Before facing Bodø/Glimt in the second leg next Thursday, Tottenham Hotspur travelled to East London as they faced West Ham United.
As the final score at the London Stadium resulted in a 1-1 draw, Spurs once again were unable to seal all three points on the road. As the last away victory in the league came in February away to Ipswich Town.
It is without a doubt Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham side will have been fairly satisfied with a point, with Spurs making eight changes to the starting line-up that featured a completely fresh backline from Thursday night.
It took Tottenham 38 seconds to open the scoring on Thursday in the Europa League. Once again, Spurs struck early with a goal through Wilson Odobert in the 15th minute. The young Frenchman scored his first Premier League goal for the club, after his previous two goals came in the Europa League against AZ Alkmaar.
A French combination as Mathys Tel stole the ball from Max Kilman's error, a pass through to Odobert saw the winger sending the ball in the bottom right corner.
Soon after, the Hammers equalised through captain Jarrod Bowen who slotted the ball through the legs of Guglielmo Vicario.
There was little to no action in the second period for Tottenham, with the only real opportunity coming from Pape Matar Sarr, whose effort whisked just over the crossbar.
-
A proud Ange Postecoglou
Postecoglou was encouraged by his side’s performance. Avoiding a 20th defeat in what has been a disappointing league campaign was a positive, though the Spurs manager was more concerned about James Maddison’s chances of recovering from a knee injury ahead of the trip to Bodø.
“It doesn’t look great,” said Postecoglou, who sounded more hopeful about Dominic Solanke’s recovery from a thigh complaint - “We’re waiting for further information.”
Dejan Kulusevski completed the full 90 minutes in Tottenham’s 1-1 draw at the London Stadium, with Postecoglou noting that the adaptable forward appeared far more fluid in his movement compared to recent weeks.
The Australian was encouraged by Kulusevski’s willingness to take on defenders and execute his signature moves— clear indicators, in his view, that the player is beginning to rediscover his form.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Postecoglou said: “He’s getting better. There were moments in the game where you started seeing he’s moving a lot freer. It takes time. You’re missing a couple of months of football. For any player, it takes a while."
-
Maddison absence leaves Spurs short of spark in midfield ahead of Bodø trip
Tottenham Hotspur have suffered another setback ahead of their second-leg clash with Bodø/Glimt, with scans indicating that James Maddison is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
The absence of Maddison, Spurs’ primary creative outlet, leaves Ange Postecoglou’s side worryingly short of invention in midfield. Without him, Tottenham struggled to generate attacking momentum in the 1-1 draw against West Ham, where the likes of Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr offered plenty of work rate but little in terms of creativity or forward drive.
Maddison’s vision, passing range, and ability to unlock defences is central to Spurs' attacking identity. Without a natural replacement in his mould, the burden of chance creation may now fall to the wide players or deeper-lying playmakers ill-suited to that role — a concern with such a high-stakes European fixture looming.
-
Defensive gaps an issue
Once again, Tottenham were punished for defensive lapses, and the 1-1 draw against West Ham highlighted their ongoing vulnerabilities at the back. Despite dominating possession for large stretches of the match, Spurs conceded from a relatively straightforward attacking move — a scenario that has become all too familiar in recent weeks.
Tottenham’s defensive issues are rooted in several areas. First, there is a consistent lack of communication between the centre-backs and full-backs, particularly when transitioning from attack to defence. This often leads to defensive gaps, with opponents exploiting the space between players.
-
Positive signs from Mathys Tel
Mathys Tel was one of the few bright spots for Tottenham in their 1-1 draw against West Ham, consistently applying pressure on the opposition. His work rate was evident early in the match, with his pressing forcing a defensive error that eventually led to Spurs’ opening goal.
Tel’s ability to press defenders and win back possession was key in disrupting West Ham's build-up play, and it’s a part of his game that stands out even when Tottenham’s overall performance is lacking.
In the absence of James Maddison, Spurs needed someone to inject more creativity, and while Tel showed flashes of that capability, he still has room to refine his vision and execution in key moments.
