The roar of relief was everything. Tottenham could not afford to mess up this opportunity but Ange Postecoglou’s side held firm, knocking Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup to hand Pep Guardiola’s team their first defeat of the season. Tottenham’s ability to self-destruct ensured this was still a gripping cup tie, even as City chased the game in second gear. It was almost enough and although Bernardo Silva’s protests at full-time suggested City wanted to win this just as much as Spurs, the sight of Erling Haaland grinning on the bench, an unused substitute even as City trailed for over 90 minutes, told a different story.
There is no question how much this meant for Spurs. Postecoglou has talked up his tendency to win trophies in his second season and, although he is still unable to conjure consistency from his side, Spurs held on to win their biggest game of the season so far when the pressure was on. That the Premier League champions were far below their best and finished with four teenagers on the pitch, plus another academy graduate in the 22-year-old James McAtee, makes little difference to Spurs in the grand scheme of taking a step closer to ending their 16-year trophy drought.
