think because he has missed two chances he is hopeless — no, he is not hopeless.

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To continue their progress, Postecoglou's Spurs must learn to win ugly

“He has been taking on his players, getting into good areas. Yes, goals help — we have seen that with Brennan, from those types of positions. That doesn’t mean he (Werner) is not a good player. I get really annoyed when they put everything into that moment to say he is not a good player. Of course he is a good player. He is a fantastic player. Scoring goals would help him and us, but we will persevere with him because I still think he is contributing to the team.”

The perfect way for Werner to repay Postecoglou’s faith would be by helping them beat City tonight to book a place in December’s quarter-finals.

(Top photo: Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min is unlikely to feature in the club’s Carabao Cup tie against Manchester City on Wednesday while Wilson Odobert has suffered a “serious” setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Son was substituted in Tottenham’s 3-0 victory over Qarabag in September after feeling discomfort in his hamstring which forced him to miss their next three fixtures in all competitions and South Korea’s World Cup qualifying games during the October international break.

The 32-year-old returned to the starting line-up and scored in Tottenham’s 4-1 victory over West Ham United. He has not played in their two games since but could be available for Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Aston Villa.

Odobert injured his hamstring in the first half of Tottenham’s 2-1 win against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup last month and made his return as a substitute in the final few minutes of their 1-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League last Thursday. The 19-year-old was, though, left out of the squad for their 1-0 defeat by Crystal Palace on Sunday.

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To continue their progress, Postecoglou's Spurs must learn to win ugly

“Sonny is almost fit but probably from our perspective we will aim for the weekend,” Postecoglou said on Tuesday. “We are confident he will be right for the weekend.

“Wilson (Odobert) has had a setback during the week and it seems like a serious one. We are just waiting for more information. Not exactly the same (injury), but the same area.”

The absence of Son and Odobert means Timo Werner or 17-year-old Mikey Moore could start on the left wing against City.

There was some positive news from Postecoglou who revealed that full-back Djed Spence is back in training.

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Postecoglou says 'hard to keep a lid' on Tottenham's Moore

(Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

When Ange Postecoglou and Guglielmo Vicario were asked to reflect on Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday, the same theme came up in both of their answers.

“It was a game which turned into, and it didn’t surprise me, a bit of a battle,” Postecoglou said in his post-match press conference. “(There was a) lot of stop, starting and standing around. We didn’t deal with that well at all.”

Vicario put it more bluntly: “We play good football, but maybe sometimes we lack the desire to fight,” he told Sky Sports.

This time a year ago, Spurs were at the top of the Premier League table after winning eight of Postecoglou’s first 10 games in charge. Everything he touched turned to gold, but things are a little different now. This team will rip apart Manchester United or West Ham one week but then follow it up with a defeat to Brighton or Palace.

They are difficult to predict, but what is becoming clear is that they struggle against physical teams. It even happened in the first half of their 4-1 victory over West Ham, which Postecoglou described as an “arm-wrestle”. His solution was to replace James Maddison with Pape Matar Sarr at the interval, citing the Senegal international’s running power.

It would perhaps have been more understandable had they experienced these inconsistent performances and results at the start of Postecoglou’s reign, not in his second season. Back then, it could have been attributed to teething problems as they adjusted to his style of play, but now it is an underlying issue that is blocking their progress.

Spurs have lost four out of nine league games this season, which is not good enough for a team with aspirations of finishing in the top four and does not bode well for their dreams of lifting a trophy. Their four wins have all been by at least two goals, and have all been games in which they have led by the early stages of the second half; they do not appear to flourish in tight and tense games.

If Postecoglou is expecting teams to disrupt Tottenham’s game plan in a specific manner, then they have to become better at dealing with that adversity and find different ways to win. It was a topic that previously came up after that 3-2 defeat at Brighton, when he said he did not want to be “falsely rewarded” for not playing well by equalising late in the game against the run of play.

The beauty of sport though is that sometimes the better team loses. Championship-winning teams from across different sports occasionally need to rely on a bit of luck or need to tweak their approach to win. This version of Spurs are guilty of trying to win in the most aesthetically pleasing way possible in every match.

Tottenham concentrated a lot of their attacks down the right wing against Palace, where Pedro Porro, Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson combined. Oliver Glasner’s starting XI contained three centre-backs and this morphed into a back five out of possession. If Johnson or Kulusevski got in behind left wing-back Tyrick Mitchell, they still needed to find a way past Maxence Lacroix. The huge open spaces exploited brilliantly during the victories over Manchester United and West Ham were not on offer here. Centre-forward Dominic Solanke was an isolated figure in the box as Palace kept the rest of Tottenham’s attack at bay.

Postecoglou did try to switch things up when he made a triple substitution in the 61st minute. Richarlison, Sarr and Timo Werner replaced Kulusevski, Mikey Moore — who struggled to make an impact on his first Premier League start — and Maddison. It meant that Spurs shifted their shape to 4-2-4 with Johnson and Werner staying high alongside Richarlison and Solanke.

This was the first real opportunity to see how Solanke and Richarlison could complement each other (they briefly played together in the final few minutes of added time at the end of the 1-1 draw with Leicester City), but it did not work. Solanke kept dropping deep, turning with the ball and running forward before laying off a pass to his strike partner. Richarlison is still feeling his way up to full fitness after a calf injury and either took a heavy touch or made the wrong run. In future, after they have spent more time understanding each other’s game, being direct with two strikers may be an effective alternative tactic.

Taking off Maddison and Kulusevski left Spurs without a natural playmaker, which did not help. Sarr allowed Yves Bissouma to gain slightly more control, but they did not have anybody with the technical quality to take advantage.

This is still a young team — and one again missing its captain, Son Heung-min, due to a recurring hamstring injury. They were immature at times, which Postecoglou alluded to. “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,” he said.

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

The best example of this was Kulusevski, who was booked for dissent. The Sweden international has been Spurs’ best player this season since he moved permanently from the right wing into a central attacking midfield role. Yet he was replaced in the second half and, surely, part of Postecoglou’s rationale was that there was a risk he could get sent off.

After an encouraging debut season, the expectation was that Tottenham would keep improving under Postecoglou. There have certainly been some positive signs over the last couple of months, but the last few weeks of mixed results have served as a reminder that progress is not always linear.

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The Briefing: Crystal Palace 1 Tottenham 0 - Another poor away showing, did substitutions work?

(Top photo: Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)

Mikey Moore will make his first start for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

Moore, 17, impressed in Spurs’ 1-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday evening after he switched wings at half-time.

After the game his team-mate James Maddison said “from minute 45 to 65 I thought we had Neymar on the left wing” while head coach Ange Postecoglou said it will be “pretty hard to keep a lid” on Moore’s talent.

The England Under-19 international has earned an opportunity against Palace at Selhurst Park because captain Son Heung-Min is unavailable with a hamstring injury.

Timo Werner, who is out of form, has been named on the bench while Wilson Odobert is not involved in the matchday squad at all.

This is the latest step in a rapid rise for Moore who became the youngest player to represent Spurs in the Premier League in May when he came off the bench against Manchester City at 16.

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Postecoglou says 'hard to keep a lid' on Tottenham's Moore

(Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)