Cartilage Free Captain

Sampdoria are headed for Serie C for the first time in their history - or are they?

We don’t know the answer to that question yet, and apparently a 38-game season in which Sampdoria finished 18th wasn’t enough to decide it.

Now I know what you’re asking: “Why do we care at all about Sampdoria? Is Ange in or out? Tell me you coward!”

Settle down, my dear hoddlers. Some things are more important than the future of Tottenham Hotspur’s manager. One of those things is the second-tier Italian football club that Spurs loaned Harry Winks out to two seasons ago.

According to The Athletic, Italian football’s supervisory body informed Serie B that it was investigating Brescia over alleged financial irregularities.

The penalty would be a four-point deduction if they are found guilty, which would push Sampdoria into the relegation playoffs.

The relegation playoff between Frosinone and Salernitana has since been postponed. If Brescia are found guilty, then Frosinone would be safe from relegation altogether.

Brescia said it would appeal. Here’s the English translation:

Following the press reports that emerged today and the notice of conclusion of the investigation received from the FIGC for alleged irregularities in payments, Brescia Calcio Spa announces that it will appeal to any sporting venue and, if necessary, extra-sporting venue, to protect its position believing that it has correctly fulfilled the federal deadlines and acted in accordance with state and sporting regulations.

The stakes are huge. No one wants to be relegated to Serie C. That’s where football dreams go to die. And it would be a huge shame if Sampdoria fell into that black hole.

But this is Italian football and twists are aplenty.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Got My Mind Set On You, by George Harrison

And now for your links:

The Athletic ($$): “Tottenham’s player of 2024-25: Pedro Porro – nobody gave them more”

ESPN: “Man United suffer post-season defeat to ASEAN All-Stars”

BBC: “Head coach Muslic to leave Plymouth amid Schalke link”

Ready for some transfer slop? Oh fam, you know I’ve got you. Sky Sports understands that Atletico Madrid are ready to make an approach to sign Cuti Romero this summer, and that they could offer as much as £39m for him!

Wow! That’s a lot of £! Except it really isn’t for one of the best central defenders in the Premier League.

There’s a lot of hedging in this short article, which comes from Lyall Thomas via the Sky Sports transfer tracker. First, there’s the suggestion that Atletico WILL approach Tottenham but haven’t yet. Then there’s the price, which feels pretty risible for a player who has won the World Cup. Sky says Spurs value Romero “in excess of £49m” (a weirdly specific number) and likely that valuation is even higher.

Now, look — there is an argument to be made that now is the time to cash in on Romero for the right price and use those funds to improve the squad elsewhere. Kevin Danso is looking like he could be a decent player alongside Micky van de Ven so the drop-off might not be as steep as it was at the beginning of this past season. We also know Atletico has long been a fan of Cuti, and that Romero, answering a leading question from an Argentine journalist, said he’d love to play in La Liga someday.

But if that happens it won’t be for cheap and it won’t be unless Cuti pushes for it to happen. And if you read the tea leaves in the media, it’s starting to sound like Ange Postecoglou and Cuti Romero might be a package deal — if Ange stays, Cuti stays, and vice versa.

The summer just started, and while I doubt this is something we need to worry about in the short term I also suspect this could be a long annoying summer of Romero Out rumors, or at least until we get some further clarity. Brace yourselves.

If the Daily Telegraph is correct, Ryan Mason may be the new manager at West Bromwich Albion within a matter of days. John Percy wrote in the paper yesterday that Mason, a Tottenham academy graduate, former player, and assistant coach and who has taken charge of Spurs’ first team on an interim basis twice, is the “top choice” for the Baggies to permanently replace Tony Mowbray at The Hawthornes next season.

Mason is regarded as an impressive young assistant coach and has been linked to a number of recent job openings over the past couple of seasons. The closest he got to an actual head coaching position was last October, when he was a finalist for the job at Anderlecht, though he and the Belgian club “mutually” withdrew interest after talks. He also had attracted interest from a couple of unnamed Championship clubs right around the time Ange Postecoglou took the head coaching position at Tottenham.

The Telegraph writes that West Brom is likely to approach Tottenham about appointing Mason “within 48 hours,” though this article published yesterday so the time frame is probably shorter than that now. Either way I’d guess that we’ll get a resolution of some sort yet this week.

Mason is an ambitious young coach. After his second stint as interim manager of Tottenham, after Spurs sacked Cristian Stellini, Mason threw his hat in the ring for the Spurs job. He was never likely to get it, especially since he had zero head coaching experience, but he got points for chutzpah.

In truth, West Brom is a pretty good gig for Mason. They finished mid-table in the Championship last season with a +10 GD in a highly disruptive season. They also have a genuine young star in 21-year old midfielder Tom Fellows, who had 4G+14A for the Baggies last season; keeping ahold of him would be key, but might also be difficult as he’s heavily linked with a summer move to Everton where he’d replace Jack Harrison.

Will “BIG WILLY LANKS” Lankshear also spent the spring at WBA on loan, and Mason’s obvious connection to Spurs could mean a fruitful Championship loan pathway for Tottenham’s young stars-in-waiting.

But more than that, it’s probably just time for Mason to make the jump to an actual head coaching position. He’s spent a number of years now working under some of the biggest names in football — we may have feelings about Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, but you can’t argue that they’ve definitely proven themselves. Mason has also been one of Ange Postecoglou’s top assistants the past two seasons, coaching a vastly different style of football.

This is without question the most prominent job he’s been linked to and it says a lot about him that a club that has been in the Premier League as recently as 2021. I’m actually really curious as to what kind of manager Mason will be and how he would lead a Championship team that should have a lot of promise. We may soon find out.

I’m not quite ready to joing the Ange In/Out discourse. I understand the uncertainty heading into this offseason, but only one week has passed since Tottenham Hotspur won the Europa League.

And, you know what, I’m still riding that high.

To me, Spurs were like Sisyphus, condemned to an eternity of pushing a boulder up a hill only for it to always roll back down after nearly reaching the top.

Last Wednesday, Tottenham finally pushed the boulder to the top of the hill. And I fell to my knees.

I almost didn’t know what to do in a love that, up until that point, had consistently rewarded me with heartbreak. I was in sheer disbelief.

Here we are a week later, still Europa League champions. Various renditions of Free From Desire, Waka Waka, When the Spurs Go Marching In and Can’t Smile Without You have been ringing in my head these last seven days.

The deafening roars of the fans singing outside the stadium on Friday and again on Sunday - during and after a 1-4 defeat to Brighton - were remarkable. And the images of Heung-min Son and Ben Davies with the trophy will remain in my memory for quite some time.

That euphoria lifted me the next few days. I spent a hell of a lot of time singing “Championes!” to my friends on the phone, my cowokers and the random two Spurs supporter I happened to come across at the Irish Channel the other night.

Because that’s what this trophy means to me and to so many of us. It means the joy of finally reaching to the top of the hill, and the relief of finally being able to let go of the boulder. And to sing our hearts out.

I’m going to hang on to that joy for a little while longer.

Fitzie’s track of the day: Just Like Heaven, by The Cure

And now for your links:

Telegraph: “West Brom to hold talks with Tottenham’s Ryan Mason over manager’s job”

Alasdair Gold: “Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray explain exactly why Ange Postecoglou must remain at Tottenham”

The Guardian: “Giovani Lo Celso: ‘Lots happened at Spurs but I’m in the place I want to be’”

The good vibes continue after Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League winning victory over Manchester United last week. Today, UEFA released the Team of the Season for the competition, and to absolutely no one’s surprise, Tottenham are well represented with four players in the XI: Dominic Solanke, Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, and Guglielmo Vicario.

The only (slightly) weird thing about this list is that Son Heung-Min didn’t make it. Maybe that’s due to the fact that he missed a bunch of matches with injury, and you’d have to leave Nico Williams out of that team to put in Son which probably feels like a non-starter. But in terms of importance to the team, there are few players ranked higher.

Solanke’s inclusion is also a little weird as he’s not in the Europa top ten for goals or G/90. He was, however, tied for second in assists with four, and second in G+A with 12, behind Rayan Cherki and Bruno Fernandes, who are both also on this Team of the Season.

As for the other three, they seem to be selected more on vibes than on any actual statistics that I can find. Pedro Porro shows up high on crosses and interception statistics, and Vicario led the Europa League in GA/90 but the weirdness with the injury crisis meant that Romero and Vicario missed a lot of time. Still, if you’re going to make a Team of the Season I guess you really want to have the champions well represented, and it’s fair to say that all three of them had a collective huge influence on Spurs winning the whole thing.

Ultimately, these Team of the Season things are a little bit silly as you’re trying to fit players into a formation instead of just picking the 11 best players or whatever, but it’s fun to have your team be recognized.

It’s impossible to deny how bizarre the 2024/25 season has been for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. In some ways, 17 has been the number of the season, with the club breaking its 17-year trophy drought (while setting a record for most home losses in a season that did not end in relegation); finishing 17th in the Premier League (despite scoring 64 goals); and Spurs’ #17 Cristian Romero being named Europa League player of the season (despite only appearing in seven of the club’s 15 fixtures).

Besides the number 17, there’s another thematic constant in those statistics: it’s been a season of contrasts.

It’s no wonder, then, why there are questions over Ange Postecoglou’s future as head coach. Some want him gone: league form dictates firing him is a no-brainer. Others want him to stay: winning the Europa League and bringing untold joy back to the club means he should be knighted and given every resource at the club’s disposal in order to succeed next season.

My stomach hurts.

Not to worry, though! We here at Carty Free Towers are here to cut through all the noise and tell you what to think. Or maybe we need you to tell us what to think... because despite regular accusations of “masthead groupthink” (okay guys, the meta stops now) it turns out we’re not even in agreement on this either. Here are our takes, and feel free to make your voice heard in the poll or comments below.

Ange In - Dustin George-Miller

There are several reasons why I’m still Ange-In. First, Ange has quietly addressed nearly every criticism that has been lobbed at him since his arrival, from the high line to accusations that he doesn’t adapt his tactics. He successfully focused this deeply flawed team and adapted his tactics masterfully in the Europa League, leading Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years and first European title in 41.

Second, while the league form has been wretched, there have been massive caveats. It’s now clear in retrospect that this current Spurs team was not equipped, either in depth or talent, to compete in four competitions. Add in the worst injury crisis I’ve seen in my time as a fan and it feels like we haven’t yet seen what Ange can actually do. His revelation that he abandoned the Premier League to laser focus on winning the Europa League this season now feels like a master stroke, even if it came with a very different style of football to what Ange actually wants to play.

And finally, Ange is just a breath of fresh air. Yes, he can be tetchy at times, a little grouchy towards the media and irrationally angry supporters. But he is a supremely gifted communicator and genuinely cares about his players and the football club. He’s maybe the only Spurs manager in my fandom who actually seems to get what it means to be a Tottenham Hotspur fan. After several years of managers like Mourinho and Conte, is it wrong to want to stick with a manager who is a supremely good guy?

Look, Ange still has a lot to prove with me. He needs backing and support, yes, but he also needs to prove that his preferred tactics will work in the Premier League. There are big questions. But after winning our first trophy in 17 years, he’s earned the right to give it one more go. If things don’t improve, I’ll join the group that will want to wish Ange well and move on. But I’m not there yet. Ange needs a summer of real support and a chance to show what he can do in the third season. After that, come what may.

Angenostic - Matty Flatt

I’m a coward. Conviction escapes me, and I find myself sitting painfully on a chain-link fence.

There’s a lot to love about what Ange Postecoglou has brought to this football club; and there’s a lot to dislike. It cannot be overstated just how good it feels to have broken the club’s trophy drought; I shed tears at fulltime last week, and Ange has had no small part of that success. At the same time, it’s hard to ignore the spiralling league form, the injuries, and the lack of succesful alternative ideas to Ange-ball.

What it comes down to for me is that it just feels like there is no good option here. I’m not convinced Ange Postecoglou has the tools to maximize the squad talent he will get (which is not a huge amount), and I can see Spurs floundering on all fronts as the club is forced to balance a Champions League campaign with challenges in the league. Conversely, the optics of immediately firing Spurs’ first trophy winning coach in 17 years are horrendous, and anybody who would come in to fill that void would immediately be placed under immense pressure, putting that person and the club in a no-win position.

The thing that really concerns me though is Spurs’ front office. The managerial market isn’t exactly packed with available quality options right now, indicating perhaps stability is the best approach, and I’m not convinced the powers-that-be have the nous to identify any diamonds in the rough. Scott Munn, the man who in large part was responsible for appointing Ange Postecoglou, is by all acounts on his way out of the club; Spurs now have a new CEO in the form of Vinai Venkatesham; Fabio Paratici is reportedly rejoining the club in some sort of capacity; and Johan Lange’s role in this new hierarchy is murky at best.

Do you remember Fabio Paratici’s last managerial search? I do. Paulo Fonseca seemed a leading candidate before being dismissed as “too attacking”, after which Paratici settled on Gennaro Gattuso as his preferred option - a hugely problematic hire for a number of reasons (including the fact that he is not very good and is now managing in the Croatian league) - before only fan pressure swayed the Italian’s hand, resulting in the appointment of the dour Nuno Espirito Santo, who barely made it half a season.

Do I think Ange is the man to take Spurs to the next level? No. Do I trust the Spurs decision makers to appoint somebody who will? Not really. So here I sit, between a rock and a hard place, just waiting for the club to make a call on my behalf.

Ange Out - Ben Daniels

Editor’s note: And a special welcome back to our very own Lennon’s Eyebrow and Wheeler Dealer Radio extraordinaire, who unlike me is not a coward and was more than happy to wear the vitriol from our lovely commentariat.

Before the Europa League final Ange had delivered the worst domestic season in our history with a record number of league losses so staggering that no team in the Premier League has ever survived them. He coached a team that largely played insipid football, lacked any tactical identity beyond “run fast,” couldn’t balance multiple competitions, and suffered an injury crisis severe enough it’s hard to imagine he’s not at least somewhat responsible for it. Firing him would have been the least controversial decision an owner has ever made. If a comparable club were looking to hire a manager this season, few would see Ange’s resume at Spurs as worthy of consideration. But then warra trophy.

Football has a short memory, and success is nothing if it’s not sustained. I remember what a significant milestone it was when Martin Jol brought us back to the UEFA Cup, and in less than a decade it became a tournament most fans felt was beneath us. I remember Juande Ramos winning the League Cup, a trophy many fans once turned their noses up at as a Mickey Mouse trophy, and in hindsight became the only one we could point to for 26 years. I remember Harry Redknapp sending us to the Champions League, and how quickly that went from our biggest accomplishment to an annual expectation. I remember Mauricio Pochettino reaching a Champions League final, and instead of it being the dawn of the greatest era in our history, it was its death knell. All of these men delivered success, left shortly thereafter, and the club has gone on to new heights that made their achievements seem smaller.

After six years of steady decline, and seventeen without silverware, Ange Postecoglou delivered a European trophy and qualified for the Champions League. The success of this victory is undeniable, but no matter how good we feel today the memory of this glorious moment will soon fade. The only question is whether Ange can take us the next step, because in football all that matters is what we do next.

Tottenham Hotspur’s 2024/25 campaign has ended, but already we are turning our eyes to next season, with the club announcing another preseason fixture:

As per the announcement, Spurs will take on Newcastle in South Korea, with further details to be confirmed. This match is now the fourth preseason game in which Spurs will compete - all of which will be against Champions League opposition.

There’s no sleepwalking through preseason this year.

The match against Newcastle aside, a bizarre North London derby was announced back in March, and Spurs also have an August match lined up against Bundesliga champions (and Harry Kane retirement home) Bayern Munich. There’s then the small matter of the UEFA Super Cup, in which Spurs will take on the winner of the Champions League: one of Inter Milan or PSG.

This all paints the picture of an intense run-in to the 25/26 season - something I’m not sure is needed after the brutal intensity of the last several months. At the same time, this is a fantastic marketing opportunity for the club, with captain Son Heung-min returning to his home country now a club legend as well as a national one.

For now, let’s just bask in the success of a trophy-winning season, before dreaming longingly about the next Spurs youth product to erupt from nowhere in preseason.

Sunderland will be returning to the Premier League after an eight-year absence.

The Black Cats triumphed in the EFL Championship playoff final, defeating Sheffield United 2-1.

You can take a few things away from this match:

A questionable VAR decision on a Sheffield United goal that would have seen them go up 2-0 in the first half

Horrific coaching from Chris Wilder in the second half to take off Gustavo Hamer

A remarkable comeback from Sunderland who took their chances

Whichever of these is your takeaway, it’s a stunning result regardless. Sunderland looked lost in the final few months of the season and were winless in their last five games heading into the playoffs. They were even booed off the pitch by their own fans at one point.

But here they are, a very young club going back to the Premier League after eight years in the wilderness. That included a double-relegation, two seasons in League One and a couple close attempts at returning to the top tier.

They face a heck of a challenge next year. Sunderland were one of the youngest clubs in Championship, and they’ll certainly be one of the youngest in the Premier League. They also had five players on loan playing for them, meaning they’ll have to spend considerable time building out a squad for the league.

With Sunderland’s promotion, we now know the three teams that are going up. They will be joined by Leeds United and Burnley.

But the question is: Will this be the third consecutive season in which all three promoted teams go straight back down?

As for Sheffield United, they’ll likely be favourites for the automatics next season after becoming the team with the highest point total not to get promoted (92). Next year’s Championship crop looks pretty weak, so I think they’ve got a good chance.

Fitzie’s track of the day: I Found You, by Alabama Shakes

And now for your links:

Alasdair Gold: “What Ange Postecoglou is set to do on Monday as Daniel Levy decides his Tottenham future”

Dan KP: “Ange Postecoglou lays out transfer demands as pressure builds on Daniel Levy decision”

Jack P-B ($$): “Daniel Levy faces the biggest decision of his Tottenham chairmanship – what to do with Ange Postecoglou”

Ange Postecoglou has done something that hasn’t been done since Juande Ramos in 2008 — he has successfully won a trophy for Tottenham Hotspur. But like Ramos, who was fired a few months later, Postecoglou now finds himself without clarity about his own job status. After Sunday’s 4-1 home loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, their 22nd of the season, Spurs finished the season in 17th place, safe from relegation but otherwise at the bottom of the table.

After the Europa League winning match against Manchester United, Postecoglou revealed that he made a decision in January to focus on winning a trophy this season at the expense of league position, as that’s what he believed was needed to unify the fanbase and kick-start the club’s development. Winning that trophy felt like the equivalent of Babe Ruth pointing with his bat towards where he was going to hit his next home run. But it doesn’t paper over the fact that Spurs have finished in their worst position in the table since the Premier League came into existence. 17th and a trophy feels like one of those wild hypotheticals that fans like to entertain themselves with in the offseason.

But even the cascade of good vibes over the past five days seemingly hasn’t been enough to secure his position as head coach of Spurs next season. We are still waiting for chairman Daniel Levy to either make a decision or reveal his decision to the public. And because Levy made any public comments about Ange’s future, we are stuck in a limbo, waiting to find out whether Spurs will reward Ange for breaking the trophy drought, or shake his hand and move on.

That radio silence seems to be frustrating to Postecoglou, as he seemingly is the only public face of the club. In the press conference following Spurs’ season-ending loss to Brighton, Ange was one again asked about his job status. This time, Postecoglou seemed to acknowledge the ambiguity of his current situation, and laid out what felt like his most robust defense of his job this season.

“I will be honest I have been finding it really weird talking about my future when we have done something unprecedented. I have had to answer the questions because no one else at the club is in the position to do so I guess. But I can’t answer that question about me and my future. Like I said, part of me is thinking ‘why am I even being asked that question?’ But it is what it is.

“I have got no doubt though that [winning the Europa League] could be a real defining moment for this club because wherever I have been I have made an impact where I have brought success to a club that hasn’t had it for a while. You just have to look at those clubs’ trajectory even after I left, they are still competing for things. I really think this is a moment in time where this club could push on and be a real contender for honors on a yearly basis.

“From my perspective, I made decisions that I felt were giving us the best chance of achieving the goal we needed to achieve this year and that has affected our league form. If people don’t want to take that into account, then there is nothing I can say to explain it any better than that.

“I came to the club and we had finished eighth. I didn’t take over a club that had finished second. They had no European football to speak of. Lost the one player who probably guarantees you European football. That was my starting point. At the end of two years, I’ve got the club a trophy it has been crying out for, Champions League football, we finished fifth last year. Either people are saying ‘last year it was a huge anomaly for us to finish fifth or this is what we deliver right.’

“I have got no doubt next year we will be in a much stronger position, challenging for the top places. I have got no doubt we will tackle the Champions League with the same determination that we tackled the Europa League. I have no doubts about that. If people are seeking any more evidence about me, then there is nothing I’m going to say that’s going to convince them if they haven’t seen it in the last two years.”

Ange is right about a couple of things here. First, the silence coming from Daniel Levy and the rest of the Spurs board is deafening. While the game is the game, it feels both unfair and churlish for Postecoglou to be expected to answer questions about his own job status, especially after winning the club a potentially transformative European title. It feels absolutely bonkers that he could be let go after giving the club what it has coveted for nearly two decades. But here we are.

In retrospect, this Tottenham team is also significantly more flawed than what it appeared last summer. This season, Spurs seemed to really feel the absence of Harry Kane, and the summer transfer window, which focused on youth and potential over experience, meant that Spurs’ depth was less experienced and ill-equipped from competing in multiple competitions. This was in no way a team built to compete for top five and to go deep in the cups, and Ange spells that out pretty clearly.

“I’ve already said that’s part of it, but also, as I said, we signed three teenagers at the start of the year. Like we signed two 18 year olds and a 19 year old. We went in that direction. If you think about who left last year, players with experience. So whenever you do that, there’s always going to be a little bit of a gap in the development. So that cascading into our injury situation at the start of the year, obviously had a massive effect on what we could do in the league..

“And again, it was our success in the Carabao Cup and our success in the Europa League that added to that as well. So you either assess it all in its totality or you just separate and say, well, you know what, it’s just not good enough, or it’s unbelievable. So you either fall into those categories.

“But at the start of next year, we will be in a much better position from the point of view of even the three young boys we signed, even though Lucas is not a young boy anymore, he’s going to be a massive contributor at the start of the year. You know, that wasn’t the case, Archie and Wilson’s hardly played this year.

“And if we do some good business in the transfer market, obviously brings some experience in, I’m not talking about age, I’m talking about players who have played at this level and can help the team, then I’ve got no doubt we can make the impact we want.”

Postecoglou doesn’t shy away from the league form — he readily admits that the Premier League position Spurs finds itself in is unprecedented and unacceptable. He’s said so repeatedly. His comments here suggest that he’s aware of his tenuous status, but that his past record at other clubs should inform what Tottenham can expect going forward, should they opt to retain him.

It’s the most full-throated defense of his own methods and ability I’ve seen from him this season. The only thing left is to wait and see if Daniel Levy accepts it.

It was possibly the most pointless match of the season for Tottenham Hotspur: their final challenge in a turbulent Premier League campaign, and nothing to play for except vibes following their successful Europa League campaign. The celebrations following the midweek victory would have taken their toll on the team, and they were up against a motivated Brighton & Hove Albion, who were an outside chance to qualify for European football themselves, provided other results went their way.

Ange Postecoglou named what was a surprisingly strong side, with three changes to the XI from the team that beat Manchester United: Mathys Tel, Archie Gray, and Kevin Danso came in for Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, and Cristian Romero. Romero had been ruled out by Postecoglou in his pre-match press conference, carrying a toe injury, and Bissouma had been a doubt in the lead-in.

The atmosphere was electric as the match kicked off: a sea of Lilywhite in the crowd as fans celebrated once more Spurs’ trophy win. The home team would have been buoyed by the support, and looked (perhaps surprisingly) cohesive and up for the fight, largely controlling the first half and making that control count with a 1-0 half-time lead: Mathys Tel was fouled in the Brighton box by Mats Wieffer, with the referee pointing to the spot and Dominic Solanke duly dispatching the penalty. Spurs were unlucky not to be further in front as well, with a raking counterattack spearheaded by Rodrigo Bentancur ending up with a Tel shot saved well by Bart Verbruggen.

Pape Matar Sarr was withdrawn at the half, with Wilson Odobert coming on in his place as Spurs saw a subtle change in shape; it was not a change that reaped benefits, however, as Brighton began to dominate the match. The Seagulls soon not only equalized, but went into the lead, thanks to a Jack Hinselwood double. Both goals came from corners, with Adam Webster winning the ball in the air for the first, knocking it down to Hinselwood who took a quick touch before firing it past Guglielmo Vicario at point-blank range. The second followed a similar script, Jan Paul van Hecke this time winning the aerial battle, before a deflection found the ball at the feet of Hinselwood again, the 20-year-old finishing smartly with a backheel.

Substitutions followed for Spurs, as Ange Postecoglou searched for a way to get back into the match: Bissouma, Richarlison, Ben Davies, and Djed Spence all entering the fray. It wasn’t to be, though, as Brighton extended their lead. Bissouma made a tired challenge in his own box after Spurs turned over possession high in the opposition half, with Matt O’Riley slamming the penalty past Vicario; before Diego Gomez scored his first in the Premier League with an absolute screamer. The Paraguayan received possession around 30 yards out before unleashing a strike that rocketed into the top-right corner, condemning Spurs to a 1-4 home loss to finish the season.

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