Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur wins to secure spot in Europa League round of 16 but injuries strike Spurs again

Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur shrugged off their poor Premier League form to surge into the Europa League round of 16 thanks to a trio of home-grown young stars.

Tottenham Hotspur’s European adventure is still alive and kicking after Ange Postecoglou’s side sealed a comfortable victory over Elfsborg and a place in the last 16.

A drifting contest against mediocre opponents, who finished seventh in the Swedish league in November, became an unexpectedly special night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as three academy graduates — 20-year-old Dane Scarlett, Damola Ajayi, 19, and 17-year-old Mikey Moore — scored the goals to send Spurs through.

If that was enough to re-energise a disgruntled crowd here, Postecoglou will hope that two free midweeks next month will help his injury-hit squad rest and recover, with Tottenham avoiding the extra two games that would have been required in the Europa League’s play-off round.

17 year old Mikey Moore scores for Spurs against Elfsborg. Picture: Richard Pelham/Getty Images

They knew a win here would guarantee them a place in the top eight, while success in any game at the moment for Postecoglou is just getting players through without injury. He didn’t quite manage that, as Radu Dragusin pulled up around the hour mark after twisting a knee, but there were encouraging signs as Richarlison and Pape Matar Sarr were both deemed fit enough to start, while Yves Bissouma came on at half-time after missing the previous three games with injury.

The big plus of the night was Micky van de Ven’s first start since he pulled a hamstring against Chelsea on December 8. Van de Ven was given 45 minutes, a week before Spurs play Liverpool in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, and the Spurs fans roared with delight at the sound of his name being read out before kick-off.

Elfsborg had played only three competitive games since the Swedish Allsvenskan finished in November, all of them in the Europa League, although they had won their last two of those, against Nice and Qarabag.

Postecoglou predicted that Van de Ven’s mere presence would give everyone a lift and there was a buzz in the first few minutes as Son Heung-min went close, Richarlison stretched for a header and then Van de Ven almost made it a scoring return but couldn’t quite connect with the ball at a corner. Lucas Bergvall may have been trying too hard to impress opponents from his native country early on and the Sweden midfielder was on the end of some stern words from Postecoglou.

Richarlison was deemed fit to play in encouraging signs for Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs. Picture: Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Son was the best player on the pitch in the opening half an hour, like the Son of old with his whirring feet and dashes to the line. One Son twist and turn left Elfsborg’s Besfort Zeneli on the turf but Sarr couldn’t finish. A stepover then sent Niklas Hult towards the High Road but Moore’s effort hit the goalkeeper.

Tottenham had 83 per cent possession in the first half, and 12 shots to Elfsborg’s one, but somehow it was still goalless at the break.

Van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur and Son all departed at half-time, presumably for planned preservation, with Dragusin, Bissouma and Dejan Kulusevski coming on. Tottenham drifted into the second half and Elfsborg gave them a scare when Zeneli’s shot cannoned up in the penalty area and Jalal Abdullai bicycle-kicked over from six yards.

“A night made in Tottenham tonight. A proud moment for the Club.”

Ange reacts to victory over Elfsborg 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/21CvyLJ6Z2

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 30, 2025

Not much happened for the next 20 minutes, except Dragusin being forced off after awkwardly twisting a knee, meaning Scarlett came on, Davies moved inside to central defence and Sarr shifted to left back.

Was the goal coming? Not particularly, but Kulusevski produced a moment of magic that made the difference, shifting on to his left foot in that inside-right channel and curling a ball into the penalty area, where Scarlett darted across and aimed a smart header into the corner of the net. “He’s one of our own,” the South Stand sang.

It turned into a special night for the club’s academy as Ajayi, on for Richarlison, made it two. The 19-year-old cruised in from the right and used Scarlett like a wall, bouncing the ball off him in the area and then driving into the bottom corner of the net.

Moore deserved his goal, which came late, when Elfsborg had nothing left to give. He started on the edge of the centre circle and kept going, entering the penalty area before dragging a shot into the net to wrap up a much needed win.

Originally published as Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur wins to secure spot in Europa League round of 16 but injuries strike Spurs again