Tottenham lost 1-0 to AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of their Europa League round-of-16 tie to leave their season hanging by a thread.
Lucas Bergvall’s own goal after 18 minutes, an attempted clearance which looped over Guglielmo Vicario, was the difference as AZ earned a thoroughly deserved lead to take to next Thursday’s decider in London.
Spurs mustered just one shot on target in the 88th minute, and had Vicario to thank for keeping the scoreline down with a pair of saves.
Here are three Spurs talking points from the game…
Spurs abject on a big night
Given the stakes for Spurs, it was remarkable just how poor they were, both as individuals and a collective.
Ange Postecoglou’s side came into the match after a week’s rest (this was AZ’s third game in seven days) and knowing their hopes of salvaging a difficult season rested entirely on this competition.
Lose the tie and Spurs’ campaign would be reduced to two months of utterly meaningless league fixtures, the only question being whether they could potentially claw their way into the top half of the table.
And yet the visitors were lucky to escape with a 1-0 defeat here in one of the flattest displays of the Postecoglou era.
From the off, Spurs played nothing like a side with their season on the line; they were sloppy, disorganised and pedestrian, wide open in midfield and utterly toothless up front.
Their only shot on target finally came in the 88th minute and, in all probability, was actually a mis-hit cross by Wilson Odobert.
Bergvall’s own goal was desperately unfortunate but if it wasn’t for Vicario’s save from a clean-through Troy Parrott, Spurs would have been 2-0 down at the interval.
The Italian also saved well from Ernest Poku in the second half following a clever flick by Parrott, who looked determined to make an impact against his former club.
The Irishman did not make the grade under Postecoglou but was more impressive than every visiting player here, notably Mathys Tel and Heung-min Son – neither of whom made an impression at centre-forward for Spurs.
AZ thrashed Galatasaray 4-1 at home in the play-off round and are not to be underestimated but they had not beaten an English opponent in their last 12 attempts and, frankly, Spurs should be comfortably outclassing them.
The only real positive for Postecoglou and his players is that the tie remains alive ahead of next week’s decider in north London.
Indeed, Spurs are still the favourites to reach the quarter-finals, having already beaten AZ at home this season.
But obviously they will not win the Europa League playing like this.
Solanke’s return turns sour
To add injury to insult, Spurs night got worse when Dominic Solanke's return to action was cut short in stoppage-time, the striker taking a blow to his back in a collision with AZ’s goalkeeper.
Solanke was making his first appearance in seven weeks since jarring his knee in training and had only been on the pitch for 20 minutes when the incident happened.
He had to be helped down the touchline by a member of Spurs’ medical staff in visible discomfort and now appears in danger of being the latest of Postecoglou’s players to return to action – and then immediately get injured again.
If Solanke is facing more time on the sidelines - Postecoglou described his injury as "a knock" afterwards - it will be particularly frustrating for Spurs, not least because his understudies have been so underwhelming.
Tel, 19, offered the odd glimpse of improved hold-up play here but it was not a surprise when he was hooked for Odobert at the interval following another largely ineffective display up front.
Son similarly failed to carry a threat when he moved through the middle at the start of the second half.
Spurs now face an anxious wait to discover the extent of Solanke’s issue, with his chances of facing his former club Bournemouth on Sunday in some doubt.
Postecoglou’s passivity reflected by his players
An 18th defeat of the season raises uncomfortable questions for Postecoglou, who will be under enormous pressure if his side do not salvage the tie next week.
Postecoglou went into the game with his strongest available squad for months, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero joining Solanke in returning to a deep and talented bench. Injuries can no longer be a factor in Spurs’ performances or results.
Yet Postecoglou’s use of his squad was questionable here.
Though he introduced Odobert for Tel at the interval, it was not until the 72nd-minute that Postecoglou called for the cavalry, with Solanke, Pedro Porro and Pape Matar Sarr joining the action.
It was clear long before then that an organised AZ side had dug in and would be hard to break down, so where were the decisive changes to change the momentum and rescue the game?
Postecoglou’s own passivity was reflected in his players, who appeared almost content to take a 1-0 defeat back to London as the clock ticked down, barely mounting a late push for a leveller.
