Five things we learned following Tottenham’s Carabao Cup exit
Tottenham Hotspur fell to a 5-3 defeat in a penalty shoot-out against Fulham this evening after the sides could not be separated in 90 minutes of Carabao Cup football.
Five things we learned following Tottenham’s Carabao Cup exit
Let’s take a look at five things we learned from the match:
Tottenham are out –
If Tottenham are brilliant at anything, it’s bringing you back down to earth just as you’re starting to enjoy yourself. A new manager, a flying team on the field, and no European football. A couple of cup runs had to be on the cards, right? Wrong. Fulham knocked Spurs out of the Carabao Cup in the second round.
That Ange starting XI –
Ange Postecoglou will face criticism for the first time since his arrival this evening. After indicating that he would take the cups seriously, he made nine changes to his in-form Premier League squad, including a number of players who have been extensively connected with exits, beginning with Fulham. Maddison, Bissouma, Son, Kulusevski, Romero, Udogie, or Sarr are not included. It was hardly surprise that the same old rotation issues arose once more.
Penalty takers –
We don’t want to go over the shootout again, but we can see who might be Tottenham’s next penalty taker in the Premier League. Son has a horrible track record from the location and was fortunate to see his creep in. Kulusevski and Maddison appeared to be in good spirits from the start. The less said about Davinson Sanchez, the better. I’d put Madders or Deki on the spot kicks full-time.
Richarlison off the mark –
Richarlison scored his first goal of the season with a well-placed header, however he did not play the whole 90 minutes this time, possibly owing to an ankle injury. He was, though, a frustrating figure to watch this evening. It appears that he wants to make a major play every time he touches the ball, which is impossible to do as a lone number nine. Consider how many times Harry Kane has won cheap fouls, brought others into action, and popped off one/two touch passes to keep possession. Richarlison possesses the ability to do so; he simply needs to change his mentality altogether.
The silver lining –
We always try to find a silver lining, but it’s difficult tonight. Spurs fans were desperate to contend for silverware and lift something for the first time in years with no European football. Falling at the first hurdle is a genuine gut punch that, ideally, will not have an impact on Premier League momentum. The one thing you can say is that Spurs can now focus solely on the league until 2024, but does it really matter unless you’re attempting to win it all? Tonight hurts because I believe some Tottenham fans would trade a top-four finish for a cup this season.
