Cartilage Free Captain

Results in recent weeks have driven increased scrutiny of Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer activity over the summer. With a lack of depth made painfully obvious by the current injury crisis, the recruitment done through the summer could largely be seen as a (short-term) failure, with many of Spurs’ targets poised for bigger things but potentially not ready to make an immediate impact.

Some recent appointments, however, give a little context to that window. It turns out that Tottenham’s data and analytics team hadn’t been fully built yet, with two key appointments being confirmed only in the last month. Back in May, Spurs advertised for three roles reporting to the newly appointed Head of Football Insights and Strategy, Frederik Leth (pictured), as Johan Lange worked to modernize Spurs’ scouting and recruitment to give the club a much-needed leg-up in the transfer market.

We now have information on two of those, with Tottenham appointing Pawel Kapuscinski to the Lead Data Engineer role, and Sasha Satikova as Lead Data Scientist. The third vacancy, Lead Scouting Insights Analyst, also appears to now be filled with a private LinkedIn profile carrying the title (which unfortunately prevents us from garnering any insight as to the third appointee).

On the face of it, both Kapuscinski and Satikova appear excellent hires. Advanced analytics is really still somewhat in its infancy in the football world, but both have extensive experience working in sporting endeavors and football specifically: Kapuscinksi worked for Zelus Analytics over the last few years, an organization focused on building sports analytics platforms, and held prior roles at Polish clubs Rakow Czestochowa and Warta Poznan, as well as Burnley; and Satikova has been at City Football Group as their Senior Data Scientist for the last three years.

Many of you may not know, but I work in this area for my day job (not football specifically, unfortunately), so have probably a bit more than cursory understanding of the breakdown of these roles - though how the three operate can vary depending on the organization. Of the three, the Data Engineer moves the needle the least for me - as typically it’s a very technically focused role, with understanding of football more a bonus than a core component. To put it in simple terms, the engineer pulls data from different sources, cleans it up, mashes it together, then stores it in a way that enables the data scientists and analysts to perform extensive analysis.

The Data Scientist and Insights Analyst on the other hand tend to have a strong need for understanding of their chosen fields. The scientist role focuses on longitudinal, exploratory analysis with a goal of producing statistical measures and models to help identify key metrics and performers. Remember xG? That’s a product of data science. The analyst can then utilize these models and measures and present them in a way that other people in the organization can then act on - the charts you see on fbref would be one such output, and that person might then present some key targets based on those data. Both of these roles work really closely with the engineer, as HOW the data engineer goes about moving the data around is driven largely from requirements and logic identified by the other two roles.

These are genuinely quite exciting hires. Because the football analytics world is largely lacking maturity, securing personnel who are not just excellent at working with data but with specific, first-hand footballing knowledge immediately allows the club to get started on the front foot. It’s likely there will be scope as well for research and innovation, potentially generating new metrics to try and identify future targets and get ahead of the curve (and rival clubs) in building the squad.

Tottenham was dead, to begin with. There was no doubt whatever about that. The register of its burial was signed by the kitman, the staff, the Liverpool fans, and the chief mourners. Levy signed it. And Levy’s name was good upon ‘Change for anything he chose to put his hand to.

Tottenham Hotspur was dead as a doornail.

Or are they? Sure, losing 3-6 to Liverpool at home stung quite a bit, but Tottenham at least did it the Ange way, not giving up, continuing to play despite missing ten players and going up against an in-form team at the top of the table. I honestly felt better about getting hammered by Liverpool on Sunday than I have drawing Leicester, or losing to Ipswich.

Going into this article I have no idea what the player ratings would look like. Sure, they got smashed, but was the performance BAD? ...I mean besides the obvious. Guess you’re going to find out by (not) reading this article, right?

I have long said that the closest American analogue to the hyper-local and just plain hyper fandom of English football is college American football. And another uniquely American analogue to the derby is the college football bowl. If you’re British you’ve probably heard of the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl. But there’s a whole slate of minor, lesser bowls available to any college team that finishes .500 in their season. Most of them are sponsored by #brands. And they are GLORIOUS.

So as bowl season kicks into high gear here in the Colonies, I thought we’d take a look at some of the minor bowls that are set to kick off. Here are your Tottenham Hotspur player ratings for the loss to Liverpool to the theme of minor American college football bowls.

Iowa State (10-3) vs. Miami (10-2)

Some bowls take things super seriously. Then there’s the Pop-Tarts Bowl. It debuted last season and featured the debut of a giant, instantly meme-worthy googly-eyed strawberry Pop-Tart mascot that rose up out of a giant toaster like phoenix... or like a fiend from the pit. And the best part is the winner of the game literally gets to eat the giant mascot as it slides, piping hot, onto the field for the team to devour. It’s ridiculous. It’s incredible. I’m definitely gonna watch it.

No Tottenham Hotspur players were as good as the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Miami of Ohio (8-5) vs. Colorado State (8-4)

Yes, you read that correctly — the Arizona Bowl is sponsored by your favorite aging stoner rapper and T-Mobile spokesman. I have no idea how this bowl game will celebrate Snoop, but you know it will be awesome and very likely off the freakin’ chain. Fo shizzle.

Dejan Kulusevski (Community — 3.5): Almost certainly Spurs’ best player on the day. Looked dynamic and exciting, and took his goal well.

Minnesota (7-5) vs. Virginia Tech (6-6)

I don’t have much to say about the Duke’s Mayo Bowl except to point out that instead of getting doused with Gatorade, the winning coach gets a giant tub of mayonnaise dumped on his head. America!

James Maddison (Community — 3.0): Cut a frustrated figure in the second half and had his head in his hands after being subbed off, but I’m adding a half star for his curling goal.

Dominic Solanke (Community — 3.5): Hardly got any service but he again worked hard in the press and nabbed a smart rebound goal to give Spurs a little hope.

Lucas Bergvall (Community — 3.0): Had the advantage of coming in at a point where effort and industry could make a difference. Lovely ball to set up Spurs’ third goal and you can see things are starting to click a little bit for him at this level. More minutes will help, and I hope we’ll see him take the leap either this spring or next season.

Djed Spence (Community — 3.5): Not a lot of Christmas Cheer in that back line, but if there’s anyone who came out of that match with a little credit, it was Djed. Is he a better Ange fullback than Destiny Udogie right now MY COLUMN

South Carolina (9-3) vs. Illinois (9-3)

When I think of citrus I don’t think of baked cheese crackers, but you gotta admit they’re delicious and meme-worthy. A quick google tells me that the fan experiences are mostly bog-standard, including a pep rally and some “Cheez-It inspired fan makeovers.” Feels like a real missed opportunity for like a giant Cheez-It parachuting from a plane or something, IDK.

Pape Sarr (Community — 2.5): One of the few bright(ish) spots in this match. I appreciated his work rate and ability to cover every inch of grass, even if his stuff mostly didn’t come off.

Brennan Johnson (Community — 2.5): Call me crazy but I really think Johnson would’ve been good starting this match, as it seemed like a good situation for his “do nothing but crash the box and tap in goals” play style. Got an assist and nearly scored himself.

Ange Postecoglou (Community — 2.5): Whaddya do with Ange in this one? I’m giving him three stars for basically giving all the “aNgE mUsT pLaY MoRe pRagMaTicAlLy” people the middle finger. Are we not entertained? Well the neutrals sure were.

East Carolina (7-5) vs. North Carolina State (6-6)

If there’s one thing college bowl sponsors love, it’s Giving Credit To Our Troops™, whether that’s this bowl, or the IS4S Salute to Our Veterans Bowl or the (seriously) Lockheed Martin Armed Services Bowl. There’s a bowl for all your patriotic holiday needs, I guess.

Archie Gray (Community — 3.0): I feel a little bad putting Archie this low and he was definitely not the worst defender in that back line, but it’s hard to overlook giving up six goals, even if he was covering for Dragusin most of the match.

Yves Bissouma (Community — 2.0): Kinda grading on a curve here because I yelled at Yves a lot during this match, but Biss had his moments in midfield and things could’ve gotten even uglier if he had played more poorly than he did.

Son Heung-Min (Community — 2.0): Still looks hesitant to shoot in the buildup around the box. Worked hard, but ended up with very little to show for it.

Memphis (10-2) vs. West Virginia (6-6)

TIL there’s a “Scooter’s Coffee” which apparently sells enough drive-through coffee in Nebraska to sponsor a real actual bowl game.

Fraser Forster (Community — 2.0): I know. I KNOW. He’s been a good shot stopper lately, but that doesn’t excuse another hospital pass out of the back inside ten minutes that led to a big chance, getting caught in no-man’s land while rushing out for a counter, and being completely at sea for most of Spurs’ goals. Shocking match. Put Googly Elmo in a bacta tank, please.

Radu Dragusin (Community — 1.5): When you’re indirectly responsible for five of Spurs’ six allowed goals and your playing partner, an 18-year old kid playing out of position, is having to reguarly cover for you, it’s a bad game. I can’t think of many defensive performances not involving Davinson Sanchez that were much worse.

Pedro Porro (Community — 2.0): Not one of Pedro’s better matches as he was regularly torched by an in-form Diaz, but the guy needs to sleep for like a week and there’s not a whole lot of respite coming until the new year. I’m not mad, just a little sad for him.

Rutgers (7-5) vs. Kansas State (8-4)

Sometimes sponsorships are fun (see above) and sometimes they’re just confusing and don’t do much to add anything to a college football game. I had to google the Rate Bowl, because the name doesn’t tell you anything about it. (It’s the old Copper Bowl in Arizona). Rate Bowl is just boring, which probably fits for a game between Rutgers and Kansas State.

No Tottenham Hotspur players were as bad as the Rate Bowl.

A Christmas Tom Carroll Memorial Non-Rating

There is only one day until Christmas, and there is not a single Tottenham Hotspur jumper in sight.

I’m going through the Spurs online store now and there are surprisingly few Christmas items. You have a Spurs gingerbread ornament ($11), a gift bag ($6!!), children socks ($11), a cockerel globe ($27) that actually looks pretty cool. But no jumper.

It isn’t as if I were going to buy one, but it does change my hoddling plans today. Guess I’ll have to write about no Spurs jumpers instead.

They did have a couple incredible options last year:

I’m not really a fan of those gnome characters, but that is a good looking jumper. The vest also looks not terrible too, but I don’t think the cockerel is big enough.

There were a couple really solid ones a couple years ago too featuring Hugo Lloris, Harry Winks, Jan Vertonghen and Heung-min Son.

Now, if you’re looking for a good Christmas jumper, I recommend heading to Ipswich Town.

The Tractor Boys have more than FIVE offerings to choose from. Here’s my personal favourite:

Now that is a solid Christmas jumper. Beautiful sleeves. Club crest front and centre. Plus a wonderful snapped cracker sash. Who here doesn’t love a sash?

This is the gold standard for Christmas jumpers.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Merry Christmas Baby, by Otis Redding

And now for your links:

ESPN with comprehensive coverage of football sweaters (apparently there is or was a Spurs one?)

You might have noticed that the transfer rumor stories here at Carty Free Towers has dried up significantly. There’s a reason for that. New sporting director Johan Lange has shut the door on virtually all leaks from the club, so the rumors that show up tend to be sourced from agents trying to get a deal for their client and those tend to show up via... let’s call them “lower tier” rumor websites.

So if you’re wondering why I’m writing an article on a rumor from Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, keep that context in mind, because we’re not getting the pipeline of juicy gossip from club sources like we were used to under Fabio Paratici in past seasons. Anyway, the rumor is that Spurs are looking at their defensive options in the January transfer window and have made an inquiry to Atalanta for a potential loan for English central defender Ben Godfrey.

Godfrey is a former Everton player who moved to Italy this summer, and he’s barely played — two appearances for a grand total of 19 minutes. He is positionally flexible and an Atalanta report from this summer suggests he’s strong in the air, but he’s also pretty mid with very few indications from his statics that he’s especially fast or particularly good on the ball, both things that are pretty important in an Ange-Ball high defensive line. Everton supporters didn’t seem too broken up by his departure and seemed plenty happy to let him go for £12m.

With all respect to good ol’ Sports Peeto, I can certainly understand Spurs having the impulse to look at all their options going forward. It’s not a great thing, as we saw last night, to be without three of your four central defense options during the busiest part of the season. But Godfrey would be the literal definition of a warm body in reserve. I don’t hate the idea of a loan signing but Godfrey on a short term deal doesn’t help with the Europa squad list, and it’s not clear how much he’d play anyway considering Cuti Romero and Micky van de Ven are expected back in the new year. Is Ben Godfrey a better option than Archie Gray out of position or Alfie Dorrington? Maybe, especially if it allows Archie to transition to central midfield. Is it worth it? I am really unsure.

It’s a weird rumor and a bad source, and we’re surely scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to transfer rumors right now. It’s fair to say we have really no idea what Lange and Company have planned for the squad next month. I guess it’s worth wondering whether kicking the can down the road for half a season is better than identifying and potentially overspending for a priority defensive target now. I’m leaning towards not.

Hoddler-in-chief’s note: Your hoddler-in-chief will be travelling for the next week or so and will not be carrying his laptop with him. Your daily links, then, will not comprise of the typical news links I provide. Instead, please enjoy a selection of more evergreen things both related to and unrelated to football.

———

Happy Festivus, everyone!

The twenty-third day of December marks a special day in the lives of Seinfeldians across the globe as we come together to celebrate the day of Festivus.

The Festivus tradition first picked up popularity during a 1997 episode of Seinfeld, although its roots date back a little earlier in response to some of the commercialism of Christmas.

Festivus pole: It must be an aluminum pole and it must be displayed sans ornaments.

Dinner: We know little about what is supposed to be a traditional Festivus meal. But in the episode George Cotsanza’s mother Estelle serves what looks like sliced meatloaf on a bed of lettuce.

Airing of grievances: I’ll get to this one later, but it pretty much gives everyone the chance to say how others around them have bothered them.

Feats of strength: The head of household challenges one guest to a wrestling match, and the holiday is not over until the HoH is pinned.

Now, let’s get to it:

First of all, enough with the mentions of this “painful rebuild”. That phrase is five or six years old now. Give it a rest! Yeah I get it. Spurs are in a new project. But we’re well beyond what Poch mentioned (remember that guy?) and I’m sick of hearing that phrase.

Speaking of phrases, why must we begin a disagreeing comment with the word “Eh”? It’s a very patronizing and dismissive thing to say. Just move on to the point you’re trying to make.

It also grinds my gears that commenters are so cavalier about players getting surgery as opposed to the longer - if not always successful - process of physical therapy and rest. I can’t speak for footballers, but I sure as heck would treat surgery as a last resort.

Also, why does my boy Harry Winks got to continue taking shots? He served the club well for years and now plays for Leicester. Leave my boy alone.

And I’m still flummoxed that some people mentioned the scary ice and fire monster from that one movie when I specifically asked no one to bring it up. Let this be the last time we speak of this.

Anyways - wishing you all a happy Festivus!

Got any grievances with your hoddler-in-chief? Share em below!

Fitzie’s track of the day: Father Christmas, by Cheap Trick

And now for your links:

WSJ ($$) with a profile piece on darts sensation Luke Littler

NYT: ‘Celebrate the holidays like you’re Frank Costanza’

Well, that was certainly a football match. Tottenham Hotspur got the brakes beaten off them by league-leading Liverpool, losing the match 3-6. Yes, that is the correct scoreline. Strangely, I’m sanguine and not even mad about this result — Liverpool are very good, played exceptionally well today, and Spurs were missing about half their team and are running on fumes. And they STILL put three past Liverpool, and could’ve had four or five.

There are going to be some FEELINGS after this one but I think there’s ample opportunity for some very nuanced ratings. Except for Radu Dragusin, that guy had a ‘mare.

It’s time to rate the players.

Rate the players from 1⁄2 to 5 stars. If the player doesn’t deserve a rating due to minutes played, DO NOT RANK. I will round the stars up/down to the nearest half-star for the player ratings later this week.

Filed under:

Tottenham Hotspur Match Reports

Tottenham Hotspur 3-6 Liverpool: Reds run rampant as Spurs struggle

This match was on all the drugs.

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It’s never a great time for Tottenham Hotspur to take on Liverpool, but the timing of today’s match was worse than most. A brutal run of fixtures amidst an injury crisis has exhausted the Spurs squad, and a match against the league leaders was probably not on anybody’s Christmas wishlist.

Ange Postecoglou named an unchanged side following Spurs’ midweek win over Manchester United, but this was a match that followed a much different trajectory as Liverpool put a tired Tottenham team to the sword. The Reds took a two-goal lead early via Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister, with Mo Salah taking shots at will. Things momentarily looked brighter for Spurs as James Maddison slotted home following Dejan Kulusevski robbing Mac Allister of possession, but any hopes were immediately quashed as Liverpool scored a late third as Dominik Szoboszlai benefited from a defensive calamity by the Spurs backline.

The second half began largely with more of the same. Salah made good on his threats, collecting a double as Spurs’ makeshift defense struggled to deal with the movement of Liverpool’s attack, with the Tottenham midfield exacerbating matters with giveaway after giveaway. It was threatening to look like a cricket score, before Spurs decided to make things interesting with two quick goals: one each for Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski, who scored in the fifth match running.

Changes from both sides, including bright cameos from Timo Werner and Lucas Bergvall, added fresh energy to the pitch as both teams began to slice through each other at will. Some Spurs fans perhaps began to believe the impossible could become improbable, could become reality. It was not to be though, as Luis Diaz added another to the scoresheet for Liverpool and quashed any chance of a late Spurs comeback.

Reactions

That was bad. That said, it’s not like we learned anything new. The squad is tired, we have a midfielder / fullback playing at center back, and zero depth.

The press has been huge for Spurs this season. Even today, it contributed to Tottenham’s first; but it was largely bypassed by Liverpool. Their ability to find an out-ball was phenomenal, and Spurs’ lack of energy showed at times, with Tottenham players often just marginally late in shutting down the ball. It was enough to enable the Reds to play through and around Spurs’ defense.

You could name a laundry list of Spurs players who struggled today (Son and Bissouma two notable ones), but Radu Dragusin in particular had an absolute shocker. On two of Liverpool’s goals, he charged out of position and failed , leaving his teenage partner Gray to manage an untenable situation. Liverpool’s third just before halftime was especially egregious, as he challenged for a header he shouldn’t have, lost, and then somehow was completely unable to make it back to play any part in preventing Liverpool scoring. And that’s without even talking about his lack of ability on the ball. Is he a good fit for this side?

Fraser Forster struggled too. There were early warning signs as he passed the ball straight to Salah in his own box, before he stayed glued to his line when a cross was played into the six-yard box, forcing him to make a (very good, to his credit) reaction save. That inability to get off his line was instrumental in Mac Allister’s first-half goal, and he arguably could have done better on Diaz’s second. He’s had some good moments in the last several weeks, but he’s low on confidence right now.

Did the Premier League call up a Liverpool schoolboy to ref this game? It wouldn’t have moved the needle in terms of the result either way, but it felt at times like it was a Liverpool home match the way the game was called. One no-call on a foul by Szoboszlai as Son broke forward was especially egregious, with Szoboszlai in no-man’s land and the last man back. It probably wasn’t quite a Denial of Goal-Scoring Opportunity, but it was a shocker of a decision to not blow the whistle.

Djed Spence has been a real bright spot in the last few weeks. He was very good today against a tough opponent in Mo Salah.

Lucas Bergvall showed some good moments against a tough opponent as well, and while Dejan Kulusevski struggled a bit in the first half, he immediately had an impact once shifted central with his energy invaluable.

If I have to hear another commentator go on about Ange Postecoglou’s inverted fullback setup when they’re clearing playing wider and in more conservative positions, I swear I will break something.

Speaking of, Pedro Porro (who is clearly exhausted) was routinely in acres of space today, but nobody on this Spurs team had the passing capability to pick him out. Spurs need to learn how to quickly switch the play in matches like this.

Next up: Spurs continue the festive period with an away match at Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day. COYS!

It’s quite likely the worst possible time Tottenham Hotspur could be playing Premier League leaders Liverpool.

An injury crisis combined with the fixture congestion of the Christmas period means an inexperienced, bare bones Spurs squad will face up against a Reds side sitting pretty atop the league table. Arne Slot’s team has largely cruised since he arrived in Merseyside and Spurs’ record historically against Liverpool is mixed to say the least.

Liverpool are typically not a team to take the conservative approach, however, and that could play into Ange Postecoglou’s hands. The Lilywhites will be buoyed by stringing together a couple of wins, and hopefully that winning feeling will catch. We all know this team can beat anyone. Let’s do this.

COYS!

Lineups

Live Blog

How to Watch

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Liverpool

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK

Sunday, December 22, 2024

Time: 11:30 a.m. ET, 4:30 p.m. UK

TV: USA Network, Sky Sports Premier League (UK). Check international listings at livesoccertv.com

Streaming: nbcsports.com

Match thread rules

The match thread rules are the same as always. To any visitors coming here for the first time, welcome! We’re glad you’re here! Wipe your feet, mind the gap, and be sure to check out the other pages at this outstanding site. While you’re here, though, we have a few rules and regulations:

Absolutely no links to illegal streams. They’re bad and they get us in trouble. Violators will be warned or banned.

We have rules against “relentless negativity.” Nobody likes a Negative Nancy. Don’t knee-jerk and post outlandish or hurtful things just because you’re frustrated.

Along those lines, outright abuse of players or match officials is also not allowed. It’s fine to say “wow, that was a really bad call,” but it’s NOT okay to direct copious amounts of abuse in the direction of said official over a call you did not like.

Treat other people in the match thread the way you would want someone else to treat your grandmother. Be nice. This is a community of fans, not an un-moderated message board.

NO SPIDERS!

Finally, while we don’t have a rule against profanity, please try and keep the naughty words in check. Also, language that is sexist, racist, transphobic, or homophobic in nature will be swiftly deleted and you will be immediately banned. This is an open, supportive community.

Have fun, and COYS!

Though Thursday’s win moved Tottenham Hotspur to 4-0-0 against the city of Manchester this season, losses against both London rivals makes it impossible to predict how it will fare against the last remaining big six opponent. We will get a convincing answer soon enough, as Spurs are set to see Liverpool three times over the next couple months.

The first encounter comes via the league on Sunday as Tottenham kicks off the first of four straight festive fixtures. Liverpool looks like the country’s best team and is a tough matchup for Ange Postecoglou’s injury-riddled squad. There are seemingly always fireworks when these sides meet, so hopefully the chaos works in the underdog’s favor this weekend.

Tottenham Hotspur (t-10th, 23pts) vs. Liverpool (1st, 36pts)

Date: Sunday, December 22

Time: 11:30 am ET, 4:30 pm UK

Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

TV: NBC (US), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)

Only one of these teams won its last league match and comically that is Tottenham, of course. Liverpool has actually drawn two in a row but still holds the lead over Chelsea and is first in xGD, while also winning each of its first six Champions League fixtures. This has been an amazing start for Arne Slot and he is well positioned for some silverware in year one at the helm.

The last time these teams met at the new Lane will not soon be forgotten after one of the most infamous VAR gaffes in history. Spurs needed a last-minute Joel Matip own goal to take down the 10-men visitors, which was their first win in this fixture since 2017. In May, Tottenham went down 4-0 at Anfield before bagging a couple late goals, ultimately not impacting the title race at all after losing to all three contestants.

Inspired attacking

Liverpool owns the league’s best defense, so it will require an impressive performance from the Spurs attack to secure a win on Sunday. Fortunately, goals have been flowing over the past week with Dominic Solanke, Heung-Min Son, Dejan Kulusevski, and James Maddison each finding the back of the net twice. This feels like Postecoglou’s plan operating as desired, and it will need to be a group effort to continue this level of production.

The Reds have allowed multiple goals in each of their last two league contests, and despite their overall stinginess this season, this does theoretically set up for Tottenham to run on the counter. The press is always dicey with Postecoglou’s insistence on playing out the back, but if Spurs can break through the visitor’s aggression there should be some prime scoring chances.

Come on you duct tape

Fraser Forster finally suffered the type of nightmare on Thursday that most expected to see since he took over, which is disappointing as the replacement keeper and second-choice center backs have actually been somewhat passable. This reality check comes at a tough time as there is no opportunity to regroup with Liverpool’s deadly attack ready to feast.

Mohammad Salah (16 G, 13 A) is having another excellent season with Luiz Diaz and Cody Gapko both on nine total goals this season as well. Liverpool has scored multiple goals in each of its last eight league fixtures, while Spurs have found many ways to help out the opposing attack. It is going to require a heroic effort from the back line to keep this one close and a clean sheet is pretty unlikely; chaos feels like the only way Tottenham gets a result this weekend, and that has to involve some lucky defensive moments.

Filed under:

Tottenham Hotspur Match Reports

Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 Manchester United: Son olimpico powers Spurs to League Cup semifinals

WOWWWWWWW

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It was shaping up to be a comfortable win for Tottenham Hotspur in their League Cup quarterfinal match against Manchester United. It ended up anything but. Spurs took a 3-0 lead into midway through the second half thanks to a brace from Dominic Solanke and on from Dejan Kulusevski, but two inexplicable goalkeeping errors from Fraser Forster gifted United two second half goals in seven minutes from substitutes Joshua Zirkzee and Amad Diallo. Tottenham were forced to endure an extremely nervous last quarter of an hour at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

And then all hell broke loose.

In the 88th minute, Son Heung-Min took a corner kick and put the gol-danged ball directly in the net, an Olimpico goal for the ages to put Spurs up 4-2. Then deep into stoppage time, Jonny Evans fired in a late header to make the score 4-3. It looked for a split second like United might actually find a way to level the score, but Spurs were able to waste enough time late take the team to the final whistle. The final score was Tottenham 4-3 United; Spurs will find out their semifinal opponent later tonight

Match Reactions:

What a stupid match.

This match had EVERYTHING: a Solanke brace, stupid goalkeeping, questionable calls that couldn’t be reviewed because there was no VAR, a FREAKIN’ OLIMPICO GOAL, a Sergio Reguilon human victory cigar appearance, and a goal from the shambling corpse of Jonny Evans. Wild stuff.

Final xG: Tottenham 0.68 - 2.38 United. That’s pretty LOL but also I feel that’s skewed by the two HUGE chances Spurs handed to them on a platter.

I had just got done praising Fraser Forster for making a big save when he plays a hospital ball out of the back and gifts United a goal, then gives away another one for being lackadaisical with the ball at his feet. He’s been good lately but that were just awful, awful mistakes to make from an experienced keeper, and this was EXACTLY why I’ve been holding my breath every match.

Honestly, the Forster stuff really overshadows the fact that Spurs played pretty well! They looked good going forward, were defending the transition quite capably. Most of the shots they were allowing were low xG and were off target. But of course the nerves kicked in after Spurs’ keeper threw two goals into his own net.

We only got one replay of Solanke’s first goal, but it did look like he was onside when Porro took his blocked shot. Not that it matters — no VAR this round, so the official’s original call was always going to stand.

Spurs’ second goal was just a nice, classic Ange-Ball cutback goal. Maddison with an overlap run, a cutback that got a lucky deflection off a United defender, and a good open shot from Deki.

Plenty of Levy Out chants in the stands today, but at least they weren’t singing about sacking Ange. That’s an improvement?

Sarr’s yellow means he’s suspended from the semifinal for yellow card accumulation.

Spurs’ play out of the back was pretty bad at times — lots of poor passing in the face of a rather mediocre United press — but thankfully United’s attackers were worse.

Spence had another very nice match, putting in the pass that set up Solanke and looking bright going forward. If you want to be picky there were times where he was occupying the inverted spaces when he could, but it’s really hard to be too critical about this match. He was pretty great.

Son Heung-Min is still pretty great at football. What a goal! I really really wonder if this had happened in a Premier League match if VAR would’ve called a foul on Bergvall — it looked like there was an argument for a foul. Maybe not a strong one, but you never really know when VAR gets involved and whether that would be considered a clear and obvious error. On the other hand, Vicario had been manhandled in the box all season. Whatever, it counted, and it ruled.

Loved that hug between Ange and Amorim after the final whistle. “Did we just become best friends?” “YEP!”

Spurs will find out their semifinal opponent later tonight. (Brace yourselves, it will be Arsenal.)