James Maddison gives Tottenham hope as Mathys Tel gets to grips with English game | OneFootball

The loanee was again lively up front but will take time to adapt

Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Dan Kilpatrick

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Tottenham bounced back from their back-to-back cup exits last week with a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Premier League, settled by James Maddison’s 13th-minute goal.

Both teams had a host of chances to add further goals, with Onana and Guglielmo Vicario busy.

But Spurs held on to record back-to-back wins in the league, relieving the pressure on Postecoglou but increasing the heat on Ruben Amorim.

Here are three Spurs talking points from the game…

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Spurs palpably better but rode their luck

This game felt like the start of a new stage of the season for Spurs, marking the end of the worst of their injury crisis (as well as the beginning of United’s).

After a week off for the squad to rest and “reset”, Postecoglou welcomed back no fewer than five players from injury, with Vicario and Maddison going straight into the XI. January signings Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso started again after another week of settling in.

And there was little doubt that they did. The hosts were palpably livelier, with Pedro Porro, Dejan Kulusevski and Heung-min Son all refreshed, and Maddison and Vicario only outshone by the outstanding Djed Spence.

For the first time in weeks, Spurs were pressing and playing out from the back like a Postecoglou team, and looking to get forward at every opportunity.

Significantly, the manager was able to ring the chances in the second half, using all five substitutes, including two more returnees, wingers Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert.

Spurs were not, however, in control of an end-to-end contest and a severely depleted United squandered a succession of chances to equalise.

While Spurs could – and probably should – have added to their lead, too, they lived dangerously and occasionally rode their luck defensively.

Vicario made a string of saves, notably an outstanding one-handed stop to deny Alejandro Garnacho in the second half.

Spurs can now look ahead with optimism and should improve after another week off before the trip to Ipswich next weekend. But this game was a reminder that Spurs at full pelt are both an exhilarating attacking team but still an occasionally flawed one.

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Returning Maddison makes Spurs tick

Maddison’s goal was the difference on an excellent return to the side for the playmaker, who might easily have had to settle for a place among the substitutes.

Postecoglou, though, threw his vice-captain straight back in at No.10 ahead of Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma and was rewarded with an outstanding display at No.10.

Maddison benefited from United’s shortage of available midfielders to take control of the middle of the park with Bergvall, the pair enjoying themselves against the ageing Casemiro, who was overrun as a single pivot.

Last season, Maddison never returned to his best after an ankle injury in November and there has been a sense that for all his quality, he tends to struggle for consistency and rhythm, particularly after injuries.

It was particularly encouraging, then, that he hit the ground running after three weeks out with a calf strain, suggesting he is poised to play an important part in the run-in for Spurs.

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Tel bright but hold-up play needs work

It says everything about the severity of Tottenham’s winter injury crisis that they were still missing both starting centre-backs – Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero – as well as their two senior centre-forwards – Dominic Solanke and Richarlison – against United, and yet it felt like the squad was nonetheless in a great place.

The absence of the two defenders was mitigated by strong showings from Kevin Danso and Ben Davies, but Spurs missed having a commanding No.9 to lead the line.

Tel was given the nod up front following his late goal at Villa Park last weekend (after he swapped with Son and went through the middle) and he was bright, letting fly with a number of shots. Onana produced a smart save from the Frenchman in each half.

But the teenager also really struggled to hold up the ball and link play, meaning Spurs often found it difficult to relieve pressure.

In all, Tel looks promising but not yet physically ready to lead the line in the rough and tumble of English football.

With Van de Ven, Romero and Solanke all slated to return in two to three weeks, you feel Spurs will probably miss the striker more than the two defenders in the interim.