Fox Sports

Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs have a 1-0 lead after striker Dominic Solanke stepped up and slotted a penalty in the 43rd minute.

The goal came after a big moment in the clash, with keeper Kauã Santos coming off his line and colliding with Tottenham midfielder James Maddison in ugly fashion.

The referee then checked the VAR screen and awarded the penalty, which was scored, while Maddison was forced to leave the field due to injury.

Watch The UEFA Women’s Champions League Semi-Finals LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

Catch all the action below in our live blog, if you can’t see it click here!

“He steps up when Tottenham Hotspur needed him,” the commentator said.

Spurs now hold a 2-1 aggregate lead in this tie and as it stands they will progress through to the next round.

“This feels like a major moment in Tottenham Hotspur’s season... Ange’s side are ahead,” the commentator said.

Ange Postecoglou’s last-ditch effort to save his job at Tottenham involves winning a trophy, and that makes the first leg of Spurs’ Europa League quarter-final at home simply critical.

It started in disastrous fashion with visitors Eintracht Frankfurt scoring just six minutes into the tie after a sloppy Spurs turn over in midfield.

Hugo Ekitike was the goal scorer for the German outfit as he was left all alone and able to charge forward before firing past Tottenham goalkeeper Vicario.

Postecoglou breathed a sigh of relief 20 minutes later when Pedro Porro levelled the scores, and 1-1 is where it remained at half time.

Tottenham will take solace in the second half from the fact they have largely controlled the game, having more of the ball and creating more chances.

FOX SPORTS, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch the 2025 Masters LIVE | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

It comes as he says even the “good stuff” Tottenham do is turned into a negative, acknowledging the “general sentiment” is that he will not be in charge next season.

Speculation over the Australian’s future has been rife for months following a tough, injury-hit season for Spurs, who are 14th in the Premier League.

The Europa League is the club’s only chance to salvage a difficult campaign, with Eintracht Frankfurt visiting this morning (5am AEST) for the first leg of their quarter-final.

Postecoglou said it was tough to change the narrative around Tottenham’s campaign.

“I just think we’re in that position now where even good stuff we may do is going to be turned into some sort of a glass half-(empty) rhetoric and from that perspective I don’t think that can be a driver in what we want to do,” he said.

The former Australia and Celtic boss referred to a newspaper opinion piece that suggested even European glory may be too little, too late to save him.

“(Someone) wrote that even if we win it (the Europa League), I’m gone anyway. That’s not having a go at you, that’s just saying the general sentiment of people. So if you’re trying to use that as a motivation, you’re not going to win that anyway.

“There’s got to be something more in it for us.... We’ve been through a really tough time but we’re still in a position where we can make an impact.” Postecoglou said he arrived at Spurs in 2023 with a clear vision of what he could offer.

“As long as I’m in this position, that’s always my focus, irrespective of whatever noise there is or what there may or not be in the future,” he said. “I don’t see that that should diminish my burning ambition, my desire and my determination to make that happen.”

Ange Postecoglou says even the “good stuff” Tottenham do is turned into a negative, acknowledging the “general sentiment” is that he will not be in charge next season.

Speculation over the Australian’s future has been rife for months following a tough, injury-hit season for Spurs, who are 14th in the Premier League.

The Europa League is the club’s only chance to salvage a difficult campaign, with Eintracht Frankfurt visiting on Thursday for the first leg of their quarter-final.

Postecoglou said it was tough to change the narrative around Tottenham’s campaign.

“I just think we’re in that position now where even good stuff we may do is going to be turned into some sort of a glass half-(empty) rhetoric and from that perspective I don’t think that can be a driver in what we want to do,” he said.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!

The former Australia and Celtic boss referred to a newspaper opinion piece that suggested even European glory may be too little, too late to save him.

“(Someone) wrote that even if we win it (the Europa League), I’m gone anyway. That’s not having a go at you, that’s just saying the general sentiment of people. So if you’re trying to use that as a motivation, you’re not going to win that anyway.

“There’s got to be something more in it for us … We’ve been through a really tough time but we’re still in a position where we can make an impact.”

Postecoglou said he arrived at Spurs in 2023 with a clear vision of what he could offer.

“As long as I’m in this position, that’s always my focus, irrespective of whatever noise there is or what there may or not be in the future,” he said.

“I don’t see that that should diminish my burning ambition, my desire and my determination to make that happen.”

Postecoglou added: “I get that they (the fans) are frustrated and angry.

“At the same time, I understand the criticism towards me. But if anyone looked at the players and said they aren’t trying – then I am sorry they are not watching the right game.”

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has once again vented his frustration with the VAR technology following Spurs’ Premier League victory over Southampton in north London.

After Brennan Johnson struck twice in the first half, Mateus Fernandes’ late reply couldn’t prevent bottom-of-the-table Southampton, beaten for the 25th time in 31 games, from crashing back to the Championship.

Spurs midfielder Lucas Bergvall thought he had scored in the 33rd minute when he found the net from close-range, but VAR chalked off the goal for a marginal offside, with the check lasting four minutes and fifty seconds.

During the delay, Postecoglou was seen flipping an imaginary coin and playing rock-paper-scissors, seemingly implying the goal had been put down to chance.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!

Speaking to reporters after the game, the Australian reiterated that offside decisions should not be “microscopically adjudged”, while he remained hopeful the impending semi-automated offside technology would speed up the process.

“If you told me a few years ago that we would be spending five minutes during a football game standing around I would never have believed you,” Postecoglou told reporters.

“They draw those lines (to check for offside) – is anyone convinced by those? This is not a slight on anyone as I don’t think it favours us or not favours us but the fact we’re waiting five minutes, I really don’t think that’s what technology was brought in for.

“I think it’s gone too far down the road for anyone to claw it back. We used to allow the assistants to make those decisions and we all accepted it.

“Offside was never meant to be microscopically adjudged but if they ever get to a place when that is done instantaneously then I accept it because offside is offside.

“I just can’t believe that this is what we brought it in for, to stand around for five minutes for something that in the end is still, in my view anyway, inconclusive.

“Like I said, the semi-automated will come in, says it’s going to hopefully improve and speed up the process but I didn’t think there was a crying need for the game of football to be disrupted like this.”

Tottenham will next host German team Eintracht Frankfurt for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday.

“The first half, I thought was excellent. We were really disciplined, really well-organised. We always looked a threat going forward,” Postecoglou told SpursPlay.

“That’s probably as threatening as we’ve looked. We scored two goals, and had one disallowed.

“The second half, not so much. We became way too passive without the ball, and not aggressive enough with the ball – we didn’t keep possession as well as we should have.”

He continued: “The important thing is we got the win, scored three goals and everyone got through unscathed and ready for a big night on Thursday.”

Liverpool slumped to just their second Premier League defeat this season as Fulham clinched a shock 3-2 win over the runaway leaders, while Southampton were relegated in record-setting time after a 3-1 loss at Tottenham on Sunday.

The drama at Craven Cottage and Tottenham overshadowed a drab 0-0 draw between Manchester United and Manchester City.

Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at Everton on Saturday left Liverpool needing just 11 points to secure a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title.

Arne Slot’s men were unbeaten in 26 league games and looked set to take another step towards the title when Alexis Mac Allister’s stunning strike opened the scoring.

But poor defending allowed Ryan Sessegnon, Alex Iwobi and Rodrigo Muniz to turn the game around for Fulham.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!

The Reds appear to be running out of steam after challenging in four competitions for most of Slot’s largely impressive first season since replacing Jurgen Klopp.

But Liverpool are still almost certain to win their first title since 2020 with only seven games remaining for second-placed Arsenal to catch them.

After a Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain and League Cup final defeat to Newcastle, Liverpool edged Everton 1-0 in a feisty Merseyside derby on Wednesday to get back to winning ways.

However, their lethargic effort against Fulham might delay the title party for a little while longer.

“In general we are not making many of these errors, let alone three in one game,” Slot said.

“People want to make stories which is their job. Many teams find it difficult to play Fulham. The second half performance was outstanding. We had chances but in the end we lacked time.”

In north London, Brennan Johnson struck twice in the first half and Mateus Fernandes’ late reply was too late to stop bottom-of-the-table Southampton crashing back to the Championship.

Beaten for the 25th time in 31 games, Southampton are the first Premier League team to be relegated with seven matches still to play.

Ipswich and Derby were relegated with six games left in 1994-95 and 2007-08 respectively.

Ivan Juric’s side are also still one shy of matching Derby’s 2007-08 record low Premier League total points of 11.

Juric, whose team are without a win in their last seven league matches, admitted this week that avoiding the record low points tally is Southampton’s only target for the rest of their dismal season.

“We have to avoid that record. Do our best. It cannot happen,” Juric said.

Southampton were pushed to the brink of relegation when fourth-bottom Wolves came from behind to beat Ipswich 2-1 on Saturday, leaving Saints 22 points from safety.

Their slide down to the second tier was confirmed 315 days after they clinched promotion by beating Leeds in the Championship play-off final at Wembley.

“It’s a difficult day, a tough day but I see the fans, how they love their players and their team. It’s something incredible. This experience has to serve to create something stronger than this,” Juric said.

Tottenham have been in turmoil themselves for much of the season, with fan protests against chairman Daniel Levy before and during the game underlining the depth of the problems in north London.

But under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou, who was jeered by Tottenham fans during Thursday’s defeat at Chelsea, earned a little breathing space thanks to a first win in five league games.

Manchester City missed a chance to climb into fourth place after a dour derby stalemate at Old Trafford.

Pep Guardiola’s side remain fifth, which is likely to be the final place that brings qualification for next season’s Champions League.

But City have only a one-point advantage over sixth-placed Aston Villa and are just two points ahead of seventh-placed Newcastle, who have two games in hand.

Cole Palmer was left on the bench for almost an hour as fourth-placed Chelsea’s winless run on the road continued with a 0-0 draw at Brentford.

Blues boss Enzo Maresca raised eyebrows by dropping England forward Palmer despite his side’s battle to qualify for the Champions League.

Chelsea have a UEFA Conference League quarter-final trip to Legia Warsaw on Thursday, but Maresca’s priorities were questioned following the Blues’ insipid display.

Premier League Results

Brentford 0 drew with Chelsea 0

Fulham 3 (Sessegnon 23, Iwobi 32, Muniz 37) def. Liverpool 2 (Mac Allister 14, Diaz 72)

Manchester United 0 drew with Manchester City 0

Tottenham 3 (Johnson 13, 42, Tel 90+6-pen) def. Southampton 1 (Fernandes 90)

Pressure is mounting on Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou after Spurs suffered a 1-0 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Friday morning AEDT.

In a contest riddled with VAR drama, Enzo Fernandez’s second-half-goal proved the decisive moment as Chelsea climbed to fourth on the Premier League standings ahead of Manchester City.

Following the game, pundits speculated about a disconnect between Postecoglou and the fanbase. When the Spurs players went towards the away section to thank them for their support, the Australian kept his distance.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!

“Normally, he’d be over there clapping them,” former Liverpool footballer Jamie Redknapp said on Sky Sports.

“There’s a disconnect between the two at the moment, it’s not ideal for the manager. He’s got some big games ahead. He’s got to keep his head up and keep going, keep working hard and believe in what he’s trying to do.

“It was a tough night for them, they never really played, never really got going, but these are the pressures of being a Premier League manager.”

The hosts controlled the opening 30 minutes of the contest, comfortably penetrating Tottenham’s defence but failing to convert chances into goals.

Chelsea almost got off to a dream start when Nicolas Jackson hit the post in the opening minute of the match. Later, Destiny Udogie prevented a potential goal with a sliding challenge, while goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario produced a miraculous reaction save in the 45th minute, tipping over Jadon Sancho’s deflected effort.

Tensions boiled over towards the end of the first half when Cristian Romero shoved Levi Colwill to the ground, sparking a brief brawl. Romero and Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah were shown a yellow card following the altercation.

Chelsea broke the deadlock in the 50th minute when Cole Palmer nailed a perfect cross to Fernandez, who slotted a header from six yards.

Soon after, it appeared as though Chelsea had taken a 2-0 lead when Moises Caicedo launched a volley from 15 yards into the back of the net, but the goal was overturned following a four-minute VAR intervention, which showed Colwill was narrowly off-side before heading the ball.

The Spurs’ away fans began directing chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” towards Postecoglou when the Australian brought on Pape Matar Sarr for Lucas Bergvall, but the substitution appeared to be a masterstroke when the Senegalese star launched a glorious strike past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was overturned after VAR showed a clear foul from Sarr, who was booked for a challenge on Caicedo.

“It’s (VAR) killing the game, mate. It’s not the same game as it used to be,” Postecoglou said after the match.

“Everyone loves the drama and about it. It’s killing the spectacle of the game.”

Son Heung-min was denied an equaliser in the 90th minute courtesy of a clutch save from Sanchez, with 12 minutes of added time giving Spurs a glimmer of hope, but the visitors couldn’t find a late goal.

It was the club’s 16th Premier League defeat of the season.

“If I was a Spurs fans I’d be disappointed with that performance,” former Chelsea defender Gary Cahill told Sky Sports.

“I thought they were really poor in the game.”

Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp continued: “Tottenham were awful tonight.

“Not good enough in any department.

“Chelsea were so much better.”

Tottenham will next host Southampton on Sunday.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has declared that Spurs “can compete with anyone” when at full strength following Thursday’s crucial Europa League victory over AZ Alkmaar.

The Spurs booked their place in the Europa League quarter-finals by beating the Dutch team 3-1 in North London, winning the tie 3-2 on aggregate.

Reeling at 13th on the Premier League standings, Europa League success looms as the last chance this season for Postecoglou to help the club win its first trophy since 2008.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!

“We’ve progressed which is the main thing, played pretty well as well,” Postecoglou said during the post-match press conference.

“I thought we were really in control of the game, we’re our own worst enemy at times.

“When we were in control, we let them back in the game and it was nervy at the end but we thoroughly deserved to win.”

Ahead of the match, first-choice centre-back pairing Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven were declared fit to start together for the first time since December in a massive boost, while Wilson Odoberthas been hampered by injury since joining from Burnley for £25 million (AU$51 million) in August, who slotted two goals in a clutch performance.

“People are getting a real glimpse now of what Wilson is all about,” Postecoglou said.

“Such a shame how his season has gone with the time he’s missed, but he’s getting sharper now.”

He continued: “I was excited when we signed him. He’s just one of these players who has the ability to take people on, find space, great technician.

“He’s worked ard silently to get back into the team.

“He came to a new club this year, big club, a big move for him, and it just hasn’t worked out through no fault of his own because of his injury. It’s been frustrating for me not to be able to showcase him. I know how much he can develop and that’s just a starting point for him.

“He’s still working his way to full fitness.”

Asked whether the team felt more like themselves, Postecoglou responded: “It’s no coincidence. We’re getting some of our key players back and of course we are.”

Tottenham will face Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League quarter-finals, with the first match scheduled for April 10.

“We’ve still got levels to go, because I still think players like Romero, Micky and Wilson and (Dominic Solanke) and all these guys are still building their way up to match fitness and match sharpness,” Postecoglou said.

“With the quarterfinal being three-and-a-half weeks away, there’s an opportunity for us to get these guys up to speed for that game.”

He continued: “I’ve said consistently that when we’re at our best, we can compete with anyone.”

Wilson Odobert scored his first two Tottenham goals to book a place in the Europa League quarter-finals by beating AZ Alkmaar 3-1 on Thursday and 3-2 on aggregate.

Spurs’ boss Ange Postecoglou’s job was reportedly on the line with Europa League success the last chance this season for the Australian to win the club’s first trophy since 2008.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!

Odobert has been badly impacted by injury since joining from Burnley for a £25 million (AU$52 million) fee in August but produced a big performance when his manager needed it.

Spurs will face 2022 winners Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals. Tottenham received a huge boost before kick-off as first choice centre-back pairing Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven were fit to start together for the first time since December.

The home side had dominated possession without being able to create a clear-cut chance until AZ played a big part in their own downfall on 26 minutes.

Son Heung-min blocked Wouter Goes’ attempted clearance and the ball rolled perfectly for Dominic Solanke, who calmly teed up Odobert to curl home from 12 yards.

The second period was only 149 seconds old when Tottenham made it 2-0 to go ahead in the tie for the first time.

James Maddison made his case to new England manager Thomas Tuchel on the eve of his first squad announcement with a composed finish from Son’s pass.

Spurs give away goal before sealing tie | 01:03

Tottenham’s lead in the tie only lasted 15 minutes before a mix up between Odobert and Lucas Bergvall presented the ball to Peer Koopmeiners, who blasted home to give the Dutch side hope.

However, Spurs rallied in the closing stages and got their reward 16 minutes from time thanks to a fine team goal.

Maddison’s spin away from his marker opened up the pitch and after Djed Spence was played in down the left, his cross was flicked on by Solanke for Odobert to tap in at the back post.

Tottenham fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Bournemouth in north London, saving boss Ange Postecoglou from another embarrassing defeat.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox

with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!

Tottenham lost 1-0 at AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League last 16 first leg on Thursday.

That competition represents Tottenham’s last chance of fulfilling Postecoglou’s boast that he always win a trophy in his second season.

Languishing in 13th in the Premier League, Postecoglou’s side have gone three games without a win in all competitions.

‘UNACCEPTABLE’: Arsenal boss storms out of interview, left fuming as grim PL reality sinks in

Tottenham conceded in the 42nd minute when Marcus Tavernier applied the finishing touch to Milos Kerkez’s pin-point cross after Pedro Porro carelessly conceded possession.

Bournemouth struck again in the 65th minute as Evanilson raced onto Justin Kluivert’s pass and lifted a composed finish over Guglielmo Vicario.

But Pape Sarr reduced the deficit two minutes later, the Tottenham midfielder catching out Bournemouth keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga with a misjudged cross that somehow dipped in at the far post.

Tottenham completed their escape in the 84th minute as Kepa conceded a penalty with a desperate lunge on Son Heung-min.

Son calmly slotted home from the spot for his first goal in 10 games, taking him to 11 in all competitions this season.

- Spurs must show fighting spirit against Alkmaar: Postecoglou -

Ange Postecoglou urged Tottenham to replicate the fighting spirit that salvaged a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth when they return to action in Thursday’s crucial Europa League tie with AZ Alkmaar.

Postecoglou’s side slumped to a 1-0 defeat in the last 16 first leg at AZ on Thursday and looked set for another loss when Marcus Tavernier gave Bournemouth a half-time lead on Sunday.

Cristian Romero’s return after a three-month injury absence did little to improve Tottenham’s fortunes as Evanilson doubled Bournemouth’s advantage after 65 minutes.

With the atmosphere turning toxic in north London and the pressure mounting on Postecoglou, Tottenham showed some much-needed character to scramble out of trouble.

Pape Sarr’s miscued cross crept in to give Tottenham a fortunate lifeline and Son Heung-min converted an 84th-minute penalty that the South Korean won himself.

Languishing in lower mid-table in the Premier League, Tottenham can now turn their attention to the visit of AZ on Thursday in the second leg.

“Chaotic game, for sure. We added to the chaos and it was a little bit self-inflicted, especially in the first half. Just with the ball, we were really careless with our passing,” Postecoglou said.

“At 2-0 down, it would have been very easy, particularly with the atmosphere as it was, for the boys to just let the game get away from us, but credit to them, they found a way to get back into the game and we got something out of it.

“I don’t think it was a case of being open because we were throwing men forward, we just kept giving the ball away. We certainly need to be better in the way that we execute that part of our game for Thursday.

“You can imagine the noise around if the players didn’t respond. Thursday is obviously a massive game for us.

“At least from that perspective - and even for the players themselves - we’ve obviously got a challenge, but they overcame a fairly big challenge today and hopefully we show the same kind of mindset.”

Adding to Postecoglou’s woes, Romero’s first appearance since December was followed by a pointed social-media post where he thanked the medical staff of Argentina and not Tottenham on his X account.

Micky van de Ven also returned for his first league fixture in three months and lifted a nervous crowd, which Postecoglou conceded could lead to more tension among his players in the AZ clash.

“I can’t sort of dictate to people how they sort of interact, but AZ’s crowd certainly helped them on Thursday night and we need our crowd to get behind the boys,” he said.

“To make it an atmosphere where maybe we lose some of that nervousness and anxiety within our game.

“The reality is, we as a team have to respond irrespective of the atmosphere and one may follow the other. If we start the game strong, it’ll get the place nice and loud, which will help us.”

ARSENAL HOPES ALL OVER

Arsenal’s fading hopes of winning the Premier League suffered a fresh blow as Manchester United held the Gunners to a 1-1 draw, while Chelsea boosted their bid to qualify for the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Leicester on Sunday (Monday AEDT).

After Liverpool’s 3-1 win against Southampton moved the leaders 16 points clear at the top on Saturday, there was no margin for error when Arsenal arrived at Old Trafford 24 hours later.

But United captain Bruno Fernandes put the hosts ahead with a superb free-kick in first half stoppage-time.

Declan Rice’s clinical finish from just inside the United area hauled Arsenal level in the 74th minute.

But Mikel Arteta’s second-placed side couldn’t find a winner and now sit 15 points adrift of Liverpool.

Despite holding a game in hand on Liverpool, Arsenal look certain to miss out on the title yet again after finishing as runners-up for the last two seasons.

Liverpool are bidding to win a record-equalling 20th English title and their first since 2020 in Arne Slot’s first season in charge.

The Anfield club need a maximum of 16 more points from their last nine matches to ensure they clinch the silverware.

Not for the first time, Arsenal have faded as the title pressure mounts, with a run of three league games without a win effectively gifting the trophy to Liverpool.

Troubled Manchester United are down in 14th place, with just one win in their last six games in all competitions.

Adding to the gloom around Old Trafford, thousands of United fans staged a pre-match protest against co-owners the Glazer family and Jim Ratcliffe.

At Stamford Bridge, Marc Cucurella struck with a long-range rocket in the second half to lift Chelsea above Manchester City into fourth place.

The Blues are two points ahead of City in the race for the top four finish that guarantees a Champions League berth.

It was only Chelsea’s fourth victory in their last 12 league games as they responded to boss Enzo Maresca’s challenge to win all their remaining home matches.

Maresca believes that should be enough to ensure Champions League action, but Chelsea will have to improve on a spluttering performance against second-bottom Leicester.

- Cucurella lifts Chelsea -

Chelsea’s Cole Palmer missed the first penalty of his career and was later substituted, making it seven league games without a goal or assist for the England forward.

Second-bottom Leicester have lost five successive league games and sit six points from safety as they slide towards relegation.

Victor Kristiansen’s clumsy challenge pole-axed Jadon Sancho, earning Chelsea a first half spot-kick.

Usually such a ruthless penalty taker, Palmer seized the ball, only for Mads Hermansen to deny him with a superb save.

Chelsea finally took the lead in spectacular fashion on the hour when Spanish defender Cucurella drilled into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

Tottenham will need to defeat Dutch side AZ Alkmaar next week to keep their Europa League dream alive after Ange Postecoglou’s team suffered a 1-0 away loss on Friday morning AEDT.

Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!

The hosts took the lead in the 18th minute of the first leg of the last-16 tie courtesy of a freak own goal, with Spurs teenager Lucas Bergvall swiping at a corner only for his attempted clearance to loop over goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

AZ Alkmaar dominated the contest and were unlucky not to win by a bigger margin, with Vicario making three clutch saves to prevent a blowout. Meanwhile, Tottenham only mustered one shot on goal, in the 87th minute.

“They were lacklustre in their performance. But that’s a better result for Tottenham than it is for AZ,” former Tottenham manager Glenn Hoddle said on the BBC.

“To play so mediocre and come home with just a one-goal deficit, they’ll be happy with that. Not the performance, but the result.”

Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara said on Sky Sports News: “Tottenham were miles off it.

“Tottenham’s big players didn’t turn up.”

He continued: “It feels like Tottenham are going out of the competition with a whimper.

“Tottenham have shown nothing. There’s been no creativity.”

In another blow for Postecoglou, Dominic Solanke’s long-awaited return from a knee injury only lasted 20 minutes, with the wounded striker hobbling off the pitch and replaced in the first half.

Currently reeling at 13th on the Premier League standings, Tottenham’s season is now dependent on their Europa League success, with next Thursday’s return leg becoming a must-win encounter. However, the Spurs will be without Rodrigo Bentancur for the home game after the midfielder copped his third booking of the season.

“It is very disappointing we perform like this, it is a big wake-up call as next week is the biggest game of the season,” Tottenham captain Heung-Min Son told TNT Sport.

“It was not too much caution, it is always tough playing away in the Europa League and it looked like we did not create anything in the first half.

“It was very sloppy and we did not perform like we should do, everyone is very disappointed with the individual and team performance and we have to look at ourselves, there are no excuses, we were not good enough and nowhere near how we should perform.

“It is only 1-0, it is not finished and we have to do much, much better than we did today.”