Ange Postecoglou praised the “genuine spirit and character” that he acknowledged had been absent from Tottenham’s first four games of the season, following late goals from substitutes Brennan Johnson and Djed Spence, which thwarted Coventry City’s bid for another remarkable underdog story. The Championship side deservedly took the lead through Brandon Thomas-Asante midway through the second half, with Ellis Simms narrowly missing the chance to double their advantage. However, Spurs managed to recover and advance to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. This remains one potential route to a trophy that Postecoglou is still eyeing.
Coventry City’s previous encounters with penalties in the Championship playoff final against Luton Town and the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United had ended in disappointment, and they seemed destined for another penalty shootout after Spence, set up by Dejan Kulusevski, scored from close range in the 88th minute. However, until the introduction of James Maddison, Son Heung-Min, and Kulusevski, Spurs had often been outplayed and outfought by the spirited second-tier team. In stoppage time, Rodrigo Bentancur played Johnson through on goal, and the Wales winger, who had faced severe online abuse following the north London derby defeat, secured the winning goal.
Both teams have had mixed starts to their league campaigns, but the pressure was notably higher on Spurs. Postecoglou’s assertion that he “always wins things in my second year” has proven true in Australia, Japan, and Scotland, where he won titles in his second seasons. However, the Premier League presents a different challenge. This suggests that he will need to win a cup, something Spurs haven’t achieved since 2008, to maintain his successful second-season streak, with this competition offering a more attainable target than the FA Cup or Europa League.
Postecoglou took a gamble by making eight changes from the side that lost 1-0 to Arsenal, including giving first starts to summer signings Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall. While he argued that these players would benefit from the extended minutes, they struggled to match Coventry’s tempo in the middle of the game. “It was a typical cup game,” Postecoglou admitted. “Coventry had a real energy to their game. We had to hang in there and it was really hard just to stay in the game. But we [did] and showed some real spirit and character, which has probably been missing in the first four games of the season. But the last 10 minutes we got some really good belief going.”
A minority of Spurs fans booed their team at half-time, and there were indignant reactions when Bergvall, the Swedish teenager signed for £8.5 million from Djurgardens, was replaced by Son just after the hour mark. Postecoglou acknowledged that there are no quick fixes, especially with Qarabag visiting for the start of the Europa League campaign next week, necessitating further rotation. Robins correctly identified Maddison as the game-changer, as he began to control possession and neutralize Coventry’s high-tempo approach.
Jack Rudoni nearly scored within 45 seconds, with Fraser Forster saving his shot after Bergvall’s difficult first touch. With Spurs vulnerable on their defensive right, Norman Bassette, a Belgian teenager signed from Caen, was also impressive, and it was from his low cross that Thomas-Asante, a £2.25 million signing from West Brom, deftly adjusted his feet to give Coventry the lead. Ephron Mason-Clark almost scored at the near post after Simms’ header from Jake Bidwell’s long cross, but Coventry’s failure to secure a second goal proved costly. “We have to be more ruthless,” Robins said. “Life presents you with chances and we seem to not take those chances. You look back at the play-off final and the Manchester United [FA Cup semi-final] and we don’t take the chances, and that’s the case again tonight. It’s disappointing we didn’t see the game over the line. If you’re Tottenham Hotspur, you’re probably relieved to get through tonight.”
