Tottenham Hotspur taste cup defeat for the second time in a week as they crash out of the FA Cup at the hands of Aston Villa. Let’s take a look at the five things we learned from the match.
Tottenham out of the FA Cup
Tottenham Hotspur are out of the FA Cup, just days after crashing out of the Carabao Cup. Not only did Spurs waste a great chance to make a cup final on Thursday, but they also wasted a chance to put their name in the hat for the fifth round on Sunday.
Remember – Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal had already been knocked out of the FA Cup so it was a huge chance for Tottenham to progress as one of the remaining big-six clubs. Alas, Spurs are down to one trophy hope now this season.
Antonin Kinsky showing his nerves and his class
After taking to English football like a duck to water in his first few matches, Antonin Kinsky has reminded us of his youth this week – and his class – and his youth again. There is a reason that goalkeepers usually hit their peak in their late twenties, and 21-year-old still has a lot to learn about the game.
He made some great saves throughout the match but, unfortunately, let the one that was hit straight at him slip through his grasp. His touches of the ball looked a little nervy after that mistake too. It should also be said that he showed great character to bounce back from his error and make so many great saves in the end – but you ideally want that kind of performance without the mistake to spark it.
I think Kinsky could do with a period on the sidelines, training with and learning from the more senior Guglielmo Vicario. He is undoubtedly a fantastic prospect for the future but needs a little more time before he is ready to compete as Tottenham’s number one.
Mathys Tel full debut in a toothless Spurs attack
Mathys Tel came off the bench for a difficult debut against Liverpool on Thursday. This evening he got his full debut in the Spurs starting XI and once again found himself amongst a sinking squad. Tottenham were toothless in attack up against an Aston Villa defence without any centre-backs.
Dejan Kulusevski – Tottenham’s best player this season – looks dead on his feet. Heung-min Son is fatigued and out of form beyond belief. Mikey Moore was a bright spark at times and put a sitter on a plate for Son to miss. Amongst all this, we at least saw some energy and drive from Mathys Tel.
He didn’t look after the ball that well and often ran down dead ends, but he at least showed some desire to run through walls and make stuff happen – epitomised by his late goal. He obviously needs time to settle, but the unfortunate truth is that Spurs need a 19-year-old to hit the ground running and drag them up the pitch. I’m afraid that won’t happen unless others around him also raise their game.
The press has vanished from Tottenham
The high press is one of the most pivotal features of Ange-ball, but it has been missing completely for the last three games. With Aston Villa having no fit centre-backs after Konsa went off injured, Spurs should have been buzzing around that backline like flies on a picnic. Instead, the Lilywhites were guilty of sitting off once again or lazily pressing in ones and twos – making it easy for Villa to play their way out of danger.
Of course, this is likely a symptom of fatigue in the Spurs squad from the lack of rotation over the last few months because of all the injuries. The worrying thing is that if the players are too tired to press, Tottenham’s form is unlikely to improve until a significant number of the injured stars return to training.
Tottenham need to enter pre-season mode
Tottenham need to take a deep breath and reset. The Carabao Cup is done. The FA Cup is done. The Premier League is beyond repair. It makes the most sense for Spurs to enter pre-season mode for the next month to prepare for the one fight that counts – the Europa League.
Ange Postecoglou should be using the Premier League to gently reintroduce his returning injured stars with the specific aim for them to be fit for the European knockouts in March. That means no rushing people back for the sake of a big Premier League fixture only for them to get injured again.
I think every single Spurs fan would be happy to take a hit on the League and finish in the bottom half of the table in order to maximise their chances in Europe. After all, a Europa League win would come with a major trophy and Champions League football next season!