Ange Postecoglou oversaw a thrilling first win as Tottenham manager as Pape Sarr’s strike and a Lisandro Martinez own goal settled a pulsating Premier League clash with Manchester United.
Even by Spurs’ standards this has been a chastening year, with their struggles in the second half of last season compounded by homegrown star Harry Kane’s recent switch to Bayern Munich.
But former Celtic boss Postecoglou has brought new hope to Tottenham and his entertaining, new-look side sealed a fine 2-0 win thanks to Sarr’s effort and a late Martinez own goal.
Erik ten Hag’s men – playing under the cloud of continued talk about Mason Greenwood’s future – began on the front foot in north London and could have gone into the break ahead.
United were aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty after the VAR reviewed a Cristian Romero handball in a half that saw Marcus Rashford and, in particular, Bruno Fernandes waste good chances.
Those let-offs allowed Spurs to grow into proceedings, with Pedro Porro smashing an effort off the bar before Luke Shaw deflected a Sarr cross onto the post just before the break.
Spurs returned with the bit between their teeth and took a 49th minute lead as Sarr reacted quickest to a deflected Dejan Kulusevski cross to score his first goal for the club.
Antony struck the post as the sides traded blows in a thrill-a-minute start to a second period that eventually calmed down, with Martinez’s late own goal wrapping up a home win.
The atmosphere was fantastic throughout as Spurs beat United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time, with Postecoglou receiving a fantastic reception before and after the match.
The home fans – a number of whom had protested about ticket prices before the match – had to hold on tight during a bright United start.
After some half-hearted chances, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario spread himself to stop Rashford giving United into a 13th minute lead having been slipped in by Antony.
Andre Onana’s stunning diagonal pass to Alejandro Garnacho deserved more than a driven cross being blocked, with an audacious Fernandes rabona cross headed over from close range by offside Rashford.
There was anger that the VAR did not intervene after Garnacho’s shot hit Romero’s arm, with the proximity of the effort understood to be behind the decision not to award a spot-kick for handball.
Another let-off soon followed. Smart play ended with Luke Shaw’s cracking first-time cross putting Fernandes behind, only for the unopposed skipper to head well off target from six yards.
But Spurs had grown into proceedings by this point. Sarr was denied by Onana after being played through by skipper Son Heung-min and went closer still in the 40th minute.
Son laid off for Porro to slam a thunderous shot off the crossbar and Sarr’s low ball back into the box deflected off Shaw and onto the post.
Spurs had clearly settled into a more cohesive attacking unit and needed just four minutes of the second period to take the lead.
Good team play ended with Kulusevski sending in a cross from the right that hit Martinez, with Sarr reacting quickest to slam home at the far post and spark wild celebrations.
The opener added extra spice to an already entertaining encounter.
Antony was allowed onto his favoured left foot just two minutes later and beat Vicario, only for his attempt to come back off the far post.
Spurs immediately swept up the other end. Onana stopped a low Destiny Udogie attempt and penalty appeals for Martinez’s challenge on Romero fell on deaf ears.
Vicario reacted well to tip over a Casemiro header and Fernandes saw a low shot pushed wide before the offside flag was raised.
Yves Bissouma had efforts either side of a blocked Son attempt, before changes took the sting out of the game.
Ivan Perisic and Ben Davies were among Spurs’ introductions, with the latter swinging at the former’s pass and getting the slightest touch before Martinez accidentally turned the ball into his own net in the 83rd minute.
United pushed to reduce the deficit but their play was stilted and frustrated, with an offside Raphael Varane denied by Vicario during nine scoreless minutes of stoppage time.
Ange Postecoglou oversaw a thrilling first win as Tottenham manager as Pape Sarr’s strike and a Lisandro Martinez own goal settled a pulsating Premier League clash with Manchester United.
Even by Spurs’ standards this has been a chastening year, with their struggles in the second half of last season compounded by homegrown star Harry Kane’s recent switch to Bayern Munich.
But former Celtic boss Postecoglou has brought new hope to Tottenham and his entertaining, new-look side sealed a fine 2-0 win thanks to Sarr’s effort and a late Martinez own goal.
Erik ten Hag’s men – playing under the cloud of continued talk about Mason Greenwood’s future – began on the front foot in north London and could have gone into the break ahead.
United were aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty after the VAR reviewed a Cristian Romero handball in a half that saw Marcus Rashford and, in particular, Bruno Fernandes waste good chances.
Those let-offs allowed Spurs to grow into proceedings, with Pedro Porro smashing an effort off the bar before Luke Shaw deflected a Sarr cross onto the post just before the break.
Spurs returned with the bit between their teeth and took a 49th minute lead as Sarr reacted quickest to a deflected Dejan Kulusevski cross to score his first goal for the club.
Antony struck the post as the sides traded blows in a thrill-a-minute start to a second period that eventually calmed down, with Martinez’s late own goal wrapping up a home win.
The atmosphere was fantastic throughout as Spurs beat United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time, with Postecoglou receiving a fantastic reception before and after the match.
The home fans – a number of whom had protested about ticket prices before the match – had to hold on tight during a bright United start.
After some half-hearted chances, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario spread himself to stop Rashford giving United into a 13th minute lead having been slipped in by Antony.
Andre Onana’s stunning diagonal pass to Alejandro Garnacho deserved more than a driven cross being blocked, with an audacious Fernandes rabona cross headed over from close range by offside Rashford.
There was anger that the VAR did not intervene after Garnacho’s shot hit Romero’s arm, with the proximity of the effort understood to be behind the decision not to award a spot-kick for handball.
Another let-off soon followed. Smart play ended with Luke Shaw’s cracking first-time cross putting Fernandes behind, only for the unopposed skipper to head well off target from six yards.
But Spurs had grown into proceedings by this point. Sarr was denied by Onana after being played through by skipper Son Heung-min and went closer still in the 40th minute.
Son laid off for Porro to slam a thunderous shot off the crossbar and Sarr’s low ball back into the box deflected off Shaw and onto the post.
Spurs had clearly settled into a more cohesive attacking unit and needed just four minutes of the second period to take the lead.
Good team play ended with Kulusevski sending in a cross from the right that hit Martinez, with Sarr reacting quickest to slam home at the far post and spark wild celebrations.
The opener added extra spice to an already entertaining encounter.
Antony was allowed onto his favoured left foot just two minutes later and beat Vicario, only for his attempt to come back off the far post.
Spurs immediately swept up the other end. Onana stopped a low Destiny Udogie attempt and penalty appeals for Martinez’s challenge on Romero fell on deaf ears.
Vicario reacted well to tip over a Casemiro header and Fernandes saw a low shot pushed wide before the offside flag was raised.
Yves Bissouma had efforts either side of a blocked Son attempt, before changes took the sting out of the game.
Ivan Perisic and Ben Davies were among Spurs’ introductions, with the latter swinging at the former’s pass and getting the slightest touch before Martinez accidentally turned the ball into his own net in the 83rd minute.
United pushed to reduce the deficit but their play was stilted and frustrated, with an offside Raphael Varane denied by Vicario during nine scoreless minutes of stoppage time.
Hundreds of Tottenham supporters staged a protest ahead of the club’s home match against Manchester United over the decision to increase matchday ticket prices for this season.
It was first revealed in July that Spurs planned to raise the price of matchday tickets for the 2023-24 campaign, a decision heavily criticised by Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust.
THST unveiled plans on August 1 to demonstrate against the increase ahead of Manchester United’s visit and a large group of fans gathered outside the stadium at 3.45pm with banners held up urging the club to reverse its decision.
Spurs announced in April that season-ticket prices would be frozen for the second year in a row, but THST confirmed in July that the club planned to raise matchday ticket prices.
It was also revealed there would now be six Category A fixtures, the most expensive ticket, with Newcastle bumped up from Category B.
A Tottenham spokesperson told the PA news agency at the time: “We are fully aware of the current rising cost of living – and as such are one of only three Premier League clubs to freeze Season Ticket prices for the coming season.
“Our match ticket prices are comparable to other London clubs, with a wide range of price points available for fans to choose from.”
After THST described the club’s decision to increase matchday tickets as “excessive”, earlier this month the Supporters’ Trust produced a ‘Call to Action’ plan alongside a number of key facts around the price rise.
The highest matchday ticket is now £103 and THST state the club’s decision to increase prices “will generate approximately £2.5million”, which they allege contributes to only 0.6 of the club’s total income.
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Upon revealing plans to hold a peaceful protest, THST urged the club to reverse its decision, guarantee there would be no price increase for next season and for a full commitment to consult the Supporters’ Trust and the Fan Advisory Board on a “fair and sustainable” ticking strategy.
“I hope the club listen and do retract the matchday ticket price increase,” THST chair Martin Buhagiar told PA earlier in August.
“People can’t afford their mortgage, can’t afford their shopping, can’t afford their utility bills, so now is not the time to price loyal fans out of football.
“My concern is the stadium will always sell out because of day-trippers or people on holiday coming to games, but fundamentally you will end up with a passionless stadium if you price out the passionate fans.”
After plenty of promotion on social media alongside the hashtags #StopExploitingLoyalty and #StopTicketPriceRises during recent weeks, a large number of fans turned up for Saturday’s demonstration.
Around 300 supporters stood on the High Road outside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and held up banners with one reading: “Greed is a choice. No to ticket price hike” and another stating: “Stop Exploiting Fans.”
While some of the chanting briefly turned to calling for chairman Daniel Levy to leave Spurs, the majority of the singing was repeatedly calling for the club to reverse its decision before supporters moved on after half an hour.
Richarlison is not capable of filling the hole Harry Kane has left at Tottenham, according to former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp.
Kane joined Bayern Munich for a Bundesliga-record €117million (£100m) earlier this month, leaving Tottenham as the club's all-time top goalscorer having netted 280 times in 435 appearances in all competitions, including 30 in 38 Premier League games last season as Spurs finished a disappointing eighth.
Kane's departure has left Tottenham fans concerned over their attacking options for this season, with the striker's impressive output last term making up for disappointing campaigns from the likes of Son Heung-min and Richarlison, who only scored 11 league goals between them.
Richarlison particularly struggled in his first season with Spurs, netting just once in the Premier League after joining from Everton for £60m, and Redknapp doubts whether the Brazil international can step up in Kane's absence.
"[Richarlison] can't fill Harry [Kane's] boots," Redknapp told Stats Perform. "No, he's not on the same level as Harry Kane.
"He's got to do better than what he did last year for sure. He's played for the Brazilian team and is a regular for them, he played at the World Cup. [He] scored goals at Everton, did okay there.
"I think Son will play through the middle. They'll let him off the leash and stick him through the middle. I think that's where he wants to play. He'll score goals, he will get between 15 and 20 goals, I think.
"But Harry Kane and Son together is definitely better than Son on his own. So that is the problem."
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy decided to cash in on Kane with a year left on the striker's contract, a decision that Redknapp understands but does not necessarily agree with, adding: "It's difficult. Daniel had that problem with him at the end of the year as a free agent.
"So do you wait and let him walk away for free, or do you take the 100 million? Could he have bought in that type of money by just staying this year and getting them back in the Champions League? Quite possibly.
"I thought Tottenham made some good signings, [James] Maddison coming in would be a big plus for Harry. He'd supply and make goals for him.
"[It is a] difficult one, but Daniel does what he feels is right for the football club at the end of the day, and he obviously feels it's better to take the 100 million now than get nothing at the end of the season."
Kane's exit is one of several big changes at Spurs, with former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou appointed ahead of this season as Tottenham bid to return to the top four.
Redknapp feels Postecoglou is in for a baptism of fire in Premier League management, having to cope without Kane in a league that will prove to be very competitive at the top end again, explaining: "He's got a great job. He's got a result as he's come from nowhere, really, in the last few years to manage Celtic and then manage Tottenham.
"I like him. When I see him, I like him an awful lot. It looks good. He's a good character. And I think he'll do a good job. I suppose when he came he always knew that he would have Harry for a year at most.
"I'm sure he's excited with the players he's working with, it will be the best players he's ever worked with anyway.
"He's never worked with a squad of players near that standard before. It's going to be a tougher division this year and he needs time.
"There's Man City, Man United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle [United] and Tottenham. Seven teams here scrapping it out for four places.
"I think Spurs will be okay. I think Maddison was a great signing. They just took the centre-half now, the Dutchman [Micky van de Ven], who is supposed to be a good player. They'll bring two or three more in.
"They will be pushing for a top-four place, [but] whether they can make it without Harry Kane, I'm not sure now."
Harry Kane can lead Bayern Munich back to Champions League glory, according to his former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp.
Kane joined the Bavarian giants from Tottenham last week for an estimated €117million (£100m), leaving as Spurs' record goalscorer and joining a Bayern side targeting their 12th consecutive Bundesliga title this season.
For all their domestic success, however, Bayern have suffered three consecutive quarter-final exits from the Champions League, last winning Europe's premier club competition in 2019-20.
But Redknapp, who handed Kane his Spurs debut in a Europa League qualifier against Hearts in 2011, believes the 30-year-old is the best striker in the world and can spearhead Bayern's return to Champions League glory.
"He's just for me the best centre-forward in the world," Redknapp told Stats Perform. "He can do absolutely everything.
"He's an amazing player. He scores goals. He makes goals, he can head it, he can score left foot, right foot, there's not a weakness in his game.
"Wherever he goes, he'll be a sensation. He could push Bayern Munich onto getting even closer to winning the Champions League this year and what they've been in the past.
"They'll probably win the league again. But the Champions League has got to be what they're looking to win and he's certainly the man to help them do that."
Kane's Spurs departure ended a 19-year association with the London club, the latter stages of which were clouded by rumours of a potential exit as major silverware evaded him.
Redknapp is surprised Bayern managed to acquire Kane, questioning why Manchester United did not attempt to sign a player who sits just 47 goals shy of Alan Shearer's all-time Premier League scoring record.
"It was a surprise to me that he decided to go to Bayern Munich," Redknapp said. "Even if he had gone to Real Madrid, I could have understood it, maybe.
"For me, he'd have been a great signing for Man United. We see [Moises] Caicedo going [to Chelsea] for over 100 million pounds. He's a defensive midfield player, doesn't score goals, doesn't make goals, breaks the play up.
"Harry Kane, for less money, who guarantees you between 25 and 30 goals a year, he could have pushed Man United onto maybe winning a title this year. So I was surprised they didn't go for him.
"I thought he might stay on and beat Shearer's record. I suppose the only person that's pleased he's going to Germany probably is Alan Shearer. It will keep the record intact."
Kane netted on his Bundesliga debut as Bayern began their title defence with a 4-0 thrashing of Werder Bremen on Friday.
Redknapp is confident his former player will adapt quickly and doubts he will be worried by the shadow of Robert Lewandowski, who scored 238 goals in 253 Bundesliga outings for Bayern before leaving for Barcelona last year.
"It'll be a different way of football, the style will be slightly different," Redknapp added. "It's still football, but it'll be slightly different to what he's been used to here.
"He's so low maintenance as a player, he's confident in his own abilities, he works hard, trains hard, lives right, family man. He'll score goals, make goals, he'll be a sensation.
"You know, Lewandowski was a great player, but Harry Kane's a better player."
Ange Postecoglou does not currently feel worthy of the Tottenham fans’ support but has promised to try bring them joy after being inspired by Australian singer Nick Cave.
It has been a difficult 2023 for Spurs after the club’s trophy drought extended and record goalscorer Harry Kane departed on the eve of the new Premier League season, but there is overwhelming support for Postecoglou.
The new man in the Tottenham hotseat was this week reminded of football’s significance to supporters when he listened to a podcast between Louis Theroux and his compatriot Cave.
“It is not about making the fans happy, it is about giving them joy and joy comes from suffering,” Postecoglou said ahead of Manchester United’s visit on Saturday.
“I am saying that because I listened to a podcast during the week and I thought it was a great description of what football is about.
“I am at that funny stage where supporters have been very, very supportive but I don’t expect that nor do I feel worthy of it.
“I still need to prove myself to our fans and the people at the club by our deeds rather than our words.
“Hopefully at the moment we are giving them sort of belief in what we’re trying to create but we need to back it up on a weekly basis.
“We need our supporters behind us. We want the Tottenham ground to be a place where the energy is all on our side, so hopefully that happens tomorrow.”
Postecoglou was serenaded for a number of minutes by the away fans at Brentford last weekend and a tifo display is planned for his first competitive home match in charge.
But he admitted: “It means a lot but I’m not comfortable with it. You love what it means because for the most part it’s blind faith.
“I haven’t yet delivered anything. Hopefully when the day comes that we deliver as a team it will mean something different then.
“I don’t dismiss it either, that’s people taking a huge leap of faith on me as an individual and I appreciate that. It’s a really good reminder of the responsibility that I have.”
While fans will get behind the team for the 5.30pm kick-off with Erik Ten Hag’s United, a protest will take place hours before arranged by Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust over the club’s decision to increase matchday ticket prices.
The ‘Call to Action’ from THST will ask for the club to reverse the increase – which they insist will price out loyal fans – and Postecoglou backed their right to “express their emotions” during Friday’s press conference.
He is also acutely aware of how important home form can be, adding: “It’s a beautiful stadium, absolutely, but as much as opposition teams enjoy playing in the venue, what we have got to make sure is they don’t enjoy the experience.
“What makes grounds difficult to play on is the experience you give teams, whether that’s the environment the fans create or the football you play against them.
“If you want to make it a place where we see it as an advantage, you have got to make sure the experience for opposition clubs is not a pleasant one.”
Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson made sure teams did not enjoy travelling to Old Trafford and Postecoglou reminisced about his meeting with the managerial great this week.
Postecoglou was in charge of South Melbourne when they lost 2-0 to United in the Club World Championship in 2000.
And more than two decades later he will try to secure his first Premier League win against Ferguson’s old club.
“I don’t think I take elements in my own game but people like Sir Alex, whether it’s consciously or unconsciously, they have an effect on you,” Postecoglou acknowledged.
“It’s not just football managers. I’m a pretty curious kind of guy and you learn things from all sorts of people and events.
“I’ve always tried to constantly nourish that part of my brain that is constantly curious about things.
“It was significant for me because we were coming from nowhere playing at one of the world’s most iconic stadiums, the Maracana, against one of the greatest teams at that time that football had seen, against one of the greatest managers.
“I had five or six minutes with him and apart from saying hello, I just listened. That’s the best way to have interaction with people like that. There’s no point me talking for five minutes, he’s not going to learn anything off me.”
Ange Postecoglou has no issue with Tottenham fans staging a protest ahead of Saturday’s fixture with Manchester United, but is sure they will be united behind the team once the match gets started.
An hour-long demonstration by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust has been arranged for 3.45pm over the club’s decision to raise the price of matchday tickets for the 2023-24 campaign.
While Spurs announced in April that season-ticket prices would be frozen, THST expressed its frustration last month over the matchday ticket price increase and the lack of consultation.
It has resulted in a ‘Call to Action’ from THST, who wants a full reversal of an increase they insist will price out loyal fans, but they made a conscious effort to ensure the protest occurred outside the stadium and before the 5.30pm kick-off.
Postecoglou said: “To be fair it’s not an unusual space for me. I know people talk about the treble I won at Celtic but the beginnings at Celtic were very similar.
“There was a lot going on off the pitch at the time and it’s only natural when football clubs have a disappointing period that there is going to be that environment with people unhappy, but my role within that is to hopefully get people to focus on what we’re all here for and that is the football club, the players, the team and having success.
“There is no doubt that we will get there quick if we’re united on and off the field absolutely, but I have never and never will tell people how they should feel, how they should behave or the context of how to express their emotions.
“I think that is their right and they have earnt their right to do that. My role within that is to try produce a team that gets us united to what’s most important.
“What I do know is that if we are united as a football club, supporters, everyone involved in and out of the club, during those 90 minutes, it gives us our best chance of success and ultimately that’s why we all do it.
“In every family you can have disagreements but hopefully you all come together at the dinner table and embrace the fact that we are a family and we’re going to need our supporters tomorrow and our role in that is to try to give them something to get excited about.”
The Spurs fanbase has endured a difficult 2023, watching last season’s hopes of silverware evaporate during a disastrous March, which saw painful FA Cup and Champions League exits followed by Antonio Conte’s departure.
A period of discontent has occurred since and Harry Kane’s exit on the eve of the season has turned up the heat on the club’s board, but there is overwhelming support for new boss Postecoglou.
The Australian was serenaded for a number of minutes by the away fans at Brentford last weekend and a tifo display is planned for his first competitive home match in charge on Saturday.
But Postecoglou admitted: “It means a lot but I’m not comfortable with it. You love what it means because for the most part it’s blind faith.
“I haven’t yet delivered anything. Hopefully when the day comes that we deliver as a team it will mean something different then.
“I don’t dismiss it either, that’s people taking a huge leap of faith on me as an individual and I appreciate that. It’s a really good reminder of the responsibility that I have.
“I have to repay that faith and supporting at the moment is on the back of very little. We need to start producing something that’s substantial so we can take that credit when it’s deserved.”
Meanwhile, Spurs will be boosted by Cristian Romero’s availability on Saturday after he passed concussion protocols this week following his clash of heads with Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo
“Cristian is good to go,” Postecoglou revealed. “He’s ticked all the boxes.”
Harry Kane's transfer to Bayern Munich came as a surprise to former Tottenham player and assistant boss Gus Poyet.
Kane completed a switch to the Bundesliga champions last week, signing a four-year deal in Munich.
That came after Bayern had finally struck an £86.4million (€100m) deal with Tottenham for the 30-year-old, who scored 30 Premier League goals last season.
The England captain made his debut in Bayern's 3-0 defeat to RB Leipzig in the DFL-Supercup after saying he moved to Germany to win trophies.
For Poyet, the move was a shock, however, especially after Kane failed to seal a transfer to Manchester City in 2021.
"I was surprised at Kane leaving because I said it, and I'm not going to change my mind, two years ago I thought it was the time for him to go," Poyet said in an interview with Stats Perform.
"I thought he's experienced, still young, so at that age he was still at the top of his career, looking for titles or silverware.
"He didn't [go], and it was a big shock for me, so I wasn't expecting him to leave. I was not.
"Going now and going abroad surprised me quite a lot."
Poyet is happy that Kane is going to test himself in another competition.
He added: "I'm pleased for him because it's going to be totally different for him, a new challenge completely different to England and I hope he does well because he deserves that feeling of winning a title."
Spurs began the post Kane era with a 2-2 draw at Brentford in Ange Postecoglou's first Premier League game in charge, and Poyet knows Tottenham will have a hard time replacing their former talisman.
"I'm really sad for the coach, because you go to Tottenham, and it's your first job in the Premier League and your main man – the one who is going to score 20+ goals – is gone, so you need to replace him and it's not easy," said Poyet, who is nevertheless excited to see Spurs in action this season.
"I'm not saying they cannot score goals [with] their front three, I'm saying that it's just different, and they're going to have to adapt.
"I think we saw already in pre-season and the first game that Tottenham is going to be very, very entertaining.
"I would be surprised if a Tottenham game [involves] less than three goals – for or against – because this is the style of football.
"They're going to be very offensive, they're going to be creating a lot and obviously when you go too far that way [forward] you leave space the other way and everybody plays. It's completely opposite to the way Spurs were playing in the last few years."
Tottenham have opened talks with Lazio over the proposed departure of former captain Hugo Lloris.
Lloris made clear earlier this summer his desire for a new challenge after 11 years at Spurs and was not involved in Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Brentford.
The World Cup winner is now closing in on a switch to Lazio after talks between the clubs started, but a final agreement on a fee is still to be reached, the PA news agency understands.
If Lloris does leave, as has always been expected in this transfer window, his final appearance for Tottenham would be the thumping 6-1 loss at Newcastle in April.
A thigh injury ruled Lloris out of the final weeks of the campaign and the French keeper revealed in June his desire “to do other things” in the future.
While no move was forthcoming during the early part of the transfer window, Spurs’ focus was on Bayern Munich’s public pursuit of Harry Kane and incomings with James Maddison able to sign.
Lloris was left out of the club’s pre-season tour of Perth, Bangkok and Singapore in July to explore transfer opportunities, but Kane moved on before the Frenchman with his switch to Bayern finalised on Saturday.
Spurs announced their new captain on the same day with Son Heung-min named as Lloris’ successor, while Cristian Romeo and Maddison were listed as vice-captains.
Lloris retained his number one shirt when Tottenham unveiled their squad numbers on Sunday, but he was left out of the squad at Brentford despite back-up goalkeeper Fraser Forster injured with a back problem.
It meant academy graduate Brandon Austin was named on the bench as deputy to new number one Guglielmo Vicario, who endured some nervy moments on his Premier League debut.
Vicario will be able to move forward at Tottenham without the shadow of Lloris after talks between Lazio and the club stepped up this week.
With Lloris still having a year left on his contract, Spurs hope to get a fee for their former captain but it is now expected the 36-year-old will begin the next chapter of his career in Italy.
Lloris will leave Tottenham after 447 appearances and 151 clean sheets, having helped the club reach three finals during his 11 years, including the 2019 Champions League Final.
Micky van de Ven has predicted Tottenham can achieve “beautiful things” under attack-minded Ange Postecoglou.
The Dutch defender was thrown into the deep end in Sunday’s Premier League opener at Brentford after only three training sessions with his new team-mates, but impressed in the 2-2 draw.
It had been a whirlwind week for Spurs with growing speculation over record goal-scorer Harry Kane eventually resulting in his departure for Bayern Munich on Saturday.
A degree of optimism remains rife amongst supporters following a busy summer of transfer activity and with a new bold, front-foot approach set to be adopted by Postecoglou.
“It’s an amazing club,” Van de Ven reflected after his debut. “I had a good meeting with the trainer and it was a really good meeting.
“He’s a really good trainer. I love the club, I love the players and I think there is so much potential under this trainer so we will see where this season heads.
“He has a good view on football, that’s what I think. Attacking football is what I love, playing with a lot of space in the back doesn’t matter for me.
“Offensive football is what I like and I think if we play a lot of offensive football and we train, we train, we train then I think we can do some beautiful things.”
Spurs had chased Netherlands Under-21 captain Van de Ven all summer and eventually secured his services on August 8 for an initial £34.5million fee, which could rise to £43.1million in add-ons.
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Despite featuring for Wolfsburg during pre-season, the 22-year-old had not completed 90 minutes all summer, but Postecoglou’s decision to include him in the starting XI was vindicated.
Van de Ven admitted: “Everything is harder, it’s going quicker and it’s going up and down, up and down. There is no moment in the game where you feel you can rest a bit, you always have to be sharp and 100 per cent focused.
“It is my first game with the team, so of course at the beginning we have to watch a bit how everything is going and afterwards you feel more comfortable. The guys are talking positive to you so that is also helping.
“I trained three days with the team but they gave me some confidence and the trainer was talking to me and also gave me some confidence. I didn’t stress at all that I can’t do it.
“All the trainers were positive, all the players were positive saying ‘do your job, do what you can do and we will help you’ and I think it went well.”
Comparisons to Jan Vertonghen, another left-footed centre-back who started out in Eredivisie, occurred before Van de Ven had even signed his contract at Tottenham.
The ex-Volendam defender revealed he used to study Vertonghen before the Belgian moved to Spurs, where he went on to make 315 appearances and become a hugely popular figure with the club’s fanbase.
“I was always in the stadium when Jan Vertonghen was playing for Ajax so I always saw him play and always said he was a good left-footed, centre-back. I learned some from him as I watched videos of him,” Van de Ven added.
“I watched a lot of times Spurs because a lot of players from Ajax also went to Spurs and also players from Holland.
“Always when you see a player go to Spurs it is an amazing step if you went from Ajax, AZ, PSV to Spurs.
“Of course with the history they didn’t win a prize for a long time but you never know what is going to happen.”
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou insists Eric Dier remains “part of this team” despite his absence from Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Brentford.
Dier was one of several senior players left out of the Spurs squad along with Hugo Lloris, Djed Spence, Japhet Tanganga, Sergio Reguilon and Tanguy Ndombele.
Postecoglou has been honest about the need for Tottenham to offload players during the final weeks of the transfer window, but he suggested nothing should be read into Dier’s absence.
Reports on Sunday which linked Dier with a move to Saudi Arabia were later shut down and he trained at Hotspur Way earlier that day, but he may have to assess his playing options now he seems to be fifth choice at centre-back.
“Eric is part of this team. We left a few out,” Postecoglou said.
“We left some players on the bench that are very good players. We need a strong squad, it’s not about 11 players.
“Eric is in the same boat as all the other boys. He’s working hard in training and available for selection.
“My decisions then are what I think will give us the best chance of success for any given game and then we reassess the week after. Nothing really unusual there.”
Dier was a regular under Postecoglou’s predecessor Antonio Conte and made 42 appearances last season.
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The summer arrival of Micky van de Ven from Wolfsburg has pushed Dier down the pecking order and despite featuring in pre-season, Ben Davies and Davinson Sanchez appear to have also moved ahead of him.
Dier joined Spurs in 2014 but was snubbed for the captaincy roles with Son Heung-min named skipper and James Maddison and fellow centre-back Cristian Romero listed as vice-captains.
Romero was part of a new-look defence at Brentford with debuts handed to goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, Van de Ven and left-back Destiny Udogie.
Postecoglou added: “Obviously we had Micky, Destiny and Vic, three of our back five, making their debut for the clubs and anyone will tell you when it comes to the defensive side of the game, the more understanding you have, the better you are.
“We obviously took a bit of a gamble throwing them all in but I thought all three handled themselves really well. It is not an easy place to come, you get put under pressure with balls coming into the box and I thought they all handled themselves really well.
“Micky has only had three sessions with us so I could have waited to put him in there, but my feeling is he will be a very good footballer for us and the quicker we introduce him to Premier League football the better he will be.”
Sunday marked the start of the post-Harry Kane era for Tottenham, but his departure to Bayern Munich on Saturday night did not alter the plans of Brentford too much.
Bees boss Thomas Frank said: “No, that is the short answer. Of course he is a different type to Richarlison. He is the England number nine compared to the Brazilian number nine.
“That we know and the only tweak would have been that if Kane drops down deep, we would have needed to be aware of his fantastic passing skills and get closer to him.
“Richarlison is more about the runs but our game plan is our game plan with the things we believe in.”
Thomas Frank embraced Brentford “again making history” after their Premier League opener at home to Tottenham was delayed due to a sanitation issue inside the stadium.
A six-minute delay occurred to the scheduled 2pm kick-off following an issue with the water supply at the Brentford Community Stadium.
It meant toilets could not be used and while the problem remained until half-time, Frank laughed off the Bees providing another Premier League first after a drone saw a clash with Wolves delayed at the start of 2022.
Frank said: “I actually don’t know (if anyone had a shower yet), but it is the most crazy reason for delaying a Premier League game I ever heard.
“I know we normally hit the headlines for a lot of good things. Probably is not the worst thing to hit the headlines with, but yeah quite crazy.
“It reminded me a little bit about the drone game two years ago against Wolves. Probably also the first time in the Premier League wasn’t it? Again, making history. First time drone and second time no water.”
A Brentford statement at the time said: “Please be aware that we are currently dealing with an issue in relation to the water supply into the stadium which is affecting all related facilities.”
Meanwhile, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou laughed off the fact his Premier League bow was momentarily delayed.
Postecoglou added: “Twenty-seven years of managing mate and that’s the beauty of it, there’s always something new. So just another little line in my autobiography.”
Ange Postecoglou promised Tottenham would improve and praised the resilience of his squad for not allowing Harry Kane’s departure to distract them after they battled to a 2-2 Premier League draw at Brentford.
Kane’s exit to Bayern Munich – coupled with four full debutants being used in their season opener – contributed to the start of a new dawn at Spurs and along with hosts Brentford, they produced an entertaining affair in west London.
Cristian Romero headed Tottenham in front after 11 minutes before quick-fire efforts from Bees forwards Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa turned around this season opener, but James Maddison – wearing the 10 shirt in Kane’s absence – set up Emerson Royal to level matters on the stroke of half-time.
It stayed 2-2 despite the visitors having 69 per cent possession and 18 shots, which pleased Postecoglou to an extent but the Australian was also aware they must get better in the final third, especially following the £100million sale of their record goal-scorer.
“Football clubs move on pretty quickly,” Postecoglou reflected when asked if he had discussed Kane’s departure with the squad.
“I haven’t needed to address it, I haven’t needed to give them a warm fuzzy cuddle just to see how they are. We had a game to prepare for and they knew that.
“I think that was the important thing for us. If it felt like we were distracted, I was distracted or anyone else, I think you would have seen evidence of it today, particularly after that first half and the way it went.
“We showed a real resilience that we’re going to need because it’s going to be a challenging year for sure.
“It was a good starting point for us today, but we need to improve and we have to improve and we will.
“I think that 2-1 down, having conceded a penalty and an own goal, it would have been very easy for us to drop our heads but I never sensed that in the group.”
After Romero had combined with fellow vice-captain Maddison to open the scoring, he was forced off following an earlier clash of heads with Mbeumo.
The Argentina international wanted to stay on, but Postecoglou had no doubt over the substitution, although was critical over how a pedantic minor error by Spurs’ backroom staff penalised them when it came to further substitutes.
Postecoglou added: “They were pretty sure we needed – for his own benefit – to get him off and obviously what we know about head injuries, for me it is not even an issue. We will always err on the side of caution.
“Disappointed that we apparently filled out the wrong slip and it was not a concussion sub.
“In this day and age, where what we know about head injuries, if we are going to worry about what form we fill out, I thought it was pretty clear what happened – but hopefully he’ll be OK.”
Despite no longer having Kane to call on and with other experienced members of the squad in Hugo Lloris and Eric Dier not involved, Postecoglou was happy to give the away fans reasons for optimism.
“I thought our supporters were outstanding today,” he said.
“It is fair to say we have put them through a fair bit this pre-season and all we can try and do is give them some hope and belief.
“Hopefully they leave the ground, maybe disappointed we weren’t able to get the win, but at least seeing the players are fully committed to us trying to be a football team that makes an impact.”
While a lot of the pre-match focus centred on Tottenham being without Kane, Brentford are missing last season’s top goal-scorer Ivan Toney until January due to his ban for repeated betting breaches.
Bees boss Thomas Frank maintained there was no need for them to sign a new forward and was pleased to be validated in their opening fixture with Mbeumo and Wissa on target.
He said: “There have been quite a few questions from you guys at the end of last season and the start of this about ‘will we buy a striker?’ And I’ve said no, no, no, no and no because we believe the forward players we have will provide enough goals.
“Bryan and Wissa showed it last season and I am so glad they showed it again today.
“Do I want Ivan in the team? Yes, but I know he is not there before January so I am not focused too much on that, only on the players we have now.”
James Maddison provided two assists to help fill the creative void left by Harry Kane’s departure, but Tottenham could only start the Ange Postecoglou era with a 2-2 Premier League draw at Brentford.
Kane’s exit to Bayern Munich – coupled with four full debutants being used in their season opener – contributed to the start of a new dawn at Spurs and along with hosts Brentford, they produced an entertaining affair in west London.
New vice-captain Cristian Romero headed Tottenham in front after 11 minutes, but quick-fire efforts from Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa turned around this Premier League opener for the Bees.
Emerson Royal was able to level on the stroke of half-time after another assist by Maddison, who was wearing the number 10 shirt, and despite both teams fashioning further chances in the second half, the spoils were shared.
It had been a whirlwind period for everyone involved at Tottenham with Kane beginning his journey to Germany on Friday and making his debut for Bayern on Saturday night. By that point, his former club had moved on.
Son Heung-min was confirmed as Spurs’ new captain, with Hugo Lloris still expected to depart before September 1, and Postecoglou handed out several debuts during his own Premier League bow.
A slight delay occurred to kick-off at Brentford due to a sanitation issue inside the stadium, but it took only 11 minutes for Tottenham to score the first goal of this new era.
Maddison curled in a free-kick for fellow vice-captain Romero to head home but that would prove the World Cup winner’s last involvement.
Romero had clashed heads with Mbeumo after five minutes and despite insisting he could carry on, Davinson Sanchez was introduced.
Brentford started to grow into proceedings and Tottenham’s new number one Guglielmo Vicario saved well from Mbeumo before Son started his captaincy duties with a low point.
The Spurs forward caught Mathias Jensen inside the area and – while it looked innocuous at first glance – VAR told referee Robert Jones to review the incident with the pitchside monitor and he pointed to the penalty spot.
With Brentford without the banned Ivan Toney due to repeated betting breaches, Mbeumo took on the spot-kick responsibility and slotted the ball home after 26 minutes in a similar fashion to his fellow strike partner.
Nine minutes later, Thomas Frank’s side were ahead when Rico Henry got in behind Emerson too easily on the right and cut back, where Wissa’s shot was deflected beyond Vicario by fellow debutant Micky Van De Ven.
A booking for Oliver Skipp on the stroke of half-time made it five yellows handed out to the visitors, which included coach Ryan Mason and those minor delays contributed towards 11 minutes being added on at the end of the first half.
It proved enough time for Tottenham to go in level after Emerson rifled home from 22 yards following Maddison’s pass to continue his resurgence after he was booed onto the pitch against Aston Villa at the start of 2023.
Brentford substitute Mikkel Damsgaard should have made it 3-2 after 58 minutes, but he scuffed his effort straight at Vicario from 12 yards after the Italian had punched away Vitaly Janelt’s cross.
Spurs improved afterwards with Son testing Mark Flekken, who produced a strong display after replacing Arsenal-bound David Raya.
Flekken was equal to Richarlison’s 64th-minute effort when Maddison had slipped through the Brazil forward before a host of changes were made by both managers.
Van De Ven breathed a sigh of relief after VAR decided to not intervene when he caught Bees substitute Kevin Schade inside the area with 12 minutes left.
And it proved the final noteworthy moment of an entertaining opener, which showed both sides there was life without talismans Kane and Toney.
James Maddison has promised to fill the creative void at Tottenham after he admitted to a sense of inevitability about joining the club.
The England international completed a £40million move to Spurs from Leicester in June and will make his debut in Sunday’s Premier League opener away to Brentford.
It will mark the start of a new era for Tottenham with a huge sense of mixed emotions amongst the fanbase after Harry Kane’s transfer to Bayern Munich was finalised on Saturday.
While Kane’s departure is a bitter pill to swallow, there remains optimism about the attacking brand of football new manager Ange Postecoglou will try to implement and excitement around signings like Maddison.
Speaking at a TNT Sports event last week before Kane’s departure, Maddison said: “When I was speaking to my agent about moving clubs and you come to a place where you need to make decisions, where you want to go and what you think fits best, I could actually see myself playing for Spurs.
“There’s a little window for me at Tottenham Hotspur, a creative player that they’ve always had, maybe not had in recent years.
“I could definitely see myself, when making the decision, playing for Tottenham, in that kit, in that stadium and being the creative player I know I can be.
“I’ve always had a strong self belief and I’ll always back myself and my own ability to succeed. It hasn’t failed me so far so I will continue to have that mindset and attitude. I just saw myself playing at Tottenham.”
Maddison, 27, had been tracked by Spurs since he was a teenager at Coventry and following spells with Norwich and Leicester, he will finally wear the white of Tottenham.
He appears the natural heir to Christian Eriksen, who wore the crown as the team’s chief creator until his departure in 2020.
Kane has carried the creative burden alongside his goalscoring exploits in recent seasons under the pragmatic football of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, but his exit on the eve of the season will further put the onus on Maddison.
“There was interest that never really fully materialised for whatever reason,” Maddison reflected on Spurs’ past interest.
“When I spoke to the chairman (Daniel Levy), he shared with me that he was a fan of mine and had followed my career for a while. That was obviously nice to hear.
“Sometimes things don’t always work out and you can’t just like a player and get them, it doesn’t always work like that. It is a little bit more complicated than that, but it was nice to hear and that there had been interest.
“You do see sometimes hear rumours and paper talk and stuff, but when it did materialise and I ended up speaking to the manager and chairman, it was a thing I was flattered by and I’m really happy to be at Tottenham.”
If Maddison buys into the notion that he fits in at Spurs, he has a similar opinion of new boss Postecoglou, who made the former Leicester playmaker one of his vice-captains on Saturday.
Postecoglou will make his Premier League bow at Brentford and while his name does not carry the same weight that Mourinho and Conte did, there seems no doubt fans will quickly get on board if his bold, attacking style can translate into results.
Maddison added: “I think that’s why he’s at Tottenham as well because of how he likes to play.
“It kind of suits Tottenham and maybe what they lacked a little bit with managers of recent times. The club has obviously had some big name managers and the type of football I imagine Spurs fans want to see has been a little bit lacking.
“But the quality is there to be an attacking team. The players are there to do it and the manager made no hesitation on the way he wants to play.”
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