ANGE POSTECOGLOU’S Tottenham revved up for the Europa League Final in record-breaking fashion – as they crashed to an all-time-low 20th Premier League defeat of the season.
In the process, they showed exactly why – whatever happens in that final against Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21 – they will surely not be Postecoglou’s Tottenham next season.
This was a truly pitiful performance from Spurs – not so much a case of poor defending but of vast institutional negligence, as Palace ran riot, the scoreline never reflecting their dominance.
And – one of only three players retained from Thursday’s semi-final victory at Bodo/Glimt – was further cause for misery.
An double either side of half-time gave Oliver Glasner’s side the perfect pep-up before Saturday’s Final against
Palace also had two first-half goals ruled out and twice struck the crossbar as they outclassed their hosts, who now sit just one place above the relegation places before they contest what – in terms of league positions – is the worst Final of all time.
Spurs may yet lift their first trophy in 17 years in the Basque country next week – after all, they have defeated United three times this season – but this dog’s breakfast of a league campaign must surely spell the end of their Australian manager’s reign.
With those Cup finals on the horizon, it threatened to be a case of players spending 90 minutes trying to avoid injury.
Yet Palace were at full pelt in their final run-out before next weekend’s final.
After returning from the semi-final trip to northern Norway at 4.30am on Friday, Postecoglou made eight changes to his starting line-up but this was still a team of experienced pros and the display they bordered on disgraceful.
– at left-back, according to the teamsheet – gave one of the worst individual performances of the season.
Glasner selected his first team, minus the injured , the Eagles still eyeing a top-half finish.
And within nine minutes, Palace thought they had the lead after a sweeping crossfield move – Eze to Jean-Philipe Mateta to a marauding Daniel Munoz on the right.
When the full-back centred low to the back stick, Ismaila Sarr darted to the back post for a tap-in – yet Mateta had been marginally offside in the build-up because his shoulder was leaning across the halfway line – another triumph for VAR.
Soon, Tottenham’s back-up keeper Antonin Kinsky almost chucked a weakly-struck Munoz volley into his own net.
And then came the moment Postecoglou had been dreading even more than a Palace goal, as Marc Guehi’s challenge sent Kulusevski up into the air, the Swede hurting his right knee as he fell.
Kulusevski, who’d briefly been acting as a false nine, was replaced by .
And then came one of those familiar passages in a match during which Tottenham simply stopped trying to defend.
Kinsky made a point-blank save from Mateta, whose angled pass soon found Munoz for a shot which was drilled against the crossbar.
Spurs seemed to have decided that, under no circumstances, would they mark Munoz, who was soon given acres of space for a shot on goal, yet mishit a pass to Mateta instead.
Soon after, from a corner, a Chris Richards header was pushed against the bar by Kinsky.
The atmosphere was funereal and the defending comedic – but somehow Palace were not in front.
Next, Eze had a long-range shot deflected narrowly wide and from the resulting corner, there was another disallowed goal – Maxence Lacroix’s header cannoning in off the out-stretched arm of Guehi.
Then, after a lengthy VAR check, an actual goal.
Munoz, who must have been feeling as though he was part of a one-man Covid lockdown, careered down the right in blissful isolation once more and centred for Eze to tap home.
arrived as a half-time sub and was booked within 90 seconds for kicking in the head.
And then it was 2-0, Eze locating Sarr who sprinted down the right and cut back a return ball for Eze – unmarked, as you may have guessed – to drill past Kinsky.
Mateta then ploughed forward and had a shot saved and from a long throw-in, Kevin Danso almost headed into his own net, Kinsky pushing wide.
Then, in a shock twist to a rather repetitive plot, Spurs almost scored – Pedro Porro’s cross to the back post met by a flying header from Pape Matar Sarr, which fell wide.
Glasner made a triple substitution, showing mercy to his hosts, who eased up a little while continuing to dominate.
Throughout it all, Postecoglou stood by the edge of his technical area, largely motionless. He will be moving soon enough.
MORE TO FOLLOW...
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..
